Well we've finally booked some time away and we'll be going to Drumnadrochit, a town on the banks of Loch Ness and I'm looking for some rides up there. I wanted to do a circuit of the Loch but Google-earthing the roads, I won't be riding on the A82 on the west side of the Loch - traffic too heavy. So I'm looking for some primarily road rides but will take some off-road wheels with me to allow me to do a bit of rougher stuff on my 'gravel bike'. If anyone knows the area or has some rides/sites they'd recommend, I'd be grateful. Not as grateful as recommending you for a Knighthood or buying you a Range Rover or anything, but grateful nonetheless.
Loch Ness/Drumnadrochit rides. Any suggestions?
- Thread starter PaulB
- Start date
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snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
On road circular routes are fairly limited if you want to avoid using the A82 (a wise decision!) but you could consider going west to Milton from where there is a circular route of some 60-70km via Cannich, Erchless, Kilmorack, Kiltarlity and back to Milton. This circuit is best done clockwise unless you want to do the killer hill (Culnakirk) out of Milton on the A833 at the start!
A couple of links for off road routes here but I have no first hand knowledge of off road stuff
https://www.komoot.com/highlight/536087
https://www.trailforks.com/region/drumnadrochit/
Edit. You do realise I hope, that you are being quite generous in describing Drumnadrochit as a town?
A couple of links for off road routes here but I have no first hand knowledge of off road stuff
https://www.komoot.com/highlight/536087
https://www.trailforks.com/region/drumnadrochit/
Edit. You do realise I hope, that you are being quite generous in describing Drumnadrochit as a town?
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I did the etape loch Ness a few years ago which was on closed roads . I wouldnt want to be on the A road under normal conditions . There were some lovely lanes but they were on the other side of the loch .A quick look at Google maps shows a limited number of roads but does look like a route up to the Beauly firth and Inverness avoiding the A road . Off road may be a better option but I can't help with that .
oldwheels
Legendary Member
- Location
- Isle of Mull
I second snorri on the route mentioned. My brakes blocks began to smoke once coming down the killer hill he mentions. It has been widened in recent years but still steep.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I just took a look on Streetview and discovered that orange 'Stickwoman' changes to a green Nessie up there! 
There's the Loch Ness 360, an off road route right round the Loch... Doable on a gravel bike, there's some steep bitties...
Glen Affric is close by, and lovely, a mix of quiet-ish tarmac, and some pleasant tracks too. There's some nice routes around Strathglass too, pretty close by. And then a wide choice of rural routes out of Inverness in various directions too...
PM me if you want, I'm Inverness-based mainly.
Glen Affric is close by, and lovely, a mix of quiet-ish tarmac, and some pleasant tracks too. There's some nice routes around Strathglass too, pretty close by. And then a wide choice of rural routes out of Inverness in various directions too...
PM me if you want, I'm Inverness-based mainly.
I'd better avoid that then. Just in case!I just took a look on Streetview and discovered that orange 'Stickwoman' changes to a green Nessie up there!
View attachment 544063
iluvmybike
Über Member
Off road there is the Affric-Kintail route which starts in Drumadrochit - that first section takes you over to Cannich but that would be out and back. A lovely semi-offroad ride is from Cannich via the little road to Tomich climbing up to Plodda Falls. You can take bikes down past the falls then you can follow a track (marked on OS map) from the bottom of the falls past the ruin of Guiseachan House, cross the river at Knockfin and then follow forest trails round to Dog Falls and pick up the Affric Kintail way back to Cannich. Very scenic. Also the ride from Cannich up into Glen Affric via the Affric-Kintail Way is delightful. website for Affric Kintail Way: http://www.affrickintailway.com/
