Inverness to South Wales

[liamg]

I'm after a bit of route advice from the hive mind:

Due to health issues, my plans for this summer had to be cancelled so I now find myself in the unenviable position of having more holiday than I know what to do with. Racking my brains, I thought I would fly up to Inverness and ride back down to Bristol (South Wales, really) over about 2 weeks. Here's the very rough route I've put together:

https://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=cprihbotsikiemfa
(i think you can download from gpsies without a login?)

I've pieced together bits from the Highland Trail, Central Belter, Capital Trail, Borders 350, EWE, a trip up Helvellyn since I've never ridden it, YD300, Penine Bridleway and finally, Ian's Cambrian trail route (maybe a fast attempt at this one).

Are there any obvious must-ride trails I've missed? Any boggy slogs that I should avoid at all costs? Is doing this all in 2 weeks even realistic?! (probably not)

In particular, if anyone has any better suggestions for getting to Edinburgh from the highlands (visiting family/showering there), and for getting across the Manchester sprawl I'm all ears. I might actually just catch a train across the latter, thinking about it.

Thanks in advance!

[ScotRoutes]

For the Inverness to Callander bit, I think you are pretty much spot on. From there, you could continue on NCN7 to Drymen, then take the West Highland Way to Glasgow and the Forth & Clyde / Union Canals to Edinburgh. That would be mostly off-road, though a wee bit longer (You could palso head from Stirling to Falkirk and pick up the union Canal there).

There is a pretty direct route from Edinburgh to Peebles over the Pentland Hills - again, mostly off-road - then a cycle path from Glentress to Innerleithen. That would cut a big corner.

[Lazarus]

for getting across the Manchester sprawl I'm all ears

the route in - it looks like the canal from littleborough is actually pretty good as a route in - have ridden it a couple of times
you wont find anything better coming from that side - dont know the way out

Or you could opt to go from waterfoot to ramsbottom - turton- - Bolton - manchester - shorter and can be all done off road [ or traffic free depending on what you want to do
you can also just skirt round manchester entirely to the north going anti clockwise but a bit harder to do all of it off road and I run out of knowledge before Warrington though the trans pennine trail is the best option over that way.
i can throw a GPS together of any of those options you want
train is pretty cheap as you can travel anywhere in Greater Manchester for about a fiver, good for bikes as well, after 9 am iirc using online tickets. littleborough is the first one in GM of your route
I doubt it will be the highlight of your route but its not completely horrible either



feel free to PM re routes.

[In Reverse]

Unless you really want to ride through the centre of Manchester I'd head around the east - you can get back onto the Pennine Bridleway from Littleborough via Hollingworth Lake > Dick Hill > Standedge > Stalybridge,(some really good trails) then drop off it onto the canal path at Stalybridge, use that to join the Fallowfield Loop (cycle path on a disused railway) which will take you down to the Bridgewater Canal path, which then joins onto your route at the cycle path just west of Altrincham. That avoids the centre and any main roads, and would also bring you past my house where you'd be more than welcome to a brew.

I'll knock up a gpx on work's time tomorrow for you to have a peruse.

[Chicken Legs]

When I rode the Badger Divide route from Inverness to Glasgow I caught the overnight train from London Euston station to Inverness which gets you in at 8.30ish in the morning and no extra charge for the bike. The sleeping berths are not particularly cheap but it is a good way to travel to Scotland without the hassle of boxing your bike.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1151281727

Edit - Stayed at Loch Ossian Youth Hostel on the first night.

[liamg]

Thanks for the route suggestions all! With the slightly shorter borders section, and the route around Manchester, the overall distance has stayed the same but the amount of trail has gone up!

I'll probably just end up flying since a) there's a direct flight from Bristol and b) it costs £80 inc bike and takes 1.5hrs, instead of £200 and 11hrs. Much as I'd prefer to take the train, it's really a no-brainer in this case. It's my only flight this year so I feel slightly better about the environmental impact.

[Ray Young]

Very nice. Train prices are crazy.

[Chew]

Have a look at:
http://www.aidanharding.com/ewe/
It may give you some ideas.

Seems like you'll be missing out the best parts of the Pennines/Peak


Just bear in mind its a long route with a lot of climbing

[In Reverse]

Unless you really want to ride through the centre of Manchester I'd head around the east - you can get back onto the Pennine Bridleway from Littleborough via Hollingworth Lake > Dick Hill > Standedge > Stalybridge,(some really good trails) then drop off it onto the canal path at Stalybridge, use that to join the Fallowfield Loop (cycle path on a disused railway) which will take you down to the Bridgewater Canal path, which then joins onto your route at the cycle path just west of Altrincham. That avoids the centre and any main roads, and would also bring you past my house where you'd be more than welcome to a brew.

I'll knock up a gpx on work's time tomorrow for you to have a peruse.

Try this Liam:

https://www.strava.com/routes/15333227

[ScotRoutes]

I'll probably just end up flying since a) there's a direct flight from Bristol and b) it costs £80 inc bike and takes 1.5hrs, instead of £200 and 11hrs. Much as I'd prefer to take the train, it's really a no-brainer in this case. It's my only flight this year so I feel slightly better about the environmental impact.

Yep - great value flight. I've picked up many a JOGLEr and their bikes at Inverness airport and driven them to JOG. Sometimes we send their expensive bike box back home for them too.

In the past 4 years I've only known one customer whose bike didn't make it into the plane with them - and that was a flight from London.

The road from the airport to Inverness is very unpleasant - fast and busy. It can be avoided with a bit of a detour, or get a taxi into town (just let them know about the bike).

[liamg]

Thanks for that Andy. I might give you a shout in a few weeks once I know my route and timings better

[Alpinum]

We stuck more to the moors past Manchester. Went past (Jersey to Shetland, so the other way round) Buxton, Edale, Glossop, Greenfield, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge. Also through Malham to get more taste of the Yorkshire Dales.

Just before Mam Tor


I must say though, in the five weeks we also wanted to visit family and friends so rode quite a direct line (Northhampton - Derby - Buxton) and thus, going further east of Mancs. wouldn't mean a detour as it does with your route.

Happy to share the route... it must be somewhere. Also used Dave Barters map which helped with the NCN network to get around/through towns, but unfortunately no routing possible, which sometimes would've come in handy (when looking for a campground/B&B off route).