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What's good up there?
Within a sensible drive from Lairg area ideally. To make the most of the location, I'd rather not drive much south. Interested in both trails in the woods and adventures into the wilds. 40km/1000m ish ride.
Golspie, Balblair, Carbisdale
Sandwood Bay (can be busy)
Arlke Loop, looks like a lot of pushing/carrying
Cape Wrath (bit far and needs boat both ways)
Loch Bealaich and Loch Choire loop
Loch Stack to Creagan Meall Horn and Loch More loop
Thanks in advance. I know about access in Scotland but now I have too much choice and want to make the most of my limited time up there.
What riding do you enjoy?
Our kids like a good trail centre and so Golspie they thought brilliant.
Balblair I liked, but it was quite heavily overgrown in places and feeling unloved. The riding is really nice and technical mind.
The Loch Choire loop I did maybe 25+ years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it - but remember quite a lot of bumpy path, but I was on a rigid bike...
Not sure how far away from the area your after but Contin is great and big days doing Torridon
This is yet another hiking trip I'm trying to rescue from the weather by doing a mix of biking, so I've probably not chosen the ideal location.
What riding do you enjoy?
Anything from trail centre tech, natural tech that's not a mountain, and scenic adventures. Being in such a scenic place, probably max a day or two in the woods on this week long trip though. Will be taking FS trail bike so pretty much anything goes.
Not sure how far away from the area your after but Contin is great and big days doing Torridon
Contin's an hour south so seems a waste of travelling so far up north. Torridon is two hours.
Definitely go to Golspie then, and plan a couple of laps... it's one of my favourite descents from top to bottom - and doozy climb too...
Loch Bealaich and Loch Choire loop
The first/last bit of this is a total bog, it would be quite unpleasant in anything other than drought conditions
Loch Stack to Creagan Meall Horn and Loch More loop
The only bit of this I've not been on is the northmost section, so I can't tell you about that. The rest is all pretty rideable
Balblair I liked, but it was quite heavily overgrown in places and feeling unloved.
I was up there recently and it's not fully open. Rock Rider is open but the sections that were wooden have been replaced with huge amounts of gravel so what used to be difficult is now just a wide track for a couple of hundred metres. Candy mountain is taped off and the board walk is unrideable with significant sections rotten/broken, but the trail is fine past it.
Bookmarking thread in hope of some gems I'm not aware of.
It's a real shame about the state of Balblair
Conival
My skills are a bit lacking, and my hike a bike fitness severely so though.
Loch Bealaich and Loch Choire loop
The first/last bit of this is a total bog, it would be quite unpleasant in anything other than drought conditions
Thanks. If I've run out of things to do I could do the track from the east, to where the two meet.
Arkle loop is good, but yes there is some pushing on the return leg. Iirc there was some downhill pushing too. It feels pretty remote and best for good weather. Epic scenery and position
It's one of those great days but I doubt I'll be doing it again!
Golspie is good on pish days if you cut out the summit. It's great generally, lactic ladder an excellent challenge.
If the weather is good and you're in the area then I would ditch the bike and get up some of the best hills in Scotland. They are awesome, the views are awesome. You'll never be disappointed.
Or maybe use the bike to access some of the hills?
The descent from bealach horn is fast non tech, it's the descent from the arkle loop and a nice finish. I can't be certain if it's rideable up, think it is. Personally I'd ditch my bike on the bealach, bag foinaven and then enjoy the blast back down. Would be an epic day
If the weather is good and you’re in the area then I would ditch the bike and get up some of the best hills in Scotland. They are awesome, the views are awesome. You’ll never be disappointed.
That's actually the purpose of the trip, just grabbing a few bike options for when the weather isn't good.
Or maybe use the bike to access some of the hills?
I'd noted Suilven 6km each way definitely a bike job, and maybe Ben More Assynt and Conival 4km each way.
The descent from bealach horn is fast non tech, it’s the descent from the arkle loop and a nice finish.
Oh, Trailforks has it starting from the east and going anti-clockwise. By your description you'd be starting at Lock Stack, is that what you'd suggest?
Personally I’d ditch my bike on the bealach, bag foinaven and then enjoy the blast back down. Would be an epic day
Too much of an epic for me tbh, just the ride is pushing the limit with that much ascent. The top of Foinaven (Ganu Mor) is some way a fair way away. Hoping to hike it from the north. There's a 7km track in and out which would be good for bike if I did that instead of a loop back.
Yeah you are making good suggestions.
I did arkle loop from stack, anti clockwise. So glen golly was the return. I think it's much of a muchness tbh but anti clockwise seems to work
Ben stack is an excellent hill, ideal for a shorter day eg if weather clears out in the afternoon. Views are great.
Ben mor assynt from oykel bridge direction would be lovely, the ridge south of the summit is sublime and you should be able to ride in a good way before gaining the ridge on foot.
Ben stack is an excellent hill, ideal for a shorter day eg if weather clears out in the afternoon. Views are great.
Agreed. Dashed up it at dawn one day before the storms came in.
Ben mor assynt from oykel bridge direction would be lovely, the ridge south of the summit is sublime and you should be able to ride in a good way before gaining the ridge on foot.
The 4km was what I thought from Inchnadamph before it gets steep. It looks a long way in from the south even if joining the track at Loch Ailsh rather than Oykel Bridge.
"The south ridge of Ben More Assynt - out to the 960m top and beyond - provides a magnificent and at times airy approach with some scrambling on awkward tilted slabs. The start of the ridge, however, is extremely remote and inaccessible which ensures this route has never become popular."
I'll give that one a miss!
Arkle loop a swear word here. 20 years ago mind but the 1 and only ride still sticks with me. the pushing downhill in bits and carrying over peat hags sticks in mind. The descents that were rideable were meh. Never been out so long or so knackered either.
Actually I now remember it was the first ride of new to me Ti frame. A (for then) wide 2.25 tyre and from the start tyre rubbing on chsinstay. Every wheel rotation I’m rubbing a bit of Ti away 😩. Maybe that’s clouding my thoughts too.
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; background-color: #eeeeee;">The descent from bealach horn is fast non tech, it’s the descent from the arkle loop and a nice finish. I can’t be certain if it’s rideable up, think it is.</span>
It's a bit steep and loose at some points but should be mostly rideable for a fit rider. The highlight for me is the Tolkeinesque portal rock at the bottom!
Quoting on some devices, yet another way this forum is broken.
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Golspie was great. First few runs at tentative speed checking it out I thought it'd be awesome at proper speed. However I couldn't really be confident to ride it like that - the rocks are especially slippery when damp, and there are quite a few blind crests. The climb was nice but the lactic ladder and the steep doubletrack beyond was pretty tiring, so I opted to take the shortcut most of the time to get more runs for my energy. Great place, shame it's so far away.
Sandwood Bay was worth a visit. There's a good track some of the way, then some bike stands and a sign asking you to leave your bike to avoid erosion of the wide rocky path beyond. I continued and carried my bike through the odd short muddy section. I'd grade it as a red with some short black climbs. Few groups on their way walking when I was riding back mid Saturday morning. Not much in it time wise biking vs. walking by the time you've accounted for pre/post ride faff, getting changed, packing, washing sand/salt off your bike - walkers who arrived at the car park same time as me were back by the time I was leaving.
Also used the bike to cycle into Foinaven (landrover track) and Suilven (old track/path, sometimes technical). Saves a lot of time, probably 45 mins each way at my pace rather than an hour and a half.
Posted the above last night while the forum was recovering from the outage - it didn't show up on the forum threads list for anyone to see.