Route recomendations in Ireland or Scotland

lloydy123

I'm off the last week of september so hope to get a weeks cycling in. Anybody recommend any areas or routes in Scotland or Ireland? Had a look at the routes section but really there are too many routes to work through. Plan to do 70-100 miles per day.

Any insight would be appreciated,

thanks

random man

Many years ago I rode through the south and west of Ireland, following the coast more or less from Cork to Galway via Co Kerry and Co Clare. It was 500 miles of beautiful scenery with virtually no cars.
I went on my own but there were quite a few others following a similar route so it was pretty sociable. I'd like to go back to Ireland to cycle the northern coast sometime.

pneumatic

Dumfries and Galloway is rich with good cycling routes. Train to Lockerbie. Across to Dumfries. Ride right out to the headland (Portpatrick) and then work your way up the coast to Ardrossan, take a ferry to Arran, circumnavigate it. Back to mainland, up to Greenock, cross to Dunoon then Hell's Glen, Rest and Be Thankful, Arrochar, Helensburgh, Loch Lomondside, back into Glasgow and train home.

Coast, countriside, hills, sea, islands, mountains, lochs and glens.

cycladelic

If you can manage it - ride over Gap of Dunloe via Moll's Gap.

Here are some photos from last year...

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page ... 45108&v=ZW

For Scotland, I suggest the Hebrides, but doubt you'll have time.

random man

I agree - a beautiful ride, as is the Connor Pass.It sounds as if it's always raining on the Healy Pass - it was almost gale conditions when I went up it.
Avoid Killarney - too many tourists.

cycladelic

random man- it was raining quite a bit when I did Healy Pass, which is a shame as it looked as though the scenery there was also fantastic. You can see a picture of a mural of it on that journal of mine (link above).

Connor Pass was blowing a gale, but luckily the wind was behind me.

bearfraser

Just about any where up here in Bonny Scotland is great but REMEMBER we are starting to loose day light big time , its dark 20:30ish now.
Enjoy

lloydy123

I'll look into those suggestions. Are the national cycle network routes in scotland any good?

Weejie54

Are the national cycle network routes in scotland any good?

Some are, some are not. Watch out for broken glass if you are in the Glasgow area. Clydebank, in particular, is hellish. Last time I was on the Deeside path, it was badly flooded near Aboyne - and no warning. Impossible to negotiate. There are some great routes, however. The one from Callander up to Killin (Pass of Leny and Glen Ogle) is superb. Generally, I stick to the roads.

nadir

pneumatic wrote:

Dumfries and Galloway is rich with good cycling routes. Train to Lockerbie. Across to Dumfries. Ride right out to the headland (Portpatrick) and then work your way up the coast to Ardrossan, take a ferry to Arran, circumnavigate it. Back to mainland, up to Greenock, cross to Dunoon then Hell's Glen, Rest and Be Thankful, Arrochar, Helensburgh, Loch Lomondside, back into Glasgow and train home.

Coast, countriside, hills, sea, islands, mountains, lochs and glens.

i like the route but would say when you are on arran would advise you not to miss a short circular route from brodick to lamlash up over the ross and then back to brodick via the string road
http://cycling.visitscotland.com/images ... aps/324028
fabulous cycling if you like hills, the views are stunning, and the descent over the string road to brodick is absolutely phenomenal, great road surface, good line of sight, good cornering, i hit 50mph on a touring bike with the brakes on, it was so good i wanted to cycle back up it, just to do it again, unfortunately, there was a ferry to be caught

peter_andrew

Second D&G (Dumfries & Galloway)
Just had 5 days touring with tent, the Galloway forest ,then coast. Lovely!
If going toArran instead of going back to Ardrossan get ferry from Lochranza to Mul of Kintyre then head to Oban and follow road back to Glasgow
See this guys blog has great pics on it
http://jtcycling.wordpress.com

Peter

bikeboff

Just been around Ireland for two weeks, without pushing it too hard. Up-to-date route comments and pics on my blog: http://www.mchattie.co.uk/Ireland.html

bikeboff

Just been around Ireland for two weeks, without pushing it too hard. Up-to-date route comments and pics on my blog: http://www.mchattie.co.uk/Ireland.html

lloydy123

anybody recommend a good map for cycling in scotland with?

Visit Scotland do not have any information they can send me, their cycle route book is out of print

peter_andrew

lloydy123 Posted: 22 Sep 2010 11:14 Post subject:

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anybody recommend a good map for cycling in scotland with?

Visit Scotland do not have any information they can send me, their cycle route book is out of print

Think you would just need to but landranger or similiar for the area you would be touring in.
Try this link for ideas http://www.cycle-route.com/routes/Scotl ... tes-1.html
Peter

lloyd_bower

lloydy123 wrote:

I'm off the last week of september so hope to get a weeks cycling in. Anybody recommend any areas or routes in Scotland or Ireland? Had a look at the routes section but really there are too many routes to work through. Plan to do 70-100 miles per day.

Any insight would be appreciated,

thanks

Try the outer hebrides and the west coast, starting & finishing Oban, just about manageble in a week. Ferry to Barra, which will be 1/2 day, then cycling Barra, another short ferry S & N Uists and another short ferry to Harris, a wee bit on Harris to Tarbert, another short ferry to Skye. Then length of Skye to take ferry to Mallaig, along the Western Coast and Ardmurchan peninsular and two short ferries to and from Mull sees you back in Oban. Some excellent scenery along the way and quiet roads.

priory

my signature points to a tour I did this june which worked out well. tents were carried and used alternately with hostel/bab
the reason we retrace dour steps from oban via tarbet was the road through to inverary was blocked by a train. I would go through glen lonan and inverary to make a circular route.

lloydy123

Ok, some feedback. I went to scotland and had a fantastic time. I had 2.5 dry days and 2 washout ones. Climbed ben nevis, then cycled from Tarbert to campbeltown and back down the east coast. That was a fantastic traffic free cycle. Then I cycled from Tabert to Ben lomond via the south of the loch and back. The A82 was too busy to be enjoyable, very noisy. The cycle path there was too glassy. I ended up hitting a pothole on the A82 and gashing my tyre. Then I climbed ben lomond. Fantastic trip, hope to get back and this time not be on one of the main trunk roads to glasgow! Scotland is one huge playground! I will be better prepared next time and will try some more of your suggestions. Thanks