Viewing 26 posts - 1 through 26 (of 26 total)
  • Route planning. Scotland
  • whathills
    Free Member

    Local knowledge / experience nearly always wins over internet searches in my experience.
    Looking at making my way from Loch Tae to Mallaig.

    (And afterwards The Isles, but that route fairly well sorted)

    Avoiding the worst of main roads. Trackriding fine but not too much gnarly stuff . Hybrid with 12kg approx base weight ‘bikepacking’ luggage.

    Not far in excess of 50 miles per day as I like to stop and look at stuff; brew up; take pictures, patronise the local hospitality etc.

    Also any good pitch – wildcamp, or ‘low key’ campsite recommends along the way? Happy to do a couple of miles detour to acheive this.

    Thanks in advance for any help proffered 🙂

    Or point me in direction of bike friendly route planning website

    scruff9252
    Full Member

    I use cycle.travel for route planning and find it excellent.

    fifeandy
    Free Member

    Bikehike.co.uk

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

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    scotroutes
    Full Member

    Head to Oban. Ferry to Craignure on Mull. Do the circuit (anti-clockwise). Camp at Fidden Farm and do a short trip to Iona. Round to Tobermory, ferry to Ardnamurchan (camp at Ardnamurchan campsite). Up to Ardnamurchan point then backtrack to head north through Shiel Bridge, then just hug the coast all the way to Mallaig. Fabulous tour. Very under-rated. On a par with the Outer Hebrides I reckon. That’s all on tarmac but the roads are generally excellent, not too busy and drivers generally courteous.

    Basically, this in reverse
    http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2012/07/coasting-around-west-day-1.html
    http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2012/07/coasting-around-west-day-2.html
    http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2012/07/coasting-around-west-day-3.html
    http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2012/07/coasting-around-west-day-4-and-summary.html

    whathills
    Free Member

    Whoa; Thanks Scotroutes. Looks good.

    That’s one to put on the list for another time for sure.
    Unless I totally change tack on this trip for some reason.
    Enjoyed the OH south to North too, apart from the persistant North easterly that substituted itself for the usually prevailing.

    But am definitely starting from loch Tae and (most likely) heading for Mallaig

    whathills
    Free Member

    Sorry Scotroutes, not paying proper attention, yes I see only a few hours to Oban first; then up the coast to Mallaig.

    The ferries pretty much run whatever the weather.

    Excellent plan, I award you no punctures for next year.
    And myself a spell on the naughty step for hasty dismissal of a fine idea.
    very poor forum form 🙁

    tjagain
    Full Member

    second vote for scotroutes route. I have ridden it. Its great.

    whathills
    Free Member

    Excellent news.
    I am looking forward to it already,
    come rain, shine, or capricious winds
    Most likely, all three within the space of ten minutes.
    But who cares? it’ll still be great.
    Thank you, good people, of the knowledge.

    whathills
    Free Member

    Just wanted to say thank you to Scotroutes and all you other helpful folks for your suggestions.

    I did your suggested route Loch Tay – Oban – Outer western crinkly edges of Mull, Ardnamuchan, up to Mallaig , and then added a bit extra on across Skye then on again to acheive the far western edge of Harris..
    Sublime twelve day excursion, camping every night, a mixture of wildcamping and campsites (same shelter as yourself scotroutes.)

    First two weeks of October.

    It didn’t rain once.
    Incredibly lucky. 🙂

    Will do a trip report complete with sickeningly stunning blue sky pictures, and post link here, once IT and time allows.

    Many thanks once again.

    A great route, with varied terrain, and plenty of interest and refreshment along the way 😀

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    Shoosh! Don’t give away all our secrets.

    Glad you liked it and already looking forward to the photos.

    whathills
    Free Member

    New Year greetings forum folk.

    I’m posting a link to blog post, on first part of my Scottish trip with which you were so very helpful.

    I will add more photos soon,and do second half, before long, but have made a start.

    Also I’d like to do a route map like yours scotroutes.

    Any chance you tell me where I would access such a thing? Hopefully a not too expensive (better still free) version.

    Thanks again all.

    donald
    Free Member

    Jammy bugger

    jimmy
    Full Member

    clicky linky

    Edit: oh its fixed

    whathills
    Free Member

    Yes jammy indeed!….. Although i did; despite being a total heathen; have several members of the coven praying for fair weather… It is, after all, all about who you know 🙂

    highlandman
    Free Member

    Aye, the weather was rubbish across Scotland this past autumn. So glad you managed to scrape together a plan to rescue those almost wasted days…..

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    Fabulous. I’ve been waiting for this trip report to appear and you’ve not disappointed.

    As forum regulars will be aware, I pop up often on these threads giving route advice. I’m always a wee bit worried though in case I ruin someones trip. That doesn’t seem to have been the case this time 🙂

    I used Garmin Basecamp for the route map. It’s a free download. I then just do a PrintScreen and crop the image so it’s as clear as it can be. If you want, I could do one (or more) for your trip – just contact me via email.

    whathills
    Free Member

    Thanks Scotroutes, I think it could be said that you very muched helped make the trip… By suggesting that route.

    I’m sorry donald. but the weather actually got better later, to the point that some folks online thought I’d nipped over to the Bahamas.

    There really is nowhere like Scotshire for cycling (or walking) when the weather is good.

    Maybe enhanced by knowing what its like. cycling into a torrential headwind, when its not so nice.

    I didn’t even get to wear my specially crafted for the trip; 3/4 waterproof trews; except when waiting for the ‘normal’ ones to dry at a campsite.

    Great offer re route display thank you scotroutes. I must sort that out for myself sometime, bit of a backlog of trip reports. But my i.t. skills are ‘still in development’ shall we say 😉 so I might well take you up on offer in meantime..

    Still 6 days of irritatingly good weather to come I’m afraid…. Certain to get pished upon next time I venture North … if there’s any justice in this world…

    globalti
    Free Member

    Why has nobody mentioned midges?

    whathills
    Free Member

    In meantime, my route as described thus far, is pretty much like scotroutes shown above, except I started on Banks of Loch Tay ,and did Crianlarich to Oban by train.

    As I said in T.R. i would be tempted to avoid A road to Mallaig from Lochinver? same way, wasn’t much fun ‘negotiating’ with timber lorries, and other trucks…. They are in a big scary hurry..

    I also did three sides of a minor roads square to take in west side of Sleat Peninsula… Definitely worth the detour if time (and energy) allows.
    Fab views over The Cullin. and nice cycling. Hilly, but not evil hilly.

    whathills
    Free Member

    globalti…. There were no midges:).. I have people doing spells agin them too!

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    There’s a handy cycle track some of the way (Barrisdale) that drops you in Arisaig, then follow the coast road round to Mallaig. It’s very nice since they built that new “highway”.

    whathills
    Free Member

    Yes Lochailort thanks…. Sorry too lazy to look it up. Wish I;d known about that alternative, Ah well, it all builds a body of knowledge.

    Now they need to tackle the unpleasantness, that is the mainroad cross Skye, which is horrible on anything other than a Sunday… Not everyone is going to be able to craft (blag) the luck I did there either 🙂

    dovebiker
    Full Member

    If you have time and dry weather on the ride across Mull, try and time your lunch stop for the Ulva Boat House – quick jaunt across the Ulva Ferry and the most glorious, fresh seafood platters. Were there in July 2014 with glorious sunshine, 29 degrees and no midges:

    whathills
    Free Member

    Yup x 2 on Boathouse Ulva,

    I stuffed myself silly there before camping further out on the island,
    I had been expecting it to be a ‘spaceman food’ evening, so a very pleasant surprise….

    Quality eating at good prices, especially as they’ve got a captive market…

    50p to take yr bike on the ferry, nice bumpy tracks to ride, once yr there – if that’s your thing.

    Hope it doesn’t get overrun now….. And become one of those ‘secret islands’ that everyone knows about 🙁

    whathills
    Free Member

    http://broadviewfromasmallfarm.blogspot.co.uk/

    Cranked out second part; of filthy weathered Scottish trip report.

    Not quite got round to drawing the squiggly route line on the map thing.
    (or learning how to do it yet)

    But thanks scotroutes I have downloaded the Garmin app…Making progress slowly.

    I’ll add a map on; plus maybe a kit list? When time allows.
    🙂

Viewing 26 posts - 1 through 26 (of 26 total)

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