JOG to Inverness

[steveindenmark]

I posted this in relation to the North Coast 500 route, but it may be relevant to riders in this section as well.


I am just looking at the North Coast 500 route. The route looks great across to the West coast from Inverness and the along the top to JOG. But the only option then are the A99 and the A9 back to Inverness.

I dont know much about the A99 but the A9 does not have a good write up for cyclists. But once you come off the A99 it doesnt look as though you have any option but to use the A9 for a long way South.

From JOG to Inverness is 195km using the A99/A9. Going back to the A836 Crask Inn road from JOG and then onto Inverness is 248km and extra 53km. This is the option I would take as the road and scenery looks much more pleasant for cycling. Much safer than the A9.

I am not a purist and would be happy to call it my North Coast 500 and a bit.

Has anyone ridden it? Or has anyone got comments about the roads I have mentioned.

If I do it it would probably be in May, if that makes a difference with the traffic.

 

[Tigerbiten]

I did that section 4 years ago.
It's just a standard main road.
I found it really ok down almost as far as Tain where it starts getting busy.
After that the further south you go the busier it gets but you can bypass a lot of it on side roads.
I didn't use the A9 after the Tore roundabout where you can get on the cyclepath.
Just remember the Nig ferry is not running.

 

[srw]

The A9 is mostly fine, at least most of the way to Inverness. It's a typically quiet highland road, with plenty of room for overtaking. It goes up and down, but you won't find a road in the highlands that doesn't.

It's also spectacular - with great views out to the coast, and has regular(ish) pitstops.

 

[goody]

I didn't like it. It was five years ago but seem to remember a few fast and close passes.
If I was doing it again I'd look for alternatives.

 

[Skuhravy]

I thought a lot of the A9 route had the old route/cycle paths alongside it for cyclists? Maybe that's what they intend people to use.

I wouldn't know as I've mainly used the Crask-Struie Hill route coming back from the north. It's easy navigation, and by going down through Dingwall you can come in on very quiet roads through North Kessock. It's a gorgeous route. Coming back into Lairg from the north feels like returning to civilisation, as it has two pubs, a shop and a chippy.

I did once use the A9 from Alness to Inverness, but it wasn't really a problem at about 7 pm in the evening, and it saved me an extra ten miles or so on what had already been a long-ish day from Durness.I wouldn't recommend it for those who don't like dual carriageways.

 

[snorri]

I wouldn't recommend it for those who don't like dual carriageways.

There is no need to use the dual carriageway, a parallel road runs parallel and less than quarter of a mile from it.

 

[Bikerta]

When I did my JOGLE I used the cycle route 1 all the way from John O Groats to Inverness and it was some of the best cycling of the trip. Few hills on the approach to Bettyhill, but once turning South towards the Crask Inn the scenery is beautiful and very remote. It is also lovely and quiet with very little traffic to worry about. I chose to take the low route via Tain towards Dingwall rather than go over Struie and the little bit of the A9 that I did in that area I hated. On a tour I would much rather be looking around at the amazing views than constantly worrying about how close the speeding traffic is to me. Whenever I found I had to cycle on busy main roads, I would just put my head down and pedal as fast as I could to get off them quicker.

 

[stuartmac]

Did the A99/A9 route in 2014 from JOG to INV as I didn't want to do Bettyshill route. The A99 is fine, the A9 is busier, you'll be absolutely fine if it's a weekend, we left JOG on Sat morning and were in Ft William by Sunday night.

If it's a weekday it will be a bit busier with its fair share of trucks. It's quite hilly around Helmsdale but then it irons out and the only other rise of note is over the Black Isle. Beautiful run though, I'd choose this route again, nowhere near as busy as the roads south of the border, there are some detours off the road but It quicker if your on it.

If you go east at Culmaily and head for Littleferry you can get a ferry across the estuary and cut out quite a bit of the A9 before the Dornoch Firth to Tain but I'd only do that if you have time and want some sight seeing.

Enjoy.

 

[snorri]

If you go east at Culmaily and head for Littleferry you can get a ferry across the estuary and cut out quite a bit of the A9 before the Dornoch Firth to Tain .

That particular ferry crossing ceased in 1816 made obsolete by the construction of a causeway at the Mound.

 

[stuartmac]

That particular ferry crossing ceased in 1816 made obsolete by the construction of a causeway at the Mound.

Thank god I never did it in 2014 then, sure I looked up the timetable though but never bothered because it was a Sunday and the first one was too late? ... anyway Spin it down the A9, there are worse roads, the A9 only gets to death trap status from Aviemore to Perth!!

 

[snorri]

Thank god I never did it in 2014 then, sure I looked up the timetable though but never bothered because it was a Sunday and the first one was too late?

198 years too late in 2014. Perhaps you were looking at the timetable for the Nigg to Cromarty ferry which is south of the Dornoch Firth bridge, but it also is unlikely to be running this summer.

 

[stuartmac]

That might have been the one some Invernesians still claim that North of the Bridge the date is still 1816 so based on that the ferry must have just stopped .... love it up there, Tain to Dumbarton was the best cycling I've done I think, clear blue skies, 20oC, we were lucky