Roads around Fort William

guilliano
guilliano Posts: 5,495
edited June 2010 in The bottom bracket
What are they like? I'm off there for a week with the GF and I have permission to take the bike with me for a couple of rides (yay her!!!). I have no idea what the roads are like though. Any good routes I should be riding from Fort William? Looking for a couple of 40 or 50 milers, nothing huge
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guilliano/

Comments

  • awallace
    awallace Posts: 191
    Fort William to Fort Augustus is a nice run and even nicer carrying on up past Loch Ness to Inverness. You cant go wrong in that part of the world although ive only driven these roads and not cycled! Fort to Fort and back is about 60 miles i think.

    Beautiful area though!!
  • brin
    brin Posts: 1,122
    Wonderful area, been there 3 times stopping at Bunree Caravan Park 9 miles south of Fort William.(altho left bike at home)
    You can get the ferry at Corran (free for cyclists/pedestrians) over Loch Linnhe which gives you some cracking roads for cycling, or alternatively you can ride from Fort William along the A830 towards Kinlocheil and ride down the A861, be careful tho some of the route is track and unsuitable for road bikes. One ride i'm hoping to eventually do is south of Fort William, North Ballachulish the B863 around Loch Leven, went round in car absolutely brilliant!
    Also want to give the pass over Glen coe a go.
    Agree totally with previous post it's a beautiful area, you can't go wrong where ever you go.
    ( have a ride up Ben Nevis in cable car and watch the mtbs descent the mountain on the track below...awesome)
    enjoy
  • White Line
    White Line Posts: 887
    Hilly I'm guessing. :) Jealous. I'm heading to Lochgoilhead in two weeks, so was looking on Google maps for a bit and it looks like there are hardly any roads there. :? Looks like you've got the same at Fort William.

    Looks like these two might know the good roads though.

    Looks lovely here. Even appears to be a nice wee descent around the bend. Just imagine it in summer.

    So jealous!
    Emiliana the CAAD9
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    Surprisingly unhilly in a lot of cases - most of the roads follow relatively flat routes through the glens, there aren't a lot of high passes around.
    I would say the best routes at that kind of length would be one way, loops tend to be long in those parts: the shortest that makes any sense could be Corran Ferry, A861 to Lochailort & back on the A830, that's about 80 miles but you could always take a shortcut by swimming the 17 mile length of Loch Shiel :shock:
    You could take the train to Crianlarich and cycle back over Rannoch Moor, about 50 miles on one of the most scenic roads anywhere, and one that definitely isn't flat (not that bad though, bikehike says 730m of ascent, and in fact you're downhill on average). You can cut it a bit shorter (and start higher :wink:) and still get the best of the route by getting off the train at Tyndrum or Bridge of Orchy. Saw lots of riders on it last weekend, including a very serious looking bunch going up the
    Or back from Mallaig along the A830 is about 40 miles, through the Great Glen from Inverness is about 60 and almost completely flat, or a wee scenic 90 mile drive north takes you to my favourite highland road by far, the Bealach na Ba. It's not flat.
  • -spider-
    -spider- Posts: 2,548
    I'd get off the main roads Head towards Mallaig and into Arnamurchan. Head for Glenuig, then South to Salen. On to Strontian and either get ferry across Loch Linnhe or the longer route round Locheil to rejoin your original route back to Fort Bill. Fantastic day run! Quiet roads, brilliant scenery and some good Cake Stops about.
    -Spider-
  • -spider-
    -spider- Posts: 2,548
    If you like some hills - the dead end road from Strontian through Scotstown is a murderous climb but fantastic views at the top. You go past the old mines (where Strontium came from) and into the hills. If your bike can take forest roads you can follow the raod up by Loch Shiel to Glenfinnan and back to FW that way.

    Have fun.
    -Spider-
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,530
    As Bompington says the roads aren't as hilly as you'd expect. They are quite narrow and twisty though and in the summer are over-run by Italians in camper vans that the roads weren't designed for. I haven't been up there for a few years but from memory the roads up from Glen Coe (either the main road or the road from the village itself) would be a nice climb. Other than that I would say the roads in general allow you to ride in stunningly beautiful scenery you'd find hard to beat anywhere in the world.
  • -spider-
    -spider- Posts: 2,548
    The coast road south from Ballachuillish to Oban is relatively quiet a pleasant run.. There is also a decent cycletrack for much of the way (Part of the Campbeltown to Inverness route).

    A good route is FW to Corran - Ferry to Ardnamurchan - Head for Strontian and at Achnalea either;

    1. Turn left head for Lochaline - ferry to mull - short run to Craignure - ferry to Oban and back via coast road (about 100 miles)

    or

    2. Straight on - head for Arnamrchan (brilliant cake stop at Resipol), then Kilchoan - Ferry to Tobermory - Tobermory to Craignure - then as above. (about 135 miles - plenty of B&Bs in Tobermory

    Have fun - great area
    -Spider-

Categories