Highland Coast to Coast, Scotland

This 5 day mainly offroad route passes through some of the most remote and stunning scenery in Scotland from Kyle of Lochalsh on the West coast to Aberdeen 352 km away on the North Sea via Kinlochhourn, the Corrieyairack Pass and the Cairngorms.

The start at end points are both accessable by train. We carried all our equipment in small rucksacks and stayed in bed and breakfasts.

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Day 1 Kyle of Lochalsh to Corran (44.3 km)

Due to the vagaries of Scotrail's bike policy I had to take a separate train to David and Lynda, my co-conspirators in this escapade, to Kyle. This did not detract from the stunning views.

And so it was under blue skies that we set off - in the wrong direction - over the Skye bridge. To catch the ferry to Glenelg we first had to cross onto Skye. After a long gentle climb we were soon flying downhill to the ferry at Kylerhea. After an ice cream in Glenelg we made our way around the coast to Corran right at the end of the public road where we spent a very pleasant evening enjoying the tranquillity and the views of Skye and Knoydart.

At the start in Kyle of Lochalsh

Dipping the tyres in the Atlantic Ocean

Dipping the tyres in the Atlantic Ocean

Boarding the ferry to Glenelg

Ice lollies in Glenelg

Looking out over the Sound of Sleat

Mending the fist puncture at Corran

Day 2 Corran to Fort Augustus (81.0 km)

The trip started properly today with the tough section from Corran to Kinlochhourn. After a short spell of pushing up an impossibly steep track we were soon splashing through puddles and streams around Dubh Lochain marvelling and the superb weather and even better views. After another short climb we descended 240m back to sea level at Kinlochhourn. Much of this path was dangerously steep and loose. Lower down we swooped through beautiful rhododendron filled woods.

A nasty shock was in store after this - the hideously steep road up to Loch Quoich. The headwind around the Loch wasn't much fun either. None the less, we lunched at the Tomdoun Hotel congratulating ourselves on having done the hard work for the day.

This would have been true if the diversion due to timber felling in Glen Garry hadn't sent us into a deep jungle where we spent an hour shoving our bikes throught the thickest undergrowth getting bitten and scratched to distraction. Eventually we were forced to retrace our footsteps and find a better track.

From Invergarry it was a short blast up the Caledonian Canal to Fort Augustus.

Resting having climbed out of Glen Arnisdale

Looking on towards Dubh Lochain

The rolling path around Dubh Lochain

The woods down to Kinlochhourn

A dreaded grit bin at Loch Quoich

Jungle warfare in Glen Garry

Kytra Lock on the Caledonian Canal

Day 3 Fort Augustus to Kingussie (63.5 km)

The day we had all been looking forward to - crossing the 744m Corrieyairack Pass - started poorly with some grey drizzle and the discovery that Lynda's back tyre had gone down overnight. By the time we had the puncture mended we were stuck in Fort Augustus' rush hour.

The early slopes of the Corrieyairack were tough on a half digested fried breakfast with tired legs, especially with the knowledge that there was 10 more miles of solid climbing ahead. We soon found our rhythm not that the top of the pass was not a welcome sight when it eventually crawled into view.

Now for the real fun - the high speed boulder strewn switch backs that took us into Speyside. With only a few new bruises we enjoyed a very pleasant lunch stop in Laggan before spinning along the road to Kingussie.

Back towards Loch Ness from the Corrieyairack

The team at the top of the Corrieyairack Pass

Looking back at the switch backs

David arriving safely but shaken

Lynda likewise

Corrieyairack Pass as seen from Melgarve

Riding down to Garva Bridge

Lunch at Laggan

Hair by Giro

Day 4 Kingussie to Ballater (88.2 km)

The day started with our now routine repair of Lynda's flat back tyre. The challenges of the previous 2 days had been long climbs and treacherous descents. Today's test would be a deep peat bog. With this in mind I decided that we should ford the Allt Fhearnasdail instead of using the footbridge as it was only a matter of time before we got wet feet.

Glen Feshie provided stunning scenery and some great singletrack but it was not long before we were off the bikes and pushing. After a very long one and a half hours we made it through to the land rover track at Geldie Lodge for a spot of lunch before a manic wind assisted blast to the Linn of Dee.

In gorgeous late afternoon sunshine we spun through to Ballater via Invercauld House, Ballochbuie Forest and Balmoral.

The waterfall between Glens Feshie and Geldie

Bog trotting

Back on the bikes down to Geldie Lodge

Flying up to the Linn of Dee

River Dee and Lochnagar at Ballochbuie Forest

Highland Cattle at Balmoral

Day 5 Ballater to Aberdeen (75.0 km)

It was with no little regret that we set off on the final leg of what had been an superb trip. Using sections of the Deeside Railway line where possible and an interesting diversion through Blackhall Forest we flew into Aberdeen and diced with the unfamiliar traffic. After the obligatory photo shoot at Footdee it was along to Queens Links for a celebratory ice cream.

Arriving at Aberdeen on the Deeside Railway

Finishing at the beach

Dipping those same tyres in the North Sea

Dipping those same tyres in the North Sea

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