Getting home from Ullapool?

[Baldy]

Just playing around with ideas for some bike trips. Looking at the Hebridean way, I can hopefully get the train to Oban. Ferry to Castle bay and cycle the route ending up in Stornoway. From there the Ferry takes me to Ullapool.
Question is, getting back from there? The nearest train station is at Lairgs, to get there I'd have to cycle the A835, A837 and the A839. The first one the A835 is quite busy NC500 route. I've not travelled the others down Strath oykel.

If anyone has cycled this road, how did you find it?

The other option is to cycle to Inverness but that would be like Russian Roulette and I really don't fancy that.

 

[mjr]

What about Lochluichart station? Still 20 miles on the A835 but then a gravel service road and farm road over the hill, as far as I can see on maps.

If you're really comfortable off-road, there's a route starting opposite Old Moss Road in Ullapool heading east to Ardgay station. 25 miles before you reach tarmac again, then 10 more to the station.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Bear in mind with what follows is that I'm talking about just before Covid and thus before the NC500 became really popular. The times I've been there has always been in May too.
From Ullapool I've cycled to Lairgs on the roads you state and thought it was wonderful. Traffic very light and scenery spectacular.
I've even cycled to and from Inverness and found it fine, the roads are pretty wide and I didn't find the traffic heavy. Go via the Muir of Ord and Beauly. You could, if you wish, get on a bus at Ullapool and it'll take your bike if you ask the driver nicely, and go most of the way to Inverness.

 

[Baldy]

Mjr
Is that the track which goes past the Old School house?

 

[PaulSB]

I rode what is now called the Hebridean Way
15 years ago in early July. My route was Glasgow >Arran >Lochranza >Oban >Barra >Stornoway >Ullapool >Inverness. It's a fabulous route which you will love.

I rode the A835 to Inverness, it was a great ride and very quiet. I'm sure others will update today's traffic situation.

The only downside to the A835 is I rode into the teeth of a driving easterly and heavy rain. There is no shelter. Apparently this is very unusual summer weather. When I arrived at Inverness Railway Station everything was soaked and I was frozen despite a full set of winter waterproofs. I had one remaining pair of dry trousers and a T-shirt!!

 

[presta]

The nearest train station is at Lairgs

Isn't Garve any good, it's 6 miles closer and 500' less climbing.

Garve: 30m, 2415'
Lairg: 36.6m, 2979'

Each seems to be ~6hr to Edinburgh, 4-5 trains a day, to Inverness it's little more than half the time from Garve than Lairg.

 

[wakemalcolm]

Honestly, couldn't recommend the A835 these days. The speed the motorhomes go hammering along at is frightening and most of them are rentals.
Am always surprised at how quiet the Strathoykel road is although there's regular logging going on. Combining this with the Rhidorroch road would appear to be the best compromise if you're up for a bit of rough stuff.
If you just want to get on with getting home, Citylink do allow some bikes on the Ullapool service:
https://www.citylink.co.uk/conditions-of-carriage/bicycles/

 

[Baldy]

Garve, Oh yes I hadn't see that, it's on a different line. Still dice with death on the main road.

If you just want to get on with getting home, Citylink do allow some bikes on the Ullapool service:
https://www.citylink.co.uk/conditions-of-carriage/bicycles/

I've seen bikes turned away on Citylink before. But then again the trains are just as bad.

All good stuff for considering/following up. Thanks all.

 

[chriswoody]

I cycled down the A835 from Ullapool to the end of Loch Broom last summer whilst cycling the HT550 route. It really is pretty grim, a fast bit of road and drivers not giving much room, I was glad to get off it to be fair.

 

[OldShep]

Faced with the same dilemma as OP. I cycled back through Harris to Tarbet and ferry to Uig , cycled through Skye and ferry to Mallaig and train back to Glasgow.

 

[wakemalcolm]

Faced with the same dilemma as OP. I cycled back through Harris to Tarbet and ferry to Uig , cycled through Skye and ferry to Mallaig and train back to Glasgow.

...is the golden envelope answer, as long as there's no hellish south westerly as there's no where to hide.

 

[Solocle]

Just playing around with ideas for some bike trips. Looking at the Hebridean way, I can hopefully get the train to Oban. Ferry to Castle bay and cycle the route ending up in Stornoway. From there the Ferry takes me to Ullapool.
Question is, getting back from there? The nearest train station is at Lairgs, to get there I'd have to cycle the A835, A837 and the A839. The first one the A835 is quite busy NC500 route. I've not travelled the others down Strath oykel.

If anyone has cycled this road, how did you find it?

The other option is to cycle to Inverness but that would be like Russian Roulette and I really don't fancy that.

FWIW I didn't find to/from Inverness bad at all, LEJOG September 2021. On both the A82 and the A9.

The one close pass I remember was on the squiggly B road the other side of Loch Ness that I was using instead of the A82 from Ft Augustus, go figure.

 

[mjr]

Mjr
Is that the track which goes past the Old School house?

Which old school house? Anyway, the one to Lochluichart leaves the A road at "M6W4+6R3 Aultguish Inn, Garve" geo:57.6954722,-4.7929444 and the track to Ardgay leaves the A road at "WR3R+W8P Ullapool" geo:57.9048403,-5.1617522 - I see on Streetview that the second has a "Private Road" sign that mentions a "Walking track" and Streetview went no further on that side, so who knows what the state of that is! Viewing from the Ardgay side also passes an ominous sign that says the Croick Estate "actively manage our deer population during the stalking season (July-February)" so the gravel might not be the biggest danger on that route! 🥆🥆🥆!

 

[wakemalcolm]

I've been there in shooting season and spoken to the Ghillies. They don't tend to shoot deer on the estate roads; it's not what the punters pay for.

 

[mjr]

I've been there in shooting season and spoken to the Ghillies. They don't tend to shoot deer on the estate roads; it's not what the punters pay for.

Some punters might quite like to bag a lesser-spotted cyclist, though! 😱