Riding around Killin

I’m in Killin for the week mostly towing hoppy jr round the back roads and forests in his trailer. On the off chance I get a bit of time off where would make a decent ride on my CX bike.

I was eyeing up heading south up glen ogle and then following the track running east past lochan breaclaich into ardeonaig and the back along the loch. Other option is to head across to lochearnhead and come back through glen kendrum. Anyone done these, are they worth it, am I going to break myself on a CX bike?

Chris

matt_outandabout is your man. He lives there and has ridden most/all of the stuff around. I’ll post this in the hope he notices the thread 🙂

Cheers druidh.

hola 🙂 Killin resident…

Whaddya want to know?
Doh, just read again…lemme see.

See – it worked!

I was eyeing up heading south up glen ogle and then following the track running east past lochan breaclaich into ardeonaig and the back along the loch.

The climb is sustrans cycle route 7, then forest track and old hdyro (tarmac) road. Past Breachlaich it is rough estate road, and 1km of bog-hopping to Ardeonaig (really wet at the moment – prepare for throw bike, run and jump over in places…), then loch road back home.
Climb up:
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Avoiding homework….[/url] by matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr
Top track:
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IMGP6204[/url] by matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr
Behind Ardeonaig:

Other option is to head across to lochearnhead and come back through glen kendrum. Anyone done these, are they worth it, am I going to break myself on a CX bike?

Kendrum and Dubh are ace, couple of stream crossings, just rough estate road. They are doing lots of stalking up there this week, but you passing through on track is not a problem.
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Glen Dubh[/url] by matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr
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Glen Dubh[/url] by matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr

If you ride to Ardeonaig, drop in for a coffee – as you come onto the track from the hill, past the farm, past the three wood chalets on the right, turn right into the Abernethy outdoor centre at the green gate and the building and window on your right is my office…

😀 at Druidh.

Misread Matts comment, though he called me Hora for a moment, that’d be fighting talk. Oh and good pub recommendations are welcome too.

Three doors down – the Falls of Dochart *slurps beer from taps* – tourist pub, with good beerio

Cheers Matt, I’ll give you a shout if I’m passing through.

If you want food though, head for the other end of town to the Bridge of Lochay – yummy 🙂

What the hell has happened to the Falls of Dochart?!?! I was back in Killin in August and popped in for a pint – there’s a flippin glass fibre woman sat there next to the fire! Nice enough beer but jeez, it didn’t used to be so cheesy! Take away fish and chips from the old smiddy are pretty awesome, but the van in the McLaren Hall Carpark brings back memories of being a kid so often wins.

I’ve always enjoyed road riding around Killin more than mtb although where Matt describes is great with kids. My favourite back road tarmac route is along Glen Lochay from the Bridge of Lochay Hotel then over the pass to Loch Lyon and down along Glen Lyon to the pass back over at the Bridge of Balgie via the car park (no visitors centre anymore grr!) walkers use for Ben Lawers. Not long but feels a lot more remote than you actually are and can be extended.

Matt- so do you live in the white cottages next to the Falls of Dochart pub/hotel? If so threw up outside your front door half a lifetime ago after the Céilidh! I paddled up to Ardeonaig (from where I was staying in a friend’s cabin at the end of Pier Road) – is any of the kit in the little harbour at the end of the hotel garden yours? The hotel has gone up market since I was last there! A coffee almost Bankrupt me!

I live couple of doors up on that street in the new house, but not the wee cottage.
shhh about our harbour, and yes it is our kit 🙂
Freaky glasfibre lady has been there for last 3+ years…cheesy, but nummy beer

What’s Killin like to live in? Walking along the main street in August it’s looking like it needs a bit of investment. It’s got so many memories for me I often wonder if I could live there full time. I worked at Croft na Caber for a short time many many years ago when Katie (of Killin Mountain Shop) was working there and wonder if I’d have enjoyed my life if I’d stayed and got old there!

What’s Killin like to live in? Walking along the main street in August it’s looking like it needs a bit of investment.

Usual small village – ace, safe, welcoming and real, proper sense of community. And infuriating in equal doses at times. 😆
It does need some TLC – we have a ‘well we are here, and so people will *always* carry on coming to visit’ rather than a ‘let get people in, and that takes effort’…hence a drop in some numbers and thence income. Also the fact that Asda deliver from many, many miles away and people would rather drive (costing £££’s) rather than spend a few pence more on things in the village has meant the closure of many shops. 🙁

mr hoppy – were you out today? saw a couple of families on bikes… 8) We were out pedaling as well..