Scotland, must do routes.

[Millhouse]

Last year I cycled throughout England, a couple of years before I covered all the counties in Wales, so this year it’s Scotland.
I intend to go in April/May. My initial thoughts are to set up camp in the various locations and do day rides before moving on.
I prefer on road routes, but also willing to do some ‘rough stuff’.

So what are the MUST DO routes in Scotland.

Good spots for camping would also be useful.
Regards
Millhouse

[eileithyia]

Cape Wrath
Pass of the Cattle
Anywhere around Torridan.
Off road;
Glen Feshie
Glen Tilt
Any YHA's in the middle of nowhere where they claim not to have a cycle shed as not cycleable

[al_yrpal]

Its gotta be the Hebrides. Have a look at Hopscotch tickets on the Caledonian Macbrane ferries and take it from there.

Al

[irc]

For on road the must must do is Barra to Lewis.

Another route worth doing is starting at Stranraer (train station) then riding coast to coast on B and smaller roads to finish at Berwick, Dunbar, or Edinburgh. I used a couple of sections of the Southern Upland Way and a bit of forestry tracks and managed to get from Stranraer to Dunbar with only 15 miles or thereabouts of A road.

Rough Stuff? The Corrieyairrick Pass- Fort Augustus to Laggan is a classic and I read elsewhere the formerly washed out section at the zig zags on the east side has been rersurfaced.

The West Highland Way from Bridge of Orchy to Fort William.

+1 for Glen Tilt Blair Atholl to Braemar. Saw a guy doing it on a 60s 3 speed. Other than two or three miles with some pushing north of the falls of Tilt it's land rover tracks.

Loch Ossian Youth Hostel can be reached by land rover tracks from Loch Laggan or a track/path known as The Road to the Isles from a few miles east of Rannoch Station.

Another route from Blair Atholl is up Glen Bruar and over the Minnigaig Pass. An alternate finish is a push north from the summit for a mile which gives a long fast land rover track descent down into Glen Feshie.

Starting the descent to Glen Feshie.

[phil parker]

Bealach na ba
Torridon
Skye
Glencoe
the very north coast

...and anywhere else in Scotland!

[alicej]

The Islay Festival is in the last week of May, which is where I'm planning my next tour http://www.theislayfestival.co.uk/index.php

Our trip may involve more whisky drinking than cycling... but you could always combine a few whisky days with a few more cycling days.

[Mick F]

Bealach na ba

+1

[Fleetfut]

When i did my JOGLE i cycled along the coast and then down to Altnaharra by Loch Naver. Very nice and the B&B in Altnaharra is a lovely place to stop.

http://www.altnaharra.net/

[Richard Barrett]

Start from Oban, then hop over to Barra and ride all the way up to the Butt of Lewis as a warm up, then shoot over to Ullapool and take the coast road down to Kyle of Lochalsh passing over Bealach na Ba; then cross over to Skye and head down to Armadale for a ferry over to Mallaig then ride down to Lochaline for a ferry to Mull and eventually back to Oban. You can extend that basic route with loops around Skye or Mull which are very worthwhile.

It's all in http://acrosstheminch.wordpress.com/cycling-in-the-hebrides/ which is due out in May.

[Millhouse]

Thank's to everyone so far for taking the time to put up some cracking ideas.
I've got my map out as we speak
Regards
Millhouse

[GetMeOnMyBike]

Best cycling in the world. North of Fort William just gets better and better and esp north of Ullapool. The Outer Hebs are incredible. Mull is a superb few days. The very north coast to JOG is amazing.

However I recommend you miss the (is it?) the A82 that does up the west of Loch Lomand and through Glen Coe. can be a nightmare as cars blast past you at 60 or 70 mph. Done it a good few times but never again now.

You have choosen a good time to go as the midges might not be too much of a prob but you never know so go prepared!!

[matt2matt2002]

One word - Mull
A wee bit of heaven fallen to earth.

[matt2matt2002]

Best cycling in the world. North of Fort William just gets better and better and esp north of Ullapool. The Outer Hebs are incredible. Mull is a superb few days. The very north coast to JOG is amazing.

However I recommend you miss the (is it?) the A82 that does up the west of Loch Lomand and through Glen Coe. can be a nightmare as cars blast past you at 60 or 70 mph. Done it a good few times but never again now.

You have choosen a good time to go as the midges might not be too much of a prob but you never know so go prepared!!

I did the West coast route down Loch Lommond last summer and the bike path had almost been finished - so I would do it again.
But take your point - without it, the ride would have been dangerous.
Glen Coe is still a rat run and very hairy imo.

[hufty]

I recommend you miss the (is it?) the A82 that does up the west of Loch Lomand and through Glen Coe. can be a nightmare as cars blast past you at 60 or 70 mph. Done it a good few times but never again now.

There is a cycle path/cycle route along the worst bit (alongside Loch Lomond), for bikes going in both directions. It's still not pleasant due to the traffic noise and the general feel of the area but at least it's safer than being on the road. Not that you should feel that you shouldn't ride on the road etc etc.

[jdthebrit]

For on road the must must do is Barra to Lewis.

Am I the only one who thinks the Uists are tedious? It might have been the 30 mph head-on wind of course that spoiled my mood.