Assynt

anjs

Hi All,

I am heading up to Assynt next month and am thinking about taking the bike. Does anyone know any good routes up there?

Cheers

Wallace1492

Hi, I think any off road stuff up there may be a little wild, even still in February. The coastal roads round there are amazing though, and you will get plenty of superb fun on them. A great loop is from Lochinver to Clachtoll, Drumber, Nedd, Kylesku Bridge, then south to Loch Assynt, turn right then west back to Lochinver.

At that time of the year the roads should be pretty quiet, but the conditions still could be horrendous!

You could head west to the Highland Wildcat trails at Golspie or do the Strathpuffer route at Strathpeffer.

anjs

Thanks for the feedback will stick the bikes in just in case. Like you say weather can be a little unpredicable

EnglishChris

anjs wrote:

Hi All,

I am heading up to Assynt next month and am thinking about taking the bike. Does anyone know any good routes up there?

Cheers

I've got a book on natural mountain bike routes in Scotland (used to live in Aberdeen)... I've never biked at Assynt but will have a look in the book tonight and see if it has anything up that way. As well as Golspie mentioned, you could always ride Laggan (depending on your route up / back).

Wildhighlander

There are a couple of routes in that neck of the woods that are on my 'to do' list, but as Wallace points out, conditions in that area make me think late spring / summer might be a better time. I haven't done them so best of luck if you try.............

If you drive up to Blairmore, NW of Kinlochbervie, there's an LRT / path to Sandwood Bay, same route in and out though. Plenty of walkers here in the summer, should be pretty quiet just now though. Probably plenty muddy though !

Another option is parking the car at Kylestrome, and cycling up the road to Duartmore, before turning right across the hills past Cnoc Odhar and down through Strath Stack to emerge at Achfary. Head back down the road for a few hundred yards to Lochmore Lodge before turning right again back up the hill ( probably a push ! ) to Bealach nam Fiann and on towards Loch an Leathiad Bhuain. Take the path that drops down to follow the Maldie Burn down to sea level and back out at Kylestrome. We spoke to the local estate factor last year about this and he reckons it's rideable, but warned us that it is pretty grassy from Duartmore up the hill so that could be pretty tough. The route out to the Maldie Burn looks like an absolute blast though when seen from the road at Unapool.

Other places where I have ridden are east from Ullapool up the quarry road to Loch Achall, past Rhidorroch to Loch an Diamh. You could do this as an in and out, or carry on through to Duag Bridge, and through to pick up the road at Oykel Bridge. You're pretty far from your start point here though so you might want the option of a lift home ! All perfectly rideable at this time of year though.

There are also the Forestry Commission trail centres at Carbisdale and Balblair, probably only an hour by car from Lochinver.

anjs

Cheers guys

Neil Fat man on a bike

How long you in Assynt for?
There are a few good mountain routes but as said before, it;s weather dependant.
I live up in Durness.
Some lovely 'natural trails# around here.
Depends what your after.

Gotte

Sorry to sound like I'm hijacking this thread, but anyone know the conditions around the lochs for mountainbiking? My friend and I are going to Assynt for a fly fishing weekend, and I'm wondering about taking mountain bikes for getting from loch to loch, but also for getting around the lochs and down to the water for fishing.

Thanks