Touring Scotland

That's a cracking route, looks like you missed out on the hot chocolate shop in Durness tho! Great effort doing it loaded especially getting to Applecross, mad props!

By the time I have reached Durness, I was totally drenched as the start was dry but then full on rain...so first stop was laundry cleaners and the use of a dryer.

Small advice on Applecross: pretty much no giffgaff signal there, only in pub or campsite for wifi but there is a guy who can fix bikes. His details are hanging in the pub, he lives near campsite.

Yeah, getting up that hill was a struggle with all the gear after doing it about half of it. The grade was just too much but sceneries perfect.

Hey folks, we’re doing a little tour up there this week:

Inverness - St Augustus
St Augustus - Fort William
Three days in Fort William.

Recommendations and nice routes more than welcome, I’m so psyched!

Great Glen Way from Inverness to Ft Augustus is good if you fancy a bit of off road.

Light gravel is as far as I’ll go to be honest. Plus the weather is due to be testing...

Dunno what the cut off point for "light" gravel is, but it's part of the route of the Badger Divide. 35c or bigger should see you right.

One for the locals and the regulars:

Inverness to Fort Augustus – A82 on the northwestern side or B862 on the southeastern side?

Recommendations for a short ride around Inverness and one around Fort William also much welcome!

SE side definitely. More scenic and a hell of a lot safer.

Ah, I see both arguments in this thread!
Bit more elevation on the SE, and we're already going to have quite poor weather and headwind... dilemma.

http://www.albannach.cc/rides/ The Faultline

Looks an absolute banger route. Hoping the jump off end of May not the start

aye, can't wait for this.

280km on mostly gravel... That'll be a tough ol' day

Don't think we'll be going baws oot, shouldn't be too mental

Looks like SRS BSNS doing the whole route. Nice that they've provided the route in sections.

Might be in Glasgow for NYE and was thinking about combining the trip with a few days riding. So was wondering if anyone could tell me:
A) will the weather be too grim to be enjoyable?
B) any recommendations for routes for a fairly sedate 5 day ride? Will have a car so can start where ever

Road or off road?All I can say is, I go up every NY (my daughter lives way up north, now) and have been able to ride probably 70 per cent of the time. But you have to be prepared for snow, ice, awful weather and possibly abandoning plans, or revising at any rate. If you’re alone, make sure someone knows where you are and where you’re meant to be. We often go to the west coast, and the main roads are generally kept clear. Whether or not the weather is too grim depends on your tolerance and experience levels, and I don’t know what they are.

Last New Year on the way to Port Henderson.

Plenty lanes around Glasgow. @gillies and the Albannach boys will be able to tell you.

Weather is just cold and usually wet in central belt. Wrap up and all is good.

Thanks for the info. Thinking on road with knobblies on a mountain bike to tourer conversion.
Yeah realise it's all subjective. Don't mind the cold really but 5 days of downpour off the back of NYE would be tough! Will turn tail if it seems too risky/too much of a slog.
Great photos!

Cheers! Will layer up!

Aye, bring some mudguards with that bike :D Or if you're on knobblies, there's some decent windfarm gravel tracks close by, too.

I'll be away in Dunkeld for NYE otherwise I'd have offered to take you round some lanes. DM me if you want some gpx routes or something.

Perthshire ride around NY then?

potentially. Depends on how long I can sneak away from the family for :)

Lovely

I’m up at home from 20/12 right through to 07/01 so loads of scope for a sneaky one if you can