lochs and glen (north)

[theloafer]

well spent the day sorting out both bikes (the non e-bikes) did a sort test run the g/f missed the motor a little more so as I put in her bags my 2 training rocks for her (there are only 1/2 a stone each).all accommodation booked trains also, ...leave darlington 9am fri for Glasgow central.
did a route from train station to the hotel any local guys concur the said route please to the holiday in Glasgow airport. looking forward to it ..hope the signage is good

https://cycle.travel/map/journey/71511
day 1 Glasgow-Aberfoyle
day 2 Aberfoyle-Lochearnhead
day 3 Lochearnhead-Pitlochry
staying 2 nights here
day 5 Pitlochry-Newtonmore
day6 Newtonmore-Inverness

 

[Brandane]

any local guys concur the said route please to the holiday in Glasgow airport

That's pretty much the route I would take, with one or two tweeks - but for simplicity's sake you'll be fine with that route. I would go straight down Union Street/Jamaica Street to the cycle path on the north side of the river; and I would use the Clyde Arc bridge (I've just found out it's real name! Locally it's "the squinty bridge due to the angle it crosses the river at) to cross the river rather than the Bells Bridge. But it's 6 and 2 x 3.... Have a great trip and I hope the weather stays as it has been for about 6 weeks now!
PS.. Is it Holiday Inn at the airport, or HI Express as they are both there but about quarter of a mile apart!

 

[Brandane]

Here's a bit where there's no signage and you can easily get lost. Even if you're using GPS you might wonder where it's taking you!
After you pass Braehead shopping centre and come back out on to Kings Inch Road, you cross over Ferry Road and into a less than picturesque part of Renfrew. Along Meadowside Street you come to this junction where you have to turn left and will probably think WTF?
When you go up there, at the end of the wall on the right there is an entrance into a "track" which then takes you past a scrapyard/car breakers/recycling place on the right with a high wall. Fear not, after a few hundred yards you will emerge back onto the river side path with Renfrew Golf course on your left. Follow that to the Normandy hotel, over a swing bridge, go left and follow the road alongside the airport runway........

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Hi @theloafer have a great trip!
CC Ecosse did Glasgow to Inverness, we took one day less that you plan if I recall correctly.
My ride reports and Strava routes are in the touring sections, here
Some very scenic but very short, steep off road bits after Callander.
There's a bit of NCR we bypassed because it's basic a MB route, around Boats of Garden, ask @Edwardoka for more details.
Have a great time, we are having smashing weather!

 

[theloafer]

PS.. Is it Holiday Inn at the airport, or HI Express as they are both there but about quarter of a mile apart!

@Brandane just checking details and its is the H I express

 

[Brandane]

@Brandane just checking details and its is the H I express

As you probably know by now.... It makes no difference to your navigation as you pass the HI Express on your way to Holiday Inn. Weather forecast looks "ok" but not fantastic for next week. Enjoy!!

 

[Edwardoka]

There's a bit of NCR we bypassed because it's basic a MB route, around Boats of Garden, ask @Edwardoka for more details.

Geez, thanks Pat, tax my memory AND my route building why don't you!
I can remember the main places where we diverted from the official route but remembering which signs I declared we should ignore might be a bit more challenging

Day 2
The first recommended diversion is immediately at the start of your second day, as you leave Aberfoyle on the climb, the signage will tell you to go off-road through the Three Lochs Forest Drive - which @Pat "5mph" can tell you is very off-road. I was last there 14 years ago and my abiding memories of it are being thankful for being on a mountain bike, lots of getting off and pushing, and midges, lots of midges!

Instead of following the signage here I'd personally continue following the A821 up and over Duke's Pass, then at the bottom of the descent turn right towards Callander alongside Loch Venachar before rejoining the NCN7 immediately before Kilmahog ( ridewithgps link )

I've stopped the above route at Strathyre because the route splits there - I've only ever taken the longer but very scenic and historic route via Balquhidder and can't vouch for the path that runs alongside the A84 after Strathyre)

Day 6
The second unsigned split is on day 6, the NCN7 follows the road from Newtonmore to Kingussie before turning off to the right onto the slightly quieter but much less scenic - and rather lumpier - B970, whereas we stayed on the B9152 to Aviemore, but either way should be good as the vast majority of traffic is on the A9.

Option 1 - B9152 ( ridewithgps link )

Option 2 - B970 ( ridewithgps link )

Either way, if you stop at Aviemore to eat, don't follow the signage for Boat of Garten or Carrbridge as this is off-road, one of our numbers jumped off the front and was less than pleased by the surface he found. Instead, double back on yourself, go under the railway onto the road to Rothiemurchus and Coylumbridge, making sure to turn left onto the B970 before you start the Cairn Gorm Ski Centre climb which one of our tour group nearly did before we chased after her . Having been up there a couple of times you don't want to do that if you don't have to...

From Boat of Garten you're good to follow the signage all the way to Inverness (the route splits into off-road and on-road options on the way to Slochd Summit but the splits are well-signed)

Good luck with your trip, hope the weather gods are generous, I'm not jealous at all
Ed

 

[Edwardoka]

...SNIP...

Way to turn what could be achieved with a couple of links to maps into eight paragraphs, Ed... I suppose @theloafer needs something to read on the train

 

[theloafer]

Made the train ok..sat in first class relaxing.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

@theloafer follow @Edwardoka's tips, you won't regret it: we had a great tour, all of us, the experienced ones and the hapless Belles on Bikes like me too.
Especially day two, me and @flyingfifi did the Callander/Aberfoyle off road path on another occasion, I was never so glad to dismount my bike after that!
Go Duke's pass like Ed said, it looks like a massive hill, but it flattens up after the first mile or so.
Have a smashing time, remember to take lots of pictures for us!

 

[Crankarm]

Made the train ok..sat in first class relaxing.

First class ............... the lap of luxury. Legitimately?

 

[theloafer]

made it back safe .. been busy with work stuff and had the darlo castles ride to do last sunday

thanks to @Brandane @Edwardoka for the tips and helpful info regards the route used some

we had a great week weather wise ,only had one damp start on day 3 out of Lochearnhead it never lasted more than 1hour
bike,s behaved perfectly(karon did miss her e-bike but coped very well) . I was surprised how well the ncn7 surface was but then I was on me fav 32`s
photo,s in media albums

day 1 https://www.strava.com/activities/1733786641
day 2 https://www.strava.com/activities/1733786688
day 3 https://www.strava.com/activities/1733786831
day 4 https://www.strava.com/activities/1733786864
day 5 https://www.strava.com/activities/1733787006

 

[PaulLee]

What are the advantages/disadvantages of Glasgow to Inverness vs Inverness to Glasgow? Are there prevailing winds in either direction? Thanks!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

@PaulLee welcome to CC!
There are only crosswinds and headwinds in Scotland, they are permanent, you cannot escape them
I've only done the journey from Glasgow to Inverness: it was mostly uphill, I guess the return journey would be mostly downhill, unless you do a different route.

 

[Edwardoka]

What are the advantages/disadvantages of Glasgow to Inverness vs Inverness to Glasgow? Are there prevailing winds in either direction? Thanks!

Welcome!

I'd personally go from Glasgow to Inverness for a couple of reasons:

If you start at Inverness you're going to be almost immediately climbing, with the long climb up to Slochd, before coming back down into the Spey valley, whereas the Glasgow start is a lot flatter and you finish with a long descent.

The prevailing winds are roughly west-south-west, a lot of the route is fairly sheltered but it zig-zags its way up the country so you will inevitably face a bit of head/crosswinds along the way.

The route between Pitlochry and Carrbridge is a lot more open than the rest of the route and the surrounding mountains tend to create their own weather and funnel the wind down the valleys. I've seen the wind rushing through both Strathspey and the Drumochter Pass in either direction so it's entirely a matter of luck on the day, but in my experience you're more likely to have luck going south-to-north.

I've only done the journey from Glasgow to Inverness: it was mostly uphill, I guess the return journey would be mostly downhill

Given that it starts and ends at sea level, it's definitely mostly uphill both ways