Scottish Highlands & the A9

[toroddf]

Ok, there are a couple of hills, but think of the descents!
Yes, if you are aiming for Stirling then your route via Crieff is more sensible.
I assume if you have an aversion to hills you are going via Aberfeldy and the A826? If you fancy a real hill, take the minor road from Kenmore over to Amulree via Glen Quaich!

I did the Glen Quaich Road (which is it's name, says Crieff Tourist Info) last Tuesday at the end of a 75 miles long bikeride before I pitched up my tent at the top of the mountain.
Glen Quaich Road is one of the hardest and best climbs I have done in Scotland. Absolute vertical from the bridge and up. No pictures or Google Earth can do it any justice. Thankfully, there were both some good fences and grass verges I could rest my tired corpse on the way up this climb. I used them a lot in the blazing heat that night.
The ride in the valley from Amulree to the foot of the climb was also highly enjoyable. Not to mention; very beautiful. In short; Glen Quaich Road and/or the road from Crieff over the Sma Glen and Glen Quaich Road to Kenmore should be on every bikeriders to-do list. I loved it and will do it again as the two days tour I did Tuesday-Wedensday. A special mention to the beauty of the Sma Glen too. It is only 2 miles long, but it packs a punch like no other valley does in Scotland. I say no more....

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Pitlochry north to Inverness. Last weekend. NCN7 all the way. Didn't slow us down one bit, being 'off-road' in places in fact we overtook a few cyclists. More power to sustrans elbow, wish they had routes like that down south.

The A9 is for lemmings. The A96 was getting a bad press too, in Inverness.

 

[alans]

I used to drive on the A9 regularly which convinced me that I wouldn't cycle on it for a king's ransom.

From Inverness to PerthI used the old A9 & signed cycle routes when I did my E2E. I almost had the roads to myself & the only thing I shared the Drumochter pass with was my shadow.
It was all very enjoyable.

 

[Matt2matt2002]

I would too - but anyone not knowing the route should be made aware the the climb up to and over the Lecht and the hills around the Bridge of Brown are incredibly steep.

I,ll second that, and don,t forget the snow in August!

 

[toroddf]

I,ll second that, and don,t forget the snow in August!

I did Lecht and Bridge Of Brown back in 1995 & 1998 and found both hills vertical. Lecht so much that it was even difficult walking up that road. So I second the views above and would suggest anyone but mountain goats should give them a wide berth. But Tomintoul is a nice village though.

 

[Matt2matt2002]

Yes indeed - mountain goats would be in their element.
Re Timintoul - yes a nice wee village and I had a good B&B there on my route from Inverness to Aberdeen, however this is the village where a few years ago one local resident spread tacks across the road ahead of a bike race!
But lets not hold that against the village.

 

[Nebulous]

Err - are you sure you mean Tomintoul with the tacks and not Pitlochry for the Etape Caledonia?

Cairngorm 100 this weekend, still taking entries until 10 o clock tonight, for the adventurous!

 

[iandg]

I drive the A9 a lot and I'm always surprised when I see cyclists on such a busy and dangerous road when there's (what appears to be) a good alternative cycle route near by. I wouldn't be comfortable cycling on the A9 (but I would like to do that final dual carriageway descent to Inverness with a good tail wind )

 

[Matt2matt2002]

Err - are you sure you mean Tomintoul with the tacks and not Pitlochry for the Etape Caledonia?

Cairngorm 100 this weekend, still taking entries until 10 o clock tonight, for the adventurous!

I stand corrected my friend.
It made the Scottish news a few years ago but my brain doesn't go that far back!

 

[gavgav]

Having driven on it myself I would steer well clear of it on a bike!! Surely the beauty of touring on a bike is exploring the lanes and seeing what you stumble upon? If i did a LEJOG I would be avoiding as many "A" roads as at all possible