THE GREAT OUTDOORS FREE MAGAZINE INSIDE
PLUS TEN AMAZING WALKING AND CYCLING ROUTES
CYCLE THIS
F1. Tyndrum to Port Appin
ORTIFY yourself at the Green Welly Stop in Tyndrum (whisky, scones, fry-ups, stovies, boiled sweets, Highland Toffee) in preparation for a 50-mile cycle through some of Scotland’s most jaw-dropping landscapes. The A82 to Fort William isn’t exactly one of Scotland’s quieter roads, so make sure you are well visible. On a still, crisp winter’s day the landscape is mesmerising – millpond lochs and lochans reflecting the mountains, big sky, wild open moorland, long straight stretches for building up speed and some challenging climbs. And that’s before you get to the glowering splendour of Glen Coe. Push on through Ballachulish, framed by blue-tinged mountains then head for Oban down the eastern flank of Loch Linnhe. Turn off the A828 at Appin village and take the twisty coastal road to Port Appin, with the Morvern Hills in the distance, Castle Stalker in the foreground. At the end of the road, take a breather at the Pierhouse Hotel, opposite the bonny island of Lismore. 2. Glentress, Borders Attracting riders from all over the UK and beyond, Glentress sits in the Tweed Valley, a mile and a half east of Peebles on the A72. One of the 7stanes biking centres, this is mountain bike heaven, offering a series of trails from two easy green routes of around two miles, through a moderate blue 10 miler, to a difficult 11-mile red, and one challenging black over 18 miles. There’s also an orange extreme biking freeride route, best suited to the Danny MacAskills of this world. 3. Hebridean Way, Outer Hebrides The new Hebridean Way Cycling Route, which celebrates its first birthday next month, is a fantastic 185-mile ride crossing 10 islands in the archipelago. Following part of the National Cycle Network Route 780, this long-distance route spans the length of the Outer Hebrides island chain, taking in some paradise beaches, the Calanish Standing Stones and a Stevenson lighthouse. Starting at Vatersay in the south and ending at the Butt of Lewis in the north, the route can be done in sections or cycled in a oner over six days. Cyclist Mark Beaumont, who launched the route last year, did it in 24 hours. 4. Lerwick to Scalloway, Shetland This short, six-mile cycle takes you east to west from the principle town of Lerwick to the ancient capital of Scalloway. Enjoy the stunning island scenery as you cut through a ridge of hills and across wild moorland before being rewarded with a panoramic view of Scalloway, its ruined castle and the many islands which lie to the south and west. You can also begin and end your cycle at a museum: the Shetland Museum and Archives in Lerwick and the Scalloway Museum, which will enhance your appreciation of Shetland. 5. Devilla Forest, Fife Devilla Forest can be found on the A985 between Kincardine and Dunfermline and offers a good six-mile loop of mainly flat easy forest trails that pass through vast expanses of pine woodland. This is gentle terrain for fledgling off-road bikers just finding their feet, and good for kids too. 6. Tarbert to Claonaig, Argyll The extraordinarily scenic Kintyre Way zig-zags for 100 miles back and forth across the Kintyre peninsula from Tarbert down to Campbeltown and then over to Machrihanish. For this 11-mile section of the route, start your cycle at the ruin of Tarbert Castle that sits up behind this harbourside village at the head of the Mull of Kintyre. Then follow the path as it climbs up to an area of mixed forest before crossing a plateau with superb views across the Kilbrannan Sound to Arran. Then there’s a long descent to the village of Skipness followed by a tiny single track road to Claonaig where you can catch the ferry over to Lochranza in the summer. On a cold, sunny winter’s day, looking over to the peaks of Arran, the Mull of Kintyre is a spectacular place to be on a bike. 7. Isle of Bute, Argyll There are plenty of fine sea views as you travel around this beautiful island just a short ferry ride from Wemyss Bay. Try the 23-mile loop around the perimeter of the island, or if you fancy a more challenging climb, check out the notorious Serpentine up Canada Hill just behind Rothesay. One of Scotland’s most technical hill climbs, this category two job has no less than 14 hairpin bends and is only for those with sturdy hearts and legs. 8. Nethy Bridge to Aviemore, Highlands Part of the Speyside Way which runs from Buckie on the north-east coast to Aviemore, this final 10-mile stretch from Nethy Bridge to Aviemore is as beautiful a cycle ride as you will find in Scotland. Quiet roads, heather moorland, ancient pine forests and stunning views of the Cairngorms make this a really special place to immerse yourself in the blissful stillness of nature (in the right weather) with lots of opportunities to spot osprey, deer and red squirrels. Although this area is stunning in the autumn, on a bright wintry day with snow dusting the top of the Cairngorms, this is Scotland at its best. 9. The Crinan Canal, Argyll This is a nice easy nine-mile cycle from the village of Ardrishaig on Loch Fyne along a pretty canal towpath to the tiny hamlet of Crinan. The canal is a popular short-cut for boats heading to the west coast from the Firth of Clyde, so there’s always plenty to see. Originally it was a route for puffers travelling between Glasgow and the villages of the West Highlands. After you pass Lochgilphead, the path takes you to Cairnbaan, just south of Kilmartin Glen and the ancient kingdom of Dalriada. Cycle on to Bellanoch passing the Moine Mhor National Nature Reserve and then it is just over a mile to Crinan, a pretty, well-kept village which sits overlooking the Sound of Jura opposite Duntrune Castle.
On a cold, sunny winter’s day, looking over to the peaks of Arran, the Mull of Kintyre is a spectacular place to be on a bike
The whitewashed Crinan Hotel does a good bar lunch and you can walk across the final lock that opens into Loch Crinan. 10. Assynt Achiltibuie Circular, Highlands A stunning but challenging loop in this dramatic north-west corner of Scotland leads cyclists through some of the country’s wildest, most idyllic landscapes. There are myriad mountains to marvel at along the way, such as Sula Bheinn, Cùl Mòr, Suilven and Stac Pollaidh, as well as beaches and shimmering lochs. Pick a nice day – it’s just over 70 miles in total – and depart from Achiltibuie. If you’re fairly fit, this should take about seven hours. WALK THIS WAY 1. Elie to Crail, Fife Once described by King James VI as a “fringe of gold on a beggar’s mantle” the East Neuk of Fife is much-loved part of Scotland known for its fields of vivid yellow rapeseed, picturesque fishing villages and ever-changing seascapes. A stroll along this section of the Fife Coastal Path is a gentle 11 miles from well-to-do Elie to the fishing village of Crail, passing through St Monans, Pittenweem and Anstruther. Start at the Stevenson lighthouse at Elie Ness, then head east, hugging the shore, passing Newark Castle just before St Monans and the old outdoor swimming pool at Pittenweem, the village that hosts its own arts festival every August. End your walk at Crail with its pretty whitewashed buildings where you can buy fresh lobster at the harbour to take home for your tea. 2. Puck’s Glen, Argyll If you’re looking to spark children’s imaginations with a walk in an enchanted forest, you would be hard pushed to find a more magical place than Puck’s Glen, just north of Dunoon on the A815. This shadowy dell is all trailing ferns, mossy hummocks, tumbling waterfalls, rock pools and little wooden bridges. Named after the mischievous character in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, it does feel like some otherworldly realm. From here you can reach the Upper Puck’s Glen Loop, link up to the Big Trees Walk, Benmore Botanic Garden and Kilmun Arboretum. 3. Tinto, South Lanarkshire On the A73 between Lanark and Biggar, Tinto is a small hill in the scheme of things (707m at its cairn), but the views are mighty, looking south towards the rolling hills of the Southern Uplands in the Borders, north-west to the Clyde Valley, the Campsies and the Trossachs, and north-east to the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh. It’s not a difficult walk – there’s a good wide path amongst the heather all the way up – but it will work the legs and lungs for four and a half miles. It should take around two to two and half hours, although crazy people run up and down this hill every November for fun, and in 30 minutes, apparently. 4. Balmaha to Rowardennan, Argyll The famous West Highland Way runs 96 miles from Milngavie near Glasgow, past Loch Lomond to Crianlarich, Tyndrum, through Rannoch Moor, Glencoe, Kinlochleven and ending at Fort William. It can be broken up into very do-able chunks, one of which is a four-hour jaunt up the eastern side of Loch Lomond from the marina at Balmaha to Rowardennan at the foot of Ben Lomond, Scotland’s most southerly Munro and most-climbed mountain. The path criss-crosses the tarmac road from time to time then alternates between the pretty shoreline and woodland, but for most of it, the shimmering water of Loch Lomond will be within your view. 5. Arisaig to Camusdarach, Highlands A stone’s throw from the B8008, the old Road to the Isles, Camusdarach Beach is sometimes referred to as Ben’s Beach, after key scenes were shot there for Bill Forsyth’s magical 1983 film Local Hero. On a fine summer’s day a band of crystal white sand fringes turquoise water, where the views over to Rum, Eigg and Muck and the jagged Cuillins on Skye to the north are just sublime. It’s an easy five-mile walk from the pretty village of Arisaig, where visitors can stock up for a picnic and take a boat over to the islands. A mixture of rocky coves, fine white sands, grassy paths, dunes and possibly Scotland’s most picturesque golf course at Traigh (the Gaelic word for beach), there is plenty to divert walkers, from picnics on the beach and rockpooling to a brave dip in the Atlantic. If you stick to the route without a detour, this lovely walk should take about two and a half hours. 6. North Berwick to Dunbar, East Lothian Part of the celebrated John Muir Way, that runs from Helensburgh in the west to Dunbar in the east, where Muir was born, this section covers a distance of 14 miles starting at the foot of the Berwick Law, a volcanic plug of a hill that sits up behind the prosperous seaside town of North Berwick. The path takes walkers through lush farmland and woodland with views over to the Lammermuir Hills, up over Drylaw Hill to East Linton, an old mill village with the distinctive east-coast red pantile roofs. From there the path goes down to the vast Hedderwick Sands at the estuary of the River Tyne, then along the coast to Belhaven Bay past bright-red rocky cliffs and into the town of Dunbar. If you’re keeping pace, it should take about five and a half hours. 7. Crathes Castle, Highlands A handsome 16th-century tower house in the heart of Aberdeenshire, Crathes Castle’s 240 hectares of gardens, woodland walks and rolling countryside is perfect for people whose idea of a good walk is something gentle through a beautifully sculpted landscape. Beyond the exquisite gardens, the estate (once part of the Royal Forest of Drum), offers six trails through mature woodland, a pine plantation and ancient sycamore trees, with views across to Banchory and the opportunity to spy a variety of wildlife including herons, wagtails, dippers, wild salmon and red squirrels. For children (and adults too) there’s a chance to swing from the trees with the exhilarating Go Ape! experience. There’s also a picnic area, a walled garden, a millpond, a shop and a café in the grounds. 8. The Fairy Glen, Uig, Skye Just off the A87 near the Uig Hotel, a small road signposted for Sheader and Balnaknock will lead you a mile or so to a strange green place called the Fairy Glen. It looks like it’s been fashioned by the hand of some benign giant. Near-perfect conical mounds line up beneath velvety-looking cliffs, beyond which stands a make-believe castle. On closer inspection, it is just a hunk of rock that manages to resemble a perfect ruin: Castle Ewen. This Hobbity landscape was actually created by a series of landslides and later eroded and smoothed by glaciation. By turns bizarre, delightful and enchanting, this mythical-looking place is due its turn soon as a Game of Thrones location. 9. Loch Katrine, Argyll Deep in the heart of the Trossachs, Loch Katrine is famous not just for its exceptionally pretty looks but also as the city of Glasgow’s main water supply since 1859. Jump on the Sir Walter Scott paddle steamer – named after the writer whose novels made the area famous – and alight at Stronachlachar Pier at the north-western end of the loch. From there it’s a heart-stirring 13mile walk back around the northern shore to the Trossachs Pier. The private road around Loch Katrine which is owned by Scottish Water, winds around the loch passing through beach, oak and birch woods, tumbling waterfalls and the tiny settlements of Strone, Edra and Letter. Look out for the grassy peninsula at Brenachoille Point, a lovely place to stop by the loch for a picnic. 10. Sandwood Bay, Highlands It’s a long walk in to Sandwood Bay from Blairmore just south of Loch Aisir in Sutherland, but it is worth the eight-mile trudge over peaty moorland just to stand and look out over the Atlantic on one of Scotland’s loveliest and remotest beaches. The surf pounds the dark foreboding cliffs rising up at the southern end, where a solitary stack of rock stands erect just opposite. On a fine day, the water glitters turquoise against the white sand; in the gloom of winter, it’s not hard to believe local tales that the beach is haunted; mermaids, ghost horses, the spirits of Vikings and long-gone sailors dashed on the rocks before the Cape Wrath lighthouse was built, are all said to inhabit the beach from time to time. Don’t linger too long near the old ruined cottage where the ghosts like to gather. But at least you’ll have the beach to yourself.