Lejog from Fort Augustus to JoG

[BrightonRock]

I'm planning a sortie of the whole thing in July. Does anyone know of an off road/part off road route avoiding the A9? Much appreciated

[BrightonRock]

P. S I don't mind if it's tough, I just want a break from traffic the last leg. I'm riding a Surly disc bike so I'm ready for some rough stuff!

[PH]

If you're not in a hurry,this route adds around 20 miles on some lovely quiet roads, including along the Naver which is one of my favorite bits of Scotland. It also makes a short detour to go the Dunnet Head
https://cycle.travel/map/journey/95740

[bikerta]

That's the route I also took on my JOGLE. It's a steep climb going out of Fort Augustus, but lovely quiet road all the way to Inverness. Then it's very easy to follow route 1 all the way to John O'Groats. I also agree about the road along the Naver, stunning part of the country.

[BrightonRock]

I had never thought about the Naver. Thanks. Could the fire track out of Fort Augustus be cycled on with normal tyres /brakes? I've had a look at it on Google maps.

[Norman H]

The route that PH linked to is much as I would have chosen. The old military road along the south shore of Loch Ness does add about 20 miles but is delightful. It's a steady climb out of Fort Augustus but a great view from the top, and a super downhill to follow.

A couple of suggestions, the B817 joins the B9176 Struie Road shortly after Evanton, no need to go through Alness unless you've a good reason. Also the YH at Culrain is now closed so there seems little point in going that way, especially as it involves carrying the bike over the footbridge alongside the railway at Invershin. The A836 via Bonnar Bridge would be easier.

[BrightonRock]

The route that PH linked to is much as I would have chosen. The old military road along the south shore of Loch Ness does add about 20 miles but is delightful. It's a steady climb out of Fort Augustus but a great view from the top, and a super downhill to follow.

A couple of suggestions, the B817 joins the B9176 Struie Road shortly after Evanton, no need to go through Alness unless you've a good reason. Also the YH at Culrain is now closed so there seems little point in going that way, especially as it involves carrying the bike over the footbridge alongside the railway at Invershin. The A836 via Bonnar Bridge would be easier.

I'll be mostly camping, through Scotland anyway. Hoping g for some decent weather as its my first trip this far north. Basically I just want to avoid heavy traffic as much as possible. Any ideas about riding the cycle track along the canal to Inverness? Doable?

[BrightonRock]

I've heard the A82 to Inverness is pretty gruesome, anytime of the day and best avoided and I've absolutely no intention on taking the A9, this is more of a holiday than a suicide mission!

In the great glen/loch ness:, should I follow the north side (new cycle track?) or the south side – minor road with a biggish climb and good view?

What’s the cycle track like? What’s the minor road like?

[Norman H]

As previously posted, The General Wade military road on the south shore would be my choice from Fort Augustus.

The canal Towpath is OK but other parts of the Great Glen Way are more problematic on a road bike I believe. I've not ridden it but others have,and some have posted on here. A search of the forum should yield results.

The A82 certainly has a reputation but much depends on timing. On my LEJOG, more by luck than judgment, we did it on a Sunday. We followed it all the way to Fort Augustus but then took the old military road. An early start from Fort William saw us in Fort Augustus before most folk had got out of bed.

Edit to add: https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=105593%20...

[hilloverthehill]

On my JOGLE Oct 2015 I followed the Great Glen Way along the west side of Loch Ness, pretty well offroad from Inverness to Fort William. There was a wee bit of pushing and a couple of punctures, and that was on a road tourer. You can go across the Flow Country from Forsinard on forest roads, and completely avoid the A9. My route's on http://hilloverthehill.blogspot.com

[Mick F]

If you're not in a hurry,this route adds around 20 miles on some lovely quiet roads, including along the Naver which is one of my favorite bits of Scotland. It also makes a short detour to go the Dunnet Head
https://cycle.travel/map/journey/95740

Slight modification:
Turn off to the left immediately after crossing Kessock Bridge. Stay behind the barriers on the left going north, and you can get down to the water's edge to follow the roads to Muir of Ord. Turn north for Dingwall.

Doing it this way, saves the hill onto Black Isle.

[Paulatic]

[]
Slight modification:
Turn off to the left immediately after crossing Kessock Bridge. Stay behind the barriers on the left going north, and you can get down to the water's edge to follow the roads to Muir of Ord. Turn north for Dingwall.

Doing it this way, saves the hill onto Black Isle.

It’s another of those 'trade off ' questions

An extra 300’ of climb

Or an extra 4 miles?
and you’ll also miss out on the Harry Gow bakery after the bridge
How do we decide?

[Mick F]

It's a good question, but having done the area a few times, I know the way I would go, and that's as I described.
The trouble with Black Isle, it's the A9 corridor. Yes, there's Route 1, but you have to go round the Tore roundabout to a degree and be alongside the A385. Busy busy busy.

Take the coast road to the north of Beauly Firth and onto the Old A9 via Dingwall.

[andrew_s]

This would be my "least traffic" route between Inverness and JoG (from Dingwall onwards anyway):

https://cycle.travel/map/journey/100056

Ignore the loop through Lairg and the NE side of Loch Shin - it's there because there's 100m of track that's marked as a footpath on OSM, between via points 4 and 5, and cycle.travel won't route along it.

When I took it (heading for Tongue, so continued up Strathnaver to Bettyhill), I saw fewer than 5 moving cars between turning off the B9176 just after Alness, and reaching the A836 just south of Bettyhill. I was riding a Singular Peregrine with 35C Marathon Racers, and camped at Loch Merkland, about 3 km short of via point 6.

[RickH]

https://cycle.travel/map/journey/100056

Ignore the loop through Lairg and the NE side of Loch Shin - it's there because there's 100m of track that's marked as a footpath on OSM, between via points 4 and 5, and cycle.travel won't route along it.

If you tap/click on point 4 & select "direct to 5" in the popup it eliminates the extra loop (& just links them with a straight line)