Loch Etive: getting from Taynuilt over to Bonawe…

Just wondering if anyone has any experience of getting from Taynuilt over to Bonawe as there isn’t a ferry service. Crossing the palms of local boaters with silver/paper to get you and your bike across?

(Tentatively planning some overnight bike trips and don’t want to have to ride right along to Connel and back.)

No scheduled boat that I know of. Might be worth contacting Etive cruises to see if you could ‘persuade’ him

Contact: Donald P. Kennedy
Phone: 01866 822430
Email: lochetive@aol.com
BOOKING NECESSARY CALL 07721732703 WORKING HOURS AND 01866 822430 EVENINGS.

Failing that it’s only about 15miles by road and pretty flat.

You know you want to….

The 25k map implies boat trips from the jetty in Taynuilt. How is the route looking? Dwayne mentioned he’s ridden the North shore of Loch Etive and it looks alright.

Second Donald Kennedy above. He’s a good guy (did a honeymoon cruise on loch Etive on his boat). It’s a miserable trek on the main road from taynuilt – crossing the loch is way better. Good track on the north side for most of the way, gets technical towards the top. The last coulple of miles can be a hike if it’s been wet before the road at the top.

Am envious. Enjoy.

You can ride up to Taynuilt and pick a series of Land Rover tracks to Bonawe. Back in the 80s you could ride most the way up to the road at the foot of Glen Etive. We did it a couple of times starting from Victoria Bridge, down Glen Kinglass round to and camping at Bonawe. Next day we’d ride up Glen Etive and back across Rannoch Moor on the WHW to Victoria Bridge.

Loads of laughs on this route with the Dangerous Brothers, Italspark and Leffeboy.

mcmoonter – househusband and I did similar last August, but instead started at Kingshouse and rode the road to Loch Etive and returned via Glen Kinglass and the WHW to Kingshouse. In fact, looking back – you commented on the thread on MTB Scotland about it!!

That was a cracking ride, albeit long…

Did an out and back from Bonawe a couple of weeks ago. Turned back just after Barrs lodge. Top end of the track was a bit wet and Bonawe quarry was a total mud pit. Planning another trip once it dries up a bit but looking at coming from Glen Creran over Glen Ure (down to Invercharnan) and then back down the loch side to Bonawe.

AlasdairMc, I still think the clockwise loop is the way to go. You descend down Glen Kinglass, the climb back up Glen Etive is on tarmac, and the descent across Rannoch Moor is much longer than the climb up to the high point, though it is briefly steeper.

It is a long loop, but spread over a couple of good days, it’s what epic rides are all about. I still have some pics somewhere of us early on the second day looking across Loch Etive with snow capped hills reflected in the mirror smoothe water. It’s one of the best rides we ever did. Hopefully Leffeboy will have some to hand too, you’ll get the idea.

I might give it a shot that way round. I do love the descent into the ski centre off Rannoch though – it’s one of those tracks where you just can’t go fast enough. I also felt the descent into Glen Etive was a good warmup and a nice prelude to the Loch Etive shore trail that was completely unknown territory for all of us. I had expected it to be 90% carry, but it was more like 10% so it was a relief more than anything!

Thanks, all. Will investigate some of your suggestions; have made one line of enquiry.

This’ll be on fat bikes with camping gear so will try and ride along the shore(s) if at all feasible… won’t be ‘mountain biking’ per se!