Planning to do the Scottish C2C before the Autumn but wanted to get some of your experiences with the different routes and the ride its self, plus the times and distances of each stage if possible.
Cheers
AL
Which route? There are lots of options, including some less obvious ones 🙂
http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2011/09/c2c-part-1.html
We took 5 days, roughly 50 odd miles per day (give or take), and roughly (almost exactly, each day) 50%off-road / on-road.
1/ Ardnamurchan - Strontian, via Ockle
2/ Strontian to Polloch, along Loch Shiel, Great Glen Way to South Laggan
3/ South Laggan, Graet Glen Way, Fort Augustus, Corrieyairack, Sspin round Red @ Laggan, Newtonmore
4/ Newtonmore, Glen Feshie, Braemar, Balmoral, Ballater (that was the longest day...)
5/ Ballater, Fungle Road, Tarfside, then over to Glen Lethnot (not the best route choice), Edzell, Montrose.
There are lots of options, including some less obvious ones
You can get from coast to coast in one long day from Bonnar Bridge to Ullapool pretty much without your tyres touching tarmac.
And you can get from the atlantic to the north sea in about 50 paces by crossing the [url= http://goo.gl/maps/KIwD0 ]A970[/url] 🙂
Did the Bonar Bridge to Ullapool c2c a couple of years ago ... retro stylee http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=118682
Thanks guy you've given me a few good places to start planning from 🙂
Did "a" ctc about 12 years ago - more or less straight lined it over umpteen Munros. Hell of an experience but not everyone's cup of tea...
However, the one thing that a struck me was the complete anti-climax approaching the East Coast, it just felt utterly wrong.
So, my advice would be to plot your route E/W and then take half a day to a day soaking up the West Coast experience.
3 of us did a cracking route a couple of years ago.
Day 1-Ardnamurchan to Strontian via Ockle.
Day 2- to Fort William via Loch Sheil, South side of Loch Eil and over on the ferry from Camusnagaul. (tiny ferry sailing 3 times a day, bikes strapped on the deck of the boat)
Day 3- Fort William to Fort Augustus. Via Nevis Range and a quick lap of the Red downhill. Out through Leanachan Forest to Spean Bridge by the singletrack path. On to the Great Glen Way to Fort Augustus.
Day 4- Fort Augustus to Newtonmore via the Corrieyarrick Pass.
Day 5- Newtonmore to Braemar via Glen Tromie, Feshie, Geldie. (long day)
Day 6- Braenar to Glen Clova via Glen Gelder, Loch Muick, Capel Mounth.
Day 7- Glen Clova to Dundee via GlenTarie, Prosen, Uig, Sidlaws. (hardest day)
No disrespect steelytail but rather proves my point - there are far better endings to a trans Scotland ride than Prosen / Dundee.
Ardnamurchan is stunning but very remote - don't underestimate the time spent getting to and from the coast.
I did it once from Aberdeen to Inverie in Knoydart leaving the tarred road at Kinloch Hourn and crossing into Knoydart via Barrisdale.
There may be a bit of heather louping involved but the pub in Inverie will make up for it all.
You are left with the option of taking the boat back to Mallaig or retracing your route.
The scenery is to die for.
That's more like it. Boat back to Mallaig then train home. And what a train journey!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/sets/72157594161298014/
[url= http://farm1.staticflickr.com/56/164109043_29186ec9aa.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/164109043/ ]C2C2006008_edited[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/matt_outandabout/ ]matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr
Going West to East does mean the best riding is at the start of the ride but the 2nd last day around Lochnagar and over the Capel Mounth does make up for it. Also I live in Dundee so made more sense to finish there. There is surprisingly good trails to be had on the way back to Dundee. But I concede that Dundee itself isn't a bikers paradise.
did this in may when that lovely wather was about, here's our route:
Wednesday
Train Montrose to Kyle of Lochalsh
Cycle to Ratagan YH – 26km on road
Spend night at Ratagan YH (need own food)
Thursday
Ratagan to Fort Augustus – 99km (longest day)
Friday
Fort Augustus to Inverdruie or Aviemore – 84km including the Corrieyairack pass
Saturday
Inverdruie to Ballater (past Balmoral!) – 99.6km (another long one...) –
Sunday
Ballater to Montrose – 85 km
loved it but the weather also helped, t-shirts everyday. 😀