Staying near here at Easter, is it worth taking the MTB or would I be better borrowing a road bike?

You’d be better off taking a big eff off fishing rod, some massive Skate in the sound of Mull!

There looks like so much potential for exploring on the MTB, OS 1:50,000 shows all sorts of possible loops, also a bothy on a lochside a very short distance above the town.

Buuuuut… The road biking over there must be some of the best in Scotland, you could easily ferry hop over to Tobermory and do various loops on Mull (complete loop is 80-something miles but most of the good stuff is on the north loop). Also the Kingairloch descent, the Strontian-Pollock out-and-back and possibilities out towards Ardnamurchan/Sanna bay (maybe a long day unless someone comes to pick you up.

+1 for the road bike. The out and back to Ardnamurchan is one of the best days out I’ve had on a bike.

Have never figured out how to embed google maps, but this route (done anti-clockwise) has some pretty significant climbs and descents

Lochaline to Polloch with Kingairloch Descent

And this one would be a belter if the ferry times work out, loads of brilliant roads

Lochaline – Calgary Bay – Tobermory – Salen

I lived there for 3 years! Take the road bike.

Road bike, some stunning riding around there.

Take a head torch. And another torch. And a third one. Then go play in the massive mine:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/b51JXr]Lochaline 4[/url] by Ben Cooper, on Flickr

Lochaline Silica Mine

😀

Looks like I need to borrow a road bike then. Those routes look good but probably a bit longer than I’ll have time or the legs for. I like your optimism though.

Plenty scope with either bike. Depends on weather though, way things are the now everything sodden. Plenty forest road to explore at worst. Route out to Drimnin round headland to forest at Barr. Bit of a carry for about 500yds to link up though. Up past Ardtornish house takes you on estate tracks to bothy at loch. Not terribly challenging but good enough wee run. There is marked trail round back of village by Savery Glen, pretty boggy if wet but good fun on decent but climb a slog. Great views. Hate to say it but a cross bike be a good compromise. [/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/5LaoPU]Above Loch Sunart.[/url] by Bentalla, on Flickr][/url]

Bencooper those are awesome photos! Can’t wait to show the kids. We visit Lochaline every summer and the kids love watching the mining trucks and machinery.

OP, I’ve cycled up the coast a bit on the hybrid and it’s a really lovely cycle. I hope to get a bit further this year, now that the kids are older and up a couple of wheel sizes 🙂

islander – while we have your attention….. I was wondering about a couple of tracks in that area.

(1) Bealach Sloc an Eich – Loch Teacuis over to Glencripsedale

(2) Gleann Dubh – Achagavel to Acharn

Bikeable enough? (I expect some hike-a-bike over the bealach)

The route over from Teacuis to Cripesdale I don’t know but have a feeling a road has been built over some of it, possibly phone the estate for info? The Achagavel to Acharn have done but was a dry spell, either end was good but middle section bit of a carry/push but worth doing if weather been dry. Wouldn’t recomend otherwise.

After a dry spell then?

[img]http://www.mlehworld.com/mleh3/images/smilies/smiley-laughing.gif[/img][img]http://www.mlehworld.com/mleh3/images/smilies/smiley-laughing.gif[/img][img]http://www.mlehworld.com/mleh3/images/smilies/smiley-laughing.gif[/img][img]http://www.mlehworld.com/mleh3/images/smilies/smiley-laughing.gif[/img]

Thanks

Not sure what day it is this year.

It’s not going to be Easter is it?

Would be nice!

re -islander – while we have your attention….. I was wondering about a couple of tracks in that area.

(1) Bealach Sloc an Eich – Loch Teacuis over to Glencripsedale

(2) Gleann Dubh – Achagavel to Acharn

Bikeable enough? (I expect some hike-a-bike over the bealach)

I ‘rode’ both the above tracks clockwise from the bottom of Liddlesdale Climb years ago and really did not think it was worth the effort!! Loads of pushing/carrying involved !! It was pitch dark by the time we got back to the van.

(1) Bealach Sloc an Eich – Loch Teacuis over to Glencripsedale

(2) Gleann Dubh – Achagavel to Acharn

Bikeable enough? (I expect some hike-a-bike over the bealach)

I ‘rode’ both the above tracks clockwise from the bottom of Liddlesdale Climb years ago and really did not think it was worth the effort!! Loads of pushing/carrying involved !! It was pitch dark by the time we got back to the van.

While your all enjoying your holidays buy a brew off Jean at the pier, some food off Leslie Iin the shop, get a round in the social club or hotel and a decent meal in the Whitehouse with Sarah. It can be tough in LA to keep stuff going. Good luck with the weather!

That’s proper wild West coast.

As above, there is of road riding all over, but much is short n sweet, or Gert big day out with bog n pushing a plenty.

Strontian has all sorts in the woods behind, from village centre.

My godparents’ eldest was the mine manager at Lochaline before it shut. He took me inside when I went to visit him for a few days – great place! The sand was basically dynamited out of the face, and then scooped into dump drunks to drive out. Was pretty expensive to run as their kit was always breaking down, and I think the machine which drilled and installed the dynamite was Polish so they had no idea what a lot of the labels on the controls were 😀

There’s a load of photos on the Canmore archive, both ‘historic’ and from when it was operational (probably 10+ years ago now).

https://canmore.org.uk/site/289085/lochaline-silica-sand-mine

Yes, my images are on the Canmore site – there’s something like a hundred miles of tunnels or something down there, getting lost was my big worry!

That mine looks fantastic, great pictures….

It’s like an indoor fatbike trail centre….

More great pics Kit! Yearning for the summer holidays now 🙂