ideas for a weekender scot .

[peelywally]

planning a two day trip start point glasgow ,
North or south ? Un decided
Anyone recomend a route or destination
With panniers loaded i can do 70 mile a day .

Was thinking about lochgoil area or galloway hills but not set on those places
Just at planning stage so its wide open .

 

[Telemark]

What time of year are you planning this for?

How about heading west?

If you haven't been there yet, you could take the train to Ardrossan Harbour (or cycle there along the NCN7), catch the ferry to Arran (1 hour journey), cycle round clock-wise (short ride - 15-20 miles? if I remember correctly, 1 hill (200m asl), otherwise flat) or anti-clock-wise (40 miles?, quite undulating), to Lochranza. Catch the ferry to Kintyre, head north to Tarbert, ferry to Portavadie, then choice of routes: via Bute to Wemyss Bay (& train or cycle back to Glasgow) or to Dunoon (ferry to Gourock & train or cycle back to Glasgow) ...

Ferry times (and hopscotch tickets) from www.calmac.co.uk

T

 

[peelywally]

that sounds good ive been to arran before the rest are/new to me like the idea of an island hop will do a bit of homework on it .

Im thinking sometime april /may btw maybe late march .
Hows that route for wild camping btw
i guess beaches are to to go ?

 

[peelywally]

keep ideas comming btw
Just to add ill be wild camping
Accomodation not a great concern then ,
google maps cant compete with personal recomendations /experience
So i welcome all ideas .

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

To continue on the route suggested by Telemark, why not get the ferry from Gourock over to Dunoon, cycle over the Rest And Be Thankful, across to Arochar and then back south alongside Loch Lomond?? (east or west side optional). There is a track which used to be the old road up the west side of the Loch between Balloch and Tarbert, but the suface gets a bit dodgy (for road tyres anyway) south of about Luss. Then you can join the (perfectly ok) cycle track at Balloch and head back to Glasgow.

Either that or if you get the boat from Tarbert over to Rowardenan on the east side of the loch, then you can get the West Highland Way (surface again questionable in places) at around Drymen, and go back into Glasgow through Milngavie that way. Or, you can continue on the road south from Drymen and reach Balloch (and the cycle track) via the likes of Gartocharn.

The only flaw in Telemark's original suggestion is that you can't get the train from Dunoon. Arochar would be the nearest place unless you were to take a different route and go to either Garelochead or Helensburgh.

Hope that makes sense!

 

[Telemark]

The only flaw in Telemark's original suggestion is that you can't get the train from Dunoon. Arochar would be the nearest place unless you were to take a different route and go to either Garelochead or Helensburgh.

Hope that makes sense!

My thinking was ferry from Donoon to Gourock (or is it Greenock?) and then the train ...
(unless I muddled it up in my earlier post, must check).

Plenty of wild camping opportunities, and April/May should be one of the best times of the year for this kind of tour.

T

 

[furball]

cycle round clock-wise (short ride - 15-20 miles? if I remember correctly, 1 hill (200m asl), otherwise flat) or anti-clock-wise (40 miles?, quite undulating), to Lochranza. T

Is it not the other way round? Clockwise is the longer way to Lochranza.

 

[Kirstie]

It's dunoon to gourock ferry, and the preceding route to dunoon from portavadie features some of the best of scotland's knee crippling west coast gradients. It's only 30 odd miles but there are some belting climbs there. I drove over it the other day and can't wait to give it a go on the bike.

However to be honest I'd go for the island routes. Arran and Bute are outstanding.

 

[zizou]

Like the others have suggested cycle down to Gourock get the ferry over to Dunoon, head to Tignabruich and Kames (easy to follow its on ncn 75) then either (a) head north up the east side of Loch Fyne past Otter Ferry and Strachur to the Rest and Be Thankful then down to Ardgartan and Arrochar and start heading back to Glasgow via Loch Lomond or (b) continue on the ncn 75 past Kames and go to Portavadie and get the ferry to Tarbet then down to Claonaig get the ferry to Lochranza and go round Arran to get the ferry back to the 'mainland' from Brodick (you could either get to Brodick the short way about 15 miles or the longer way which would be about 40 i think) then the ferry to Adrossan and you can get back to Glasgow a variety of ways, ncn 7 probably the easiest

the argyll and bute area is amongst the best places in the uk for cycling IMO

(both these suggestions are assuming you are looping back round to Glasgow if you are getting back via train then that opens up loads of other options)

 

[Telemark]

Is it not the other way round? Clockwise is the longer way to Lochranza.

it is indeed ... oops oops oops

T

 

[westcoaster]

I did Dunoon (ferry from Gourock) to Strachur, south to Otter Ferry (lunch in the Oyster Catcher), over the hills to Portavadie, camped overnight in the Forestry Commission picnic park at Portavadie (no overnight camping allowed but nobody around to bother me). Next day ferry from Portavadia to Tarbert, up to Lochgilphead, Cairnbaan and the Crinan Canal, at the west end of the Crinan Canal turn south to Tayvallich, overnight camp at camping/caravan park at Tayvallich (very friendly pub/restaurant). In the morning back up the road and made for Inverary. Hostel overnight at Inverary Youth Hostel. Next day an easy ride back to Dunoon via Strachur, and ferry back to Gourock. May be longer than you planned but a good tour. You'd be back in Gourock in time for the train back to Glasgow.

I would not recommend the Rest & Be Thankful, no margin and too many tourist buses and timber lorries, best avoided.

Cheers

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

My thinking was ferry from Donoon to Gourock (or is it Greenock?) and then the train ...
(unless I muddled it up in my earlier post, must check).

Sorry, misread it.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I would not recommend the Rest & Be Thankful, no margin and too many tourist buses and timber lorries, best avoided.

Cheers

I have never actually done it before, but isn't there the old road??

 

[zizou]

There is a quiet way via the lochgoilhead road (B839 and B828 i think) to the carpark at the top.. After that if you are on a road bike you probably need to join the new road but it is all downhill from there and the traffic isnt too much of a problem with the speed you are going at. There is an alternative way down on the old road though if on a bike with wider tyres, should be ok on a tourer. If coming the other way do that in reverse

 

[andrew_s]

If you are feeling adventurous, it is possible to visit Islay (Port Charlotte YHA), via Dunoon or Rothesay and Portavadie.

You've got to make the 1300 Kennacraig ferry so outwards is probably best via Dunoon, and using the train between Glasgow and Gourock/Wemyss Bay