Cycling on the Isle of Skye?

Hi all,

Has anyone any experience of cycling on Skye? I am going there for a week and am going to take my bike with me to get some riding in. I have high hopes for great scenery and quiet roads. I am less confident about the weather.

I've never been so if anyone has any tips on good rides there they would be most welcome. TBH, after a look at google, there are not heaps and heaps of roads, I think that it is more likely that I will follow the coast roads and see how I get on. There do look to be some very senic stretches of single track to explore as well. But, if you know a good place then I'd be delighted to hear from you.

Any non cycling suggestions about places to eat, places to go etc would also be most welcome.

Thanks

Joe

Buuuuuuuump.

Anyone? Nothing? Really?

Skye is a mecca for Munro baggers, that's all know, sorry!

http://www.cycle-route.com/routes/Skye-Routes-117.html

http://cycling.visitscotland.com/find_route/highlands/

http://www.lochalsh.co.uk/cycling_in_lochalsh.shtml

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=46

"A road trip with Hans Rey, Steve Peat & Danny MacAskill through the North West Highlands of Scotland. Including Skye, Torridon, and Glen Coe."
http://vimeo.com/12836863

Nice Skye scenery and single track in there :-)

Only ever stayed in Kyleakin when me and some others went to do the Beleach ba climb.

The Cuillins is what people go to Skye for, as far as climbing. These mountains are big black rocks, not covered in earth like the rest of the Scottish mountains. Meant to look really impressive.

Needless to say, being a Hebridean island, the weather can and will change in an instant. Dont find yourself caught off guard, be prepared and take the appropriate clothing. You didnt need me to tell you, but I had to say.

We cycled out to Plockton, which is off the island but nearby and it is stunning.

This is the kind of scenery you will be seeing. Ill ask others if they have any recommendations. Enjoy.

Also the full island is on google street view if you want to check out the roads... lanes... dirt tracks.

I was in skye last year...it was amazing (very jealous)...... I will dig up the places I stayed and ate later today and get back to you.

Not sure about the cycling though.....I can tell you it ain't very flat so you'll be grinding it out a far bit!

Talisker...

^ yes!

I did some riding up on Skye when I was up there for a couple of days last year. The roads are/were fairly good and enjoyable if you're experienced. Alas they are narrow in places and winding with confident/incautious locals and either niave or nervous tourists. Be prepared to be patient and prudent.

We stayed in Dunvegan, which is a quiet but nice place. Dunvegan Castle is worth a mooch and the walk up to the Old Man of Storr is pretty easy. For a brilliant view of the Cuillin Ridge, other than being up there, MacLeods tables are fairly accessible from Dunvegan, a day's walk out and back if you're of moderate fitness.

We popped into the Dunvegan Hotel on the nights we were there. Not into the restaurant, but the bar underneath. It looks a little rough and ropey but the locals were pretty relaxed, the beer was good and if you're lucky you'll be able to spot porpoises from the terrace, or pool room if it's a bit nippy. The cake shop there is also really good.

If the Highland Games are on, it'll be worth the couple of quid entry. Go early to get a good view of the Stump and then check the timetable for the heavyweight games and make use of the reentry with purchase.

I have it on good authority that the Sligachan Hotel can be worth an evening's entertainment and the food is usually decent. Mostly you're there for the climber talk, pictures on the wall, if they still have them and the drinking.

Just off the bridge is Kyleakin, which has little to recommend it but park up in town and take a walk up to the ruins of Castle Maol. It's not arduous but it would seem that few enough tourists bother, which means that you can enjoy it in peace if you're lucky.

Yes Talisker is distilled on Skye, but a ride there may be less than rewarding. When in sunny England, Talisker is a fine enough drink, but up in Scotland it's hardly an outstanding dram. Once you've ridden there, you'll pay £5 for the pleasure of a distillery tour that you would be able to get free elsewhere and a taste of the 10 year basic that you already drink at home. Hardly a discount on any of the older/more refined stuff which can often be picked up cheaper duty free at the airport should you want some. Not to malign them, it's a decent Scotch, but you can do better elsewhere and less likely to fall afoul of lots of bookings in the peak season. (I'll admit my bias towards Speysides and South Highlands here). Unless you're a massive fan of Talisker and distillery tours, think twice, even if it's raining (it will be).

Neist Point lighthouse is a good ride if it's dry.

At the top of Bradford there's a good cafe and a really good photographer's gallery/shop just up the back road from there.

Off the Island, if you have a day for it, take the pass from Sheil Bride over to Glenelg. Keep on through the town and head back inland at Eilanreach up to some Iron Age Brochs and a great little cafe run out of a gypsy caravan and a yurt.

Heading back out of Scotland there's good coffee to be had at the Crafts and Things coffee shop in Glencoe as well as the Clachaig Inn up the road. Finally, if you pass it, and you probably will, stop in at the Green Welly Shop. A very busy tourist stop at Tyndrum, it would be hardly worth the efort but for two things. One, the Real Food Cafe, which is genuinely brilliant and two, get some bottles of Kelpie. It's a beer brewed with seaweed and is really salty. A taster is intriguing but I really wouldn't want to drink a whole bottle. However, add two teaspoons of honey and it sets you up for the best Beef in Beer that I have ever had.

^ now that is a reply! The Clachaig has a good choice of single malts, the Green Welly has just about everything you could need otherwise.

+1 for the Sligachan Hotel. Awesome bar with hundreds of different whiskies. They also have a campsite right outside.

Hi all, thanks so much for replies. I'm currently in Portree with a coffee and an OS map, the sun is shining and the scenery is spectacular. I'm going to ride the loop around the north of the Island tomorrow morning as an introduction to the island. There is limited phone interweb but I'll report back when I can. Thanks again
Joe

Maybe a bit late but if you get south the Ord/Tarskavaig/Ardvasar loop is a nice hilly one -there's a youth hostel in Ardvasar and a rowdy little pub called the Hideout bar. I thought the roads on Skye were amazing-loads of European investment in infrastructure-but it can be really exposed and changable weather makes for at least a few soakings.

I'm heading up in a few weeks I think-looking forward to it. Hope you've had a good time and the weather's stayed pleasant enough!

1 week ago we were late for a ferry and chainganged it from the Bridge to Armadale.....but-
if you can find the time to cycle back over Skye Bridge through Plockton,
Lochcarron and then over the Sgurr a Chaorachain road to Applecross,
therein lies a 700 m climb of beautiful hairpinned majesty,
and a 7 k descent down into Applecross afterwards,
thereafter the road north out of Applecross to Kinlochewe is one of the most fantastic roads I have ever travelled on by any means in my life.
from Applecross Skye lays over to the west behind Raasay, and the vista is one of multilayered sea, sky and land the likes of which are found nowhere else.