Island hopping starting with Arran

[Time Waster]

We're planning a 2 week holiday early August in Scotland based around at least 7 days to 2 weeks cycle touring with full camping kit. Mostly campsites if not all based on camping. Two adults and a 9 year old. We've not done as much cycling as we used to do before tours like we did before Covid came along. So we're not tour fit. Any suggestions?

Our thinking is hopping between the islands of Arran, Jura, Islay and Bute. Leaving our van in Ardrossen (I think the ferry terminal has a secure carpark). What's that lot like? We're thinking if we get somewhere nice we might base there for a few days. Any suggestions on where to go or routes to take? Any good sources of information, guidebooks, tour guidebooks?

The other thing is terrain. Ideally not too hard for a 9 year old. He's not a bad cyclist. We doing up to 40ish miles at 4.5 years old based on 50:50 split between cycling free and on a followme tandem, occasionally the full distance free.

None of us have dedicated touring bikes. That means rear panniers and dry bag on top with bar bags and a large, custom frame bag for to my bike. I have a touring recumbent but I struggled on some Arran routes with it when we went there earlier this year. I'm not sure whether to take it anyway and try to cope / find easier routes or upright and go anywhere we want to. What's the terrain like on these islands? I'm thinking the route from Brodick to Lochranza is a really steep hill out of Brodick. Would you say an upright that's easier to cycle up hills but less stable loaded and unable to really carry enough. Or a touring recumbent that is very stable loaded, can carry everything I could possibly want but isn't as stable at low speeds and I'm not that good cycling it up hills. Which sounds the best option?

My main questions are about where to go, what route, what sources of information/guidebooks, what's the terrain like and can we just rock up at campsites/ ferries on our bikes and expect a place? Those practical questions like that.

 

[Brandane]

A lot of the questions asked can only be answered by yourself, IMHO.. As you say, you were in Arran earlier this year so you know the terrain. Hills, lots of hills. And when you say you are not tour fit, just how "not tour fit" are you? I wouldn't like to be cycling up some of the Arran hills on a non touring bike with full camping gear, and a 9 year old in tow.

I can help with the likes of the car park at Ardrossan. I believe CalMac have a car park near the ferry terminal, but I don't think it is "secure" as such. I'm sure there will be small print re leaving vehicles and contents at owners risk.

Turning up for ferries on bikes and expecting to get on..... normally that would be a yes, but we now live in strange times when it comes to public transport. CalMac in particular have a nasty habit of cancelling ferries at short notice for reasons of weather, crew shortages due to covid, or even the tide not being suitable (particularly relevant on Lochranza/Claonaig service). I would check the CalMac website, and even then travel with a plan B, and possibly C..

Also, it goes without saying, don't depend on the weather. While the southern half of the UK has been having a great summer so far, us in the north west have yet to see much sign of the sun or any heat. Been constantly breezy too.

And finally, if camping, DO NOT FORGET the midge repellant. Seriously. Those vicious feckers can turn a camping trip into a tortuous experience.

 

[Brandane]

I recently did the 5 ferries ride, incorporating Arran, Kintyre, Cowal and Bute. Here is a link to the post. It did involve some big hills though, including the climb over to Lochranza, and then another from Tighnabruiach.

Post in thread 'Your ride today....' https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/your-ride-today.173254/post-6745139

 

[Time Waster]

There's a few routes to Lochranza. One over the middle road over the hills. I cycled up from the west coast from a golf club up a side road to a point over the top from Brodick. It was a hard drive but we all did it. My issue is I can't cycle the recumbent slowly or I'll topple. Upright I'm better at that. OK if on my own but my son and especially my partner go too slow for me.

The other way could be north route or the southern route. Southern route with a few days to make it might be OK.

Choice of bike is a matter of how we ride. Uprighti can ride with family as i can ride slow with family more. I'll still leave them at times and wait because I can't do hills quote as slow. However with the upright it's easier to restart after each stop. However load carrying isn't really good enough. Weight is most on the rear rack. I have a custom frame bag that fills the main triangle plus a carradry bar bag. Not ideal for loaded touring.

Recumbent is harder to ride slow and to restart on uphills. I fear I'll have to leave them and ride to the top of the hill then wait. It is a little too highly geared. I'm also not had much riding on it so no recumbent legs. The recumbent is a true touring recumbent with rear rack taking large ortliebs and low rider, mid rack taking loaded panniers without affecting handling, even potentially improving it on downhills.

Arran is hilly but what about Islay, Jura and Bute?

Anyone got the cicerone guidebook on touring the western Isles? It looks a good book judging by the contents page. Is there any other, better book?

What about maps? OS 50k or 25k? Are there any Harvey 40k maps? Any others? I got an OS map based waterproof map from a company that produces maps of small areas for cycling or hiking.

 

[Brandane]

Arran is hilly but what about Islay, Jura and Bute?

Not sure about Islay and Jura, as I am ashamed to say I have never visited either of them. Bute is flat with a lump or two, nothing like Arran. But it is small, only 22 miles to cycle round.

 

[Brandane]

Case in point re CalMac....
This is the current status on the Ardrossan/Brodick service on their website.....



Now I'm not sure what forecast they have been watching, but this is XC weather for the next 2 days. BBC is similar....

 

[Slick]

Not sure about Islay and Jura, as I am ashamed to say I have never visited either of them. Bute is flat with a lump or two, nothing like Arran. But it is small, only 22 miles to cycle round.

Islay and Jura are much easier than Arran. Islay in particular, which is reasonably flat apart from the short but steep climb out of Port Askaig. Islay is a beautiful island, pretty much as they all are, but if I was planning on cycling it, I would make sure I arrived at Port Ellen and left by Port Askaig. Bute is small but again reasonably flat with only one really small climb over the middle of the island. You could add Mull, Tiree and Barra as I think at least 1 boat a week leaves Islay for Oban, or at least it used to but worth checking.

 

[Time Waster]

I was on arran the Sunday the ferry got damaged. We were the last vehicle off the island being a van I wasn't a quick driving over to Lochranza and had a few cars behind me. The guy at the back took some risks and overtook us all when it wasn't completely safe to do so. We saw him in the queue for the ferry at the end of it. We had to go on a little to turn around to join the queue. The car behind me turned in ahead of us then waved us to go in front because we were really there first.

It looked like he would make it based on what I was told about capacity. However we were the last and the nice guy behind was left behind. Even once on the loading guy didn't realise the bikes were on the towbar rack. The only way to fit was to roll up until half a cm from the bumper of the car ahead. Then the guy chocked our van and car in front so we didn't hit the car in front or the ferry doors.

 

[Slick]

To be fair to the deck crew, they know how to load a boat and will help when they can. The skippers are a bit lightweight compared to what seems like not that long ago, but that's probably more to do with instructions recieved.

 

[iluvmybike]

Think about midges too as it is peak time for them - if you are camping defo get midge nets or they will eat you alive!

 

[Time Waster]

What's the best mapping for touring round there? I have the 50k arran os map. It seems to me you need a lot of maps if you use 50k OS maps.

In Netherlands we used an A5 spiral bound map showing the whole of Netherlands I think. Certainly good enough for cycle touring. In Belgium I think we got cheap maps in bookstores or possibly tourist information maps of each area we passed through. They were simply paper leaflet maps and were good enough.

Earlier this year we had a week in arran, having forgotten our os map we bought a yellow map of the whole of arran for walking and cycling. It was good enough and waterproof too. Anything like that? Not looking to spend much at we're not likely to come back I think. Prefer paper, or plastic, maps than buying electronic mapping.

 

[Time Waster]

We're thinking ferry to Brodick on Arran, over to Lochranza ferry. Kintyre to get to Islay and Jura after a little exploration of Kintyre. Tarbet looks worth visiting.

Then on way back with Bute. I don't think we're going up to Oban. We plan on leaving the van at Ardrossen ferry terminal carpark. So the trip needs to come back there. I assume it's safe enough to leave the van there? Most ferry port carparks I've used have been safe so far but thought I'd check.

Two adults and a 9.5 year old. The cicerone guidebook has a 9mph average speed. I'm thinking we're slower. He did 40 to 50 miles a day at 4.5 years with occasional use of a followme tandem. He did similar every year since. I thinking 30 miles a day absolute tops in Scotland probably 20 to 25 miles. Not full days neither.

If appreciate any opinions on the sort of route I suggested we're looking at above or your own recommendations. Advice generally.

Midges worry me. I have 2 midge nets so just need one more. I'll probably pick one more up at the outdoor shop on Arran. You need fully brimmed hats with them or they'll nibble your ears I reckon.

Oh my partner just suggested the odd wildcamp too, any good locations? Second thoughts don't post them or they'll not be a good site for long!

 

[Old Hippy]

hi I live in Ayrshire so know the islands well. Arran and Bute have a tough climbs even in a carbon road bike never mind full pack + kid. The islands to the north are flatter, quieter and better for wild camping. I would look at the Hebridean Way (297km mostly flat) , Mull (70km circular), Islay (50km). Alternatively the 5 ferries route avoiding Lochranza-Sannox and Dunoon would be Ok but these are very busy during the summer months. Good luck!

 

[Big T]

We did a tour of the Inner Hebrides from Ardrossan in 2015. We left our car in the car park at the port for 2 weeks, it was fine and it only cost £16 in total. Caught the ferry to Brodick, cycled to Lochranza. It’s a long drag of a climb out of Brodick, but not steep. Caught the ferry over to Kintyre, then over to Kennacraig to catch the ferry to Islay. Spent several days on Islay - it’s a nice island to explore. We stayed at Bruccaladich, next to the distillery and did rides over to Portnahaven and around to Bowmore and Port Ellen. Saw seals in the harbour at Portnahaven. We cycled back to Port Askcraig and caught the ferry to Jura. There aren’t many roads on Jura. We rode over to Craighouse where you can catch a small boat back over to the mainland at Tayvallich. Then we cycled to Lochgilphead and carried on north to Oban, catching a ferry to Mull, which we spent a few days exploring. We eventually ended up back on the mainland on the Ardnamurchan peninsula and caught the train back to Glasgow via Fort William, then another train back to Ardrossan.

 

[Time Waster]

That sounds a great tour.

We're just looking at a week and half now. Glen Rosa campsite first night then the one at Lochranza. Over to Kintyre. Possibly to the southern end town then islay and jura. Jura seems more a walking island. So possibly one day at most there not even camping the night.

Islay looks like more roads but not much there. Not sure how long we could keep a 9 year old entertained.

We're thinking back to arran and a bit of cycling there.

We plan the northern route to Lochranza not the middle string route I think it's called. That has a steep hill we've driven enough times. The northern, Lochranza Road is also steep but we'll take all day to do it.

We're not fast tourers and we'll need to take breaks perhaps more than an adult only party. So it'll be a low mileage trip compared to our Belgium and Netherlands trips. Hills a bit harder too.