Routes Mallaig - Glencoe - Oban

[John Abramson]

Hi all

My mate and I are planning to drive to Glencoe or Ballachulish with
bikes, stay overnight, then cycle to Oban, tour the islands with the
help of CalMac, arriving back in Mallaig, then cycle back to the car.

The bit over the islands we are happy with, but I have a few questions
about the mainland sections:

1) Does the Port Appin - Lismore passenger ferry take bikes?
2) Mallaig to Glencoe can either be via Glenfinnan, then A861 east and
south to Corran ferry, or the longer route via Salen and Strontian.
Any comments on which is better? I think the longer route is also more
hilly? We're sort of averagely fit.
3) If we feel lazy/knackered coming from Mallaig, we could take the
train some of the way to Fort William. Which bits of the route are
best for this (i.e. most boring or unpleasant to cycle?)

Thanks for all comments/suggestions.

--

John

 

[Ben Barker]

I don;t believe it - someone else going to Lismore! It's a lovely (if
small) place. I used to go there a lot when I was younger,
and on this years E2E we diverted to Oban specifically to go there.

The North end ferry to Lismore from Port Appin will take bikes free of
charge, and if the ferry is full wil keep going back and forth
until the backlog is cleared. The Boat to Oban also takes bikes - and
cars! They are not free, but not that expensive
either.

If you're on the island, there are three ruined castled to see if you
fancy a break from cycling, one shop, and a few b&b's. Getting lost
is impossible due to the existance of only one road - you can go
backwards, or forwards


See the obligatory community website for more info at:

http://www.isleoflismore.com/

Cheers,

Ben



John Abramson <john@ wrote:
> Hi all
>
> My mate and I are planning to drive to Glencoe or Ballachulish with
> bikes, stay overnight, then cycle to Oban, tour the islands with the
> help of CalMac, arriving back in Mallaig, then cycle back to the car.
>
> The bit over the islands we are happy with, but I have a few questions
> about the mainland sections:
>
> 1) Does the Port Appin - Lismore passenger ferry take bikes?
> 2) Mallaig to Glencoe can either be via Glenfinnan, then A861 east and
> south to Corran ferry, or the longer route via Salen and Strontian.
> Any comments on which is better? I think the longer route is also more
> hilly? We're sort of averagely fit.
> 3) If we feel lazy/knackered coming from Mallaig, we could take the
> train some of the way to Fort William. Which bits of the route are
> best for this (i.e. most boring or unpleasant to cycle?)
>
> Thanks for all comments/suggestions.
>

 

[[email protected]]

The only bit which can be unpleasant to cycle is the busy A82 south of
Fort William. So if you're taking the train back, get off before FW and
take the quiet Linnhe west side road to Corran. I found this quiet and
pleasant (I've not cycled the Strontian route but I've motored it and
that's quiet too, though not as...)

That still leaves the bit of A82 through Onich as the only busy bit - I
was once stuck in a semi-jam there where revving motorists would
overtake only to be passed by me, then again ad nauseum. Smelt like
city cycling.

The A85 into Oban can be bypassed using hilly minor roads, though I've
not tried that. The A85 is not as busy as the A82, and AFAIK all the
other roads are quiet, though I don't know what you're planning on Skye
- not been there since the bridge has been toll-free.

 

[Phil Cook]

John Abramson <john@<my surname>.org.uk> wrote:

>My mate and I are planning to drive to Glencoe or Ballachulish with
>bikes, stay overnight, then cycle to Oban, tour the islands with the
>help of CalMac, arriving back in Mallaig, then cycle back to the car.
>
>The bit over the islands we are happy with, but I have a few questions
>about the mainland sections:
>
>1) Does the Port Appin - Lismore passenger ferry take bikes?
>2) Mallaig to Glencoe can either be via Glenfinnan, then A861 east and
>south to Corran ferry, or the longer route via Salen and Strontian.
>Any comments on which is better? I think the longer route is also more
>hilly? We're sort of averagely fit.
>3) If we feel lazy/knackered coming from Mallaig, we could take the
>train some of the way to Fort William. Which bits of the route are
>best for this (i.e. most boring or unpleasant to cycle?)

I can't remember exactly what the track from Ballaculish through Glen
Creran is like but only three miles of it are anything less than a
forest road. If that track is cyclable you can get to Oban with only a
couple of short bits of A road but it would take you away from Appin
:-(

The road from Mallaig to Lochailort I remember, as well as being
single track, being rather profligate in it's use of all three
dimensions, thus having a deleterious effect on the fourth. The last
time I was up there was many years ago and they were doing some major
rebuilding between Arisaig and Morar. Either way the South Loch
Eilside road has virtually zero traffic and taking that and the Corran
Ferry will eliminate the worst bit of the A82 to the south of Fort
William which has double white lines for a long way.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

 

[druidh]

Phil Cook wrote:
> John Abramson <john@<my surname>.org.uk> wrote:
>
>
>>My mate and I are planning to drive to Glencoe or Ballachulish with
>>bikes, stay overnight, then cycle to Oban, tour the islands with the
>>help of CalMac, arriving back in Mallaig, then cycle back to the car.
>>
>>The bit over the islands we are happy with, but I have a few questions
>>about the mainland sections:
>>
>>1) Does the Port Appin - Lismore passenger ferry take bikes?
>>2) Mallaig to Glencoe can either be via Glenfinnan, then A861 east and
>>south to Corran ferry, or the longer route via Salen and Strontian.
>>Any comments on which is better? I think the longer route is also more
>>hilly? We're sort of averagely fit.
>>3) If we feel lazy/knackered coming from Mallaig, we could take the
>>train some of the way to Fort William. Which bits of the route are
>>best for this (i.e. most boring or unpleasant to cycle?)
>
>
> I can't remember exactly what the track from Ballaculish through Glen
> Creran is like but only three miles of it are anything less than a
> forest road. If that track is cyclable you can get to Oban with only a
> couple of short bits of A road but it would take you away from Appin
> :-(
>
> The road from Mallaig to Lochailort I remember, as well as being
> single track, being rather profligate in it's use of all three
> dimensions, thus having a deleterious effect on the fourth. The last
> time I was up there was many years ago and they were doing some major
> rebuilding between Arisaig and Morar.

Arisaig to Morar has all been bypassed with a new, fast road. Niec ans
straight and reasonably flat, I'd still prefer the views from the (now
quieter) coast road though).

Either way the South Loch
> Eilside road has virtually zero traffic and taking that and the Corran
> Ferry will eliminate the worst bit of the A82 to the south of Fort
> William which has double white lines for a long way.

 

[suer]

I stayed at Lochailort Inn at Lochailort last June (lovely inn,
reasonable prices, good food/drink/friendly hosts, no tv reception so a
real get-away-from-it place) and cycled to Mallaig. The coast road
varies from single track to single carriageway and is quite hilly with a
couple of sumptious downhills near Lochailort (in either direction).

From Arisaig to Mallaig a new inland dual carriageway has been built and
there's a signposted cycletrack which runs part alongside the dual
carriageway and part separately all the way. It's quite pleasant and
well-surfaced and far preferrable to the huge drags on the dual
carriageway.

We took bikes on the passenger ferry from Mallaig to Eigg for the day
(tiny ferry, bikes were strapped to the roof) so answer to your bikes on
another ferry question is probably "yes they can".

We also cycled from Lochailort to Glenfinnan which seemed busier, single
carriageway all the way, hilly too.

Many years ago I cycled the Strontian-Salen-Lochailort route. I remember
it being hilly but spectacularly scenic in places. And I fell in love
with Salen harbour. Very restful.

As regards Glencoe to Fort William, many years ago we cycled the A82.
More recently I walked the West Highland Way section from Kinlochleven
across to Fort William. Memory is vague but I remember it being a
stoney/grassy track, mostly rideable but hard work. We saw a flying
Golden Eagle at very close range (quartering the ground in front of us)
and they are HUGE.

 

[Mike K Smith]

John Abramson <john@ wrote:
> Hi all
>
> My mate and I are planning to drive to Glencoe or Ballachulish with
> bikes, stay overnight, then cycle to Oban, tour the islands with the
> help of CalMac, arriving back in Mallaig, then cycle back to the car.

Are you taking in Mull as part of your island-hopping? If not you might
think of riding from Lochailort to Kilchoan (not far from Ardnamurchan
Point) then crossing over to Tobermory, riding through Mull to Craignure
then taking to boat to Oban from there

We did that in reverse as part of an island-hopping trip a few t=years
back.

 

[John Abramson]

On Mon, 16 Jan 2006 22:08:59 +0000, Ben Barker <[email protected]>
wrote:

>The North end ferry to Lismore from Port Appin will take bikes free of
>charge, and if the ferry is full wil keep going back and forth
>until the backlog is cleared. The Boat to Oban also takes bikes - and
>cars! They are not free, but not that expensive
>either.

Thanks for this info Ben. Unfortunately we're doing the Ballachulish -
Oban bit on a Sunday and while the Port Appin ferry runs, there's no
Sunday CalMac service to Oban. Our schedule doesn't allow time to make
a special trip to Lismore and back to Port Appin.

Next time ...
--

John

 

[John Abramson]

On Tue, 17 Jan 2006 14:10:48 +0000, Phil Cook
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I can't remember exactly what the track from Ballaculish through Glen
>Creran is like but only three miles of it are anything less than a
>forest road. If that track is cyclable you can get to Oban with only a
>couple of short bits of A road

Thanks Phil - I'd never even thought of Glen Creran. But from the map,
it looks like the path from Ballachulish to where the forest road
starts is steep in places and pretty rough (lots of fords marked ...).
We'll be on laden touring bikes so we'll probably give it a miss this
time, especially as we have a ferry we *must* catch in Oban or the
whole week's schedule goes to pot ...

But (assuming the path is at least passable) it looks like there's a
potential fine day out, next time I'm in the Glencoe area: Glen Creran
- Port Appin, ferry to Lismore, explore the island, back to Port
Appin, and round the coast road back to Ballachulish. (With optional
extension by taking the Lismore - Oban ferry and back on the coast
road).

--

John

 

[Phil Cook]

John Abramson <john@<my surname>.org.uk> wrote:

>On Tue, 17 Jan 2006 14:10:48 +0000, Phil Cook
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I can't remember exactly what the track from Ballaculish through Glen
>>Creran is like but only three miles of it are anything less than a
>>forest road. If that track is cyclable you can get to Oban with only a
>>couple of short bits of A road
>
>Thanks Phil - I'd never even thought of Glen Creran. But from the map,
>it looks like the path from Ballachulish to where the forest road
>starts is steep in places and pretty rough (lots of fords marked ...).
>We'll be on laden touring bikes so we'll probably give it a miss this
>time, especially as we have a ferry we *must* catch in Oban or the
>whole week's schedule goes to pot ...

Ah yes. I admit a failure to read contours correctly. I hadn't
realised the path went up to 400 m at the forest edge.

I have ridden the back roads from Oban to Connel but it was a long
time ago. I remember riding past a fence post all of ten feet away as
a sparrowhawk alighted on it.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

 

[mark]

"Mike K Smith" wrote

> Are you taking in Mull as part of your island-hopping? If not you might
> think of riding from Lochailort to Kilchoan (not far from Ardnamurchan
> Point) then crossing over to Tobermory, riding through Mull to Craignure
> then taking to boat to Oban from there
>
> We did that in reverse as part of an island-hopping trip a few t=years
> back.

I rode that stretch as part of my Scotland tour in May '04, very pretty
country and definitely worth including on any tour of the area. Actually I
started tat part of the ride in Mallaig and followed the A830 south to
Lochailort, using the coast road where it parallels the A830. The campground
at Arisaig inspired me to try wild camping for the only time on that tour.

If you follow this route, the ruins of Castle Tioram are worth the short
detour.
--
mark

 

[B.G. Finlay]

John Abramson .org.uk> (john@<mysurname) wrote:
: 1) Does the Port Appin - Lismore passenger ferry take bikes?
: 2) Mallaig to Glencoe can either be via Glenfinnan, then A861 east and
: south to Corran ferry, or the longer route via Salen and Strontian.
: Any comments on which is better? I think the longer route is also more
: hilly? We're sort of averagely fit.
: 3) If we feel lazy/knackered coming from Mallaig, we could take the
: train some of the way to Fort William. Which bits of the route are
: best for this (i.e. most boring or unpleasant to cycle?)

You could also take the track from just east of Glenfinnan down
Loch Shiel to Polloch then Strontian. Big climb between Polloch and
Strontian.

Blair

 

[David Martin]

mark wrote:
> The campground
> at Arisaig inspired me to try wild camping for the only time on that tour.

That's some reccommendation...

...d

 

[mark]

"David Martin" wrote ...
>
> mark wrote:
>> The campground
>> at Arisaig inspired me to try wild camping for the only time on that
>> tour.
>
> That's some reccommendation...
>
> ..d
>

Sorry, but I just don't know how else to describe it.

At any rate, the wild camping was good. I pushed on a good ways south, and
found a very pretty spot somewhere past Kinlochmoidart.
--
mark

 

[the.Mark]

mark wrote:
> "David Martin" wrote ...
>>
>> mark wrote:
>>> The campground
>>> at Arisaig inspired me to try wild camping for the only time
>>> on that tour.
>>
>> That's some reccommendation...
>>
>> ..d
>>
>
> Sorry, but I just don't know how else to describe it.
>
> At any rate, the wild camping was good. I pushed on a good
> ways south, and found a very pretty spot somewhere past
> Kinlochmoidart.

What was the name of the campsite? We were thinking of heading up that
way in the spring.
--
Cheers
the.Mark

 

[David Martin]

the.Mark wrote:
> mark wrote:
> > "David Martin" wrote ...
> >>
> >> mark wrote:
> >>> The campground
> >>> at Arisaig inspired me to try wild camping for the only time
> >>> on that tour.
> >>
> >> That's some reccommendation...
> >>
> >> ..d
> >>
> >
> > Sorry, but I just don't know how else to describe it.
> >
> > At any rate, the wild camping was good. I pushed on a good
> > ways south, and found a very pretty spot somewhere past
> > Kinlochmoidart.
>
> What was the name of the campsite? We were thinking of heading up that
> way in the spring.

I read the OP as saying between the lines that it was so bad that the
better option was camping wild. It may have been the case that the OP
meant the campsite was so scenic and isolated it felt like wild
camping..

...d

 

[druidh]

the.Mark wrote:
> mark wrote:
>
>>"David Martin" wrote ...
>>
>>>mark wrote:
>>>
>>>> The campground
>>>>at Arisaig inspired me to try wild camping for the only time
>>>>on that tour.
>>>
>>>That's some reccommendation...
>>>
>>>..d
>>>
>>
>>Sorry, but I just don't know how else to describe it.
>>
>>At any rate, the wild camping was good. I pushed on a good
>>ways south, and found a very pretty spot somewhere past
>>Kinlochmoidart.
>
>
> What was the name of the campsite? We were thinking of heading up that
> way in the spring.


There are a few campsites at Back of Keppoch. I've stayed at Gorten
Sands a few times and it's always been fine. Portnaluchaig and
Camusdarach have also been recommended to me.


druidh

 

[Dan Gregory]

David Martin wrote:
> the.Mark wrote:
>
>>mark wrote:
>>
>>>"David Martin" wrote ...
>>>
>>>>mark wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> The campground
>>>>>at Arisaig inspired me to try wild camping for the only time
>>>>>on that tour.
>>>>
>>>>That's some reccommendation...
>>>>
>>>>..d
>>>>
>>>
>>>Sorry, but I just don't know how else to describe it.
>>>
>>>At any rate, the wild camping was good. I pushed on a good
>>>ways south, and found a very pretty spot somewhere past
>>>Kinlochmoidart.
>>
>>What was the name of the campsite? We were thinking of heading up that
>>way in the spring.
>
>
> I read the OP as saying between the lines that it was so bad that the
> better option was camping wild. It may have been the case that the OP
> meant the campsite was so scenic and isolated it felt like wild
> camping..
>
> ...d
>
Camped there with the children in 1988. The last time we went camping!
The wind got up and the tent was torn to shreds. We weighed it down with
rocks and slept in the car....
But it is an idyllic spot with views to Eigg, Rhum, and the Cuillins.
All the best
Dan Gregory

 

[John Abramson]

On 19 Jan 2006 15:38:02 -0000, [email protected] (B.G. Finlay)
wrote:

> You could also take the track from just east of Glenfinnan down
>Loch Shiel to Polloch then Strontian. Big climb between Polloch and
>Strontian.
>
Thanks Blair, that looks interesting. Do you know what the surface of
the track is like? My friend's bike is an old Galaxy and doesn't like
anything too rough, though forestry tracks would be OK if not too
rocky or boggy. (Mine's a Sardar which is basically a rigid MTB with
drop bars so can cope with most things.)

Judging by the map it's pretty much level to Polloch. I remember the
hill between Polloch and Strontian - I've driven over it but never
cycled it.



--

John

 

[John Abramson]

On Mon, 16 Jan 2006 21:31:36 +0000, John Abramson <john@<my
surname>.org.uk> wrote:

>Hi all
>
>My mate and I are planning to drive to Glencoe or Ballachulish with
>bikes, stay overnight, then cycle to Oban, tour the islands with the
>help of CalMac, arriving back in Mallaig, then cycle back to the car.

Thanks everyone for the replies which are all useful. (We're not
going until late May so we're very much at the tentative planning
stage).

This will be the third year we've done island-hopping and as always,
the hardest part of planning (though fun in its way) is working out
how to do what we want, given that we can't alter the ferry timetables
....
--

John