Not a bivvy trip but Ray was asking about this the other day. Last Sunday I found myself in the Ben Alder area on my way up north for a longer trip. Pedaling past Ben Alder Lodge I decided on a whim to turn off the main track to pick up the single track which bypasses the lodge to the west shore track.


Very pleasant - this bypasses the underground lift-able heli pad....

The good track goes for a couple of miles then stops at a burn (as shown on the OS). There is a bridge but this leads to the old path which is unused and over grown. Head downstream a bit and you pick up a rough but good track which continues along the shore for another mile and a half. Then you are on another classic Ben Alder estate single track - a wee gravel path with the odd cross drain. Its a bit overgrown in places but there are a few bits where a new line has been built to avoid sections washed into the loch.


All very pleasant in the sun!

There is one bit near the southern end that has disappeared so if you are planning a there-and-back again trip, stop here.

As Padonbike said in Rays other thread, the deer fence gate is too narrow to fit most bikes through so I hoiked it over the fence. Then it got interesting - rock slabs, big steps up and down and a few genuinely hairy bits. Not too horrendous but you need to take care as there is plenty of scope to do some serious damage to you and your bike. It would be dodgy in the wet and / or with a loaded bike.


A brief respite but the worst bit is in the trees ahead.

One final deer fence crossing then dumps you on a further nice bit of trail to the cottage. Thereafter I did the usual beallach dhu trail (again!).

Thanks for taking the time to do that, much appreciated .

That is some great trail intel - something I meant to check out sometime, but now I don't have to!