Crinan Canal Argyll and Bute
Cycle from loch to sea along a 200-year-old canal, famed as Britain’s most beautiful shortcut.
The most glorious cycle routes are often found beside waterways – gentle rivers, placid lakes, remote reservoirs and, of course, along countryside canals. One of the finest cycles in Britain follows the Crinan Canal, once an important shipping shortcut on the west coast of Scotland.
The specially designed Linnet steamer was launched in 1866 to meet demand from passengers, replacing the horse-drawn barges that had plied the canal since it opened in 1801. The major canal project gave ships an alternative route to the treacherous waters around the Mull of Kintyre. The resulting nine-mile-long canal, which spans Knapdale, allowed vessels journeying from the Clyde to the west coast to cut more than 100 miles off their voyage.
In spring when the sun shines, the waterway comes alive with lush banks of grasses and reeds, and at the western end there is a huge area of bogland – always a mysterious sight. You might see ospreys returning from their overwintering sojourn, as hen harriers quarter the vast expanse of bog through which the estuarine River Add flows. Large mudflats offer rich pickings for curlews and other waders. Otters hunt in quiet stretches of the canal too, as dazzling kingfishers dive in its clean waters – a rare sight in this part of the country. Later in the spring, minke whales, porpoises and dolphins are often sighted from the end of the canal at Crinan.
This fabulously flat route runs along the well-surfaced towpath, with one very quiet road section. En route there are bags of historical attractions, and good places to eat, too. At the canal’s end, the sense of the journey, where countless sea-bound vessels have gone before, is striking.
Dazzling kingfishers dive in the canal’s clean waters
1 LOCH TO SEA
Begin from Lochgilphead by the sea loch of Loch Fyne and head west out of town on the main coast road (there is a footpath). Turn left at the junction signed Campbeltown. You will see the raised canal bank ahead of you. Take the sloping road opposite to meet it, turning right at the top to begin your traffic-free journey to Crinan; Ardrishaig Harbour at the eastern end of the canal is two miles to the left where a short road section leads to a canal heritage hub.
2 LOCH STOP
At Cairnbaan, about two miles into the journey, there is a friendly food bar in the Cairnbaan Hotel beside the first in a series of locks. Follow signs from the hotel car park to reach the prehistoric Cairnbaan Rock Art – a 20-minute uphill walk.
3 BOGLANDS
Continuing onwards, Sustrans’ National Cycle Network (NCN) 78 follows a minor road on the canal’s right. Enjoy easy riding before gently descending. The trail is closed to traffic from Lock Number 11. Soon there are views over a wild expanse of bog on the right. Known as Móine Mhór, Gaelic for ‘great moss’, this is one of the best preserved and most extensive raised bogs in the UK. Sunshine illuminates its myriad lochans while clouded skies can cast it into another realm.
4 FORTS AND BEAVERS
At Bellanoch, two superb diversions can be made on road by traffic-confident riders, or visited later in the day by vehicle.
The first four-mile detour heads north on NCN 78 over Islandadd Bridge – a popular feeding spot for wildfowl and waders. Turn right after two miles, then right again on to the busy A816 (no path). After half a mile, a final right takes you to the impressive Dunadd fort.
Back on the canal, a second detour veers south from Bellanoch. Follow the hilly road for 1.5 miles to a car park at Barnluasgan, which serves the Scottish Beaver Trial.
5 SOUND VIEWS
Journeying on along the canal, the promise of the open sea beyond the Sound of Jura would have been a welcome sight for sailors of old, knowing they had avoided the perilous breakers off Kintyre.
For the cyclist it is a splendid section, as the way cuts right between the canal’s waters and the large estuary of the River Add.
From Crinan Basin, with its coffee shop and upmarket hotel, there is a fine view of Jura and Scarba islands. Enjoy the setting before returning to Lochgilphead.