I appreciate that lengthy ramblings about someone riding the Highland Trail are old hat these days but as usual, I've done a lengthy ramble on my latest ride...
https://philsbikepacking.blogspot.com/2 ... liday.html

FBP

Great effort and a good read, also full of handy stopping points for those of us still to do it [assuming i ever get fit enough ]

Cheers Jon. I'm hoping Alan does go with an 'official' 420 route, even just for ITT's, which will provide a decent stepping stone to the full route.

What percentage was walking ? I know nom SS is about 10%.
Did find your report inspiring and full of local detail. Not ridden any of it yet but should get some done later in summer. Which loop would be best taster loop? I don't mean for ease I mean more typical ( if at all possible )
No way I will be doing it without gears ( do ride SS just not all the time)

Which loop would be best taster loop? I don't mean for ease I mean more typical ( if at all possible )

I'd go with the middle section - Fort Augustus, Ullapool, Poolewe, Affric. Some real highlights and variety. I did it last May, when weather, time and fitness shortened my plans. Just be aware that Ullapool to Poolewe is probably the slowest section (partly time spent gawping at the views).

They all have something going for them.

The southern loop is generally steady riding and feels much more chilled than the other two.

The central loop has the hardest riding/HaB but stunning views. Can be committing if there's been heavy rain.

The northern loop feels the most remote and has the longest potential HaB in the Ledmore Traverse depending on your technical ability and desire to ride across embedded boulders.

Touring wise allow three days for the southern and northern loops, four days for the central loop.

Lazarus wrote: ↑Mon Jun 12, 2023 9:02 pm What percentage was walking ? I know nom SS is about 10%.
Did find your report inspiring and full of local detail. Not ridden any of it yet but should get some done later in summer. Which loop would be best taster loop? I don't mean for ease I mean more typical ( if at all possible )
No way I will be doing it without gears ( do ride SS just not all the time)

Very hard to objectively answer that.... roughly, very roughly....about a couple of hours on day one, a couple on day two, mebbes six on day three, six again day 4, 4hrs on day 5 and 3hrs on day 6.

I'd start with the lower loop as there is some nice riding and the new way back down the great glen is a lot more interesting than the cycleway. Then do something that includes Torridon and glen Affric but I'd actually give Fisherfield and the northern bits a miss until you actually do the route as a) doing them might put you off, and b) it's part of the fun of the route to disappear off into the unknown.

Lakeland BW's will give you a good flavour of what to expect...

PS. I did also pen this a while back - defo one for the insomniacs.....
https://philsbikepacking.blogspot.com/2 ... guide.html

There's also the option to shortcut the middle loop from Tomich -> Cannich. Cuts out about 8-9 hours riding but doesn't miss any of the good parts.

Cheers all, certainly aware of what the lakes has to offer in terms of big days out and I am getting some practice in
I will ride a bit of it in a couple of weeks as I am doing the badger trail[ followed by second city divide ish to get home] but doing the wrong way - ie heading south and on a gravel bike

Enjoyed reading that, thanks for writing.

Thanks Pete. In day Sunday but needed to ask, lest I forget. Was it full fat irn bru? and what's a Dram that you were offered by the 2 van chaps?

Excellent read ta..

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Sat Jun 17, 2023 10:04 am Thanks Pete. In day Sunday but needed to ask, lest I forget. Was it full fat irn bru? and what's a Dram that you were offered by the 2 van chaps?

Excellent read ta..

NB. I noted your bike being rather empty. Then doenloadedthe image to see it was a camo bag Good color coordination Phil !

Cheers Shaff
I think the whisky was Glenmorangie - mighty fine under the circumstances.

Heres an even better camo pic

Absolutely amazing. I always have dreams/wants of getting up to the Cairgnorms just to get that one step closer to the HT550 (which is well beyond my remit). That camo is just genius and proof that it works.

The writeup will be well received by many I'd imagine, especially with the insider knowledge. That hotel (and the other food place) that only allow residents/patrons (is that the word!) to eat. I wonder about places like that. Surely they'd be thankful for the business, especially when it's mainly seasonal and half the year they've such reduced footfall.

Also learnt about (the Highland) midges not liking treecover as much - - didn't know that!

Shaf - the three things midges don't like are: wind; bright sunlight/heat; heavy rain. Basically those conditions stop them flying. Tree cover isn't something they don't like (apologies for the double negative) - looking at Phil's shot it's more likely that he's fairly deep into a coniferous woodland and the pine needle layer on the ground isn't suitable for them. Generally the west of Scotland is worse for them and some areas (Glen Etive, Glen Nevis, Loch Maree and others) are really, really bad.

I camped a couple of nights at Roy Bridge and noted a German couple in their car brushing midges off them. "Midges one, Germans nil" I quipped to the guy in the motorhome next to me. The German bloke saw that I was just stood outside cooking (TBH the midges weren't that bad, maybe one on a scale of five) and somewhat exasperated asked "Do you get used to them?" "Nope! I've been coming to Scotland for forty years and you NEVER get used to them! You just learn strategies to minimise the pain."

The hospitality sector in the Highlands is struggling due to lack of staff, not just the remote places either, places like Ft William and Ullapool are short staffed. As a result some hotels and the like are running limited opening - Thursday to Sunday for example - or being residents only. It could well just be the couple that own the business that are having to do everything so trying to serve meals AND run a public bar just isn't going to happen. There are exceptions obviously, as Phil notes the NC500 has its own "bubble", after Cath scratched we headed down the west coast and stopped at Applecross one night - the Inn there was rammed and unless you'd booked a day or two in advance you couldn't eat indoors but could use the burger and chippy "vans" they had set up across the way. Also quite a number of places it was obvious that there were maybe one or two experienced staff and the rest were trainees of some description - that limits the number of customers you can deal with, just because...

Excellent. Thanks for the update Bob That reminds me, best get my bird book out as I saw what looked like a Heron locally yesterday. Sat on the canal/river (intersection, maybe, I don't know) and was weary of me from afar. As soon as I got out my phone it flew swiftly away

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Sat Jun 17, 2023 10:04 am Was it full fat irn bru? and what's a Dram that you were offered by the 2 van chaps?

Meant to add - oh yes. It does amaze me how much of a hole you can be in, only to drink a can of this stuff and suddenly your back up to firing on all 6 cylinders....
How people consider this a recreational drink, I don't know....
Tastes ******* awful mind!

And speaking of horrible things that seem to drag you back from the depths - pepperami.... I have no idea what is in these things but their capacity to give you a much needed energy kick is very surprising, and slightly worrying....

So Dram is some sort of drink - maybe like Redbull or SuperMalt and the IrnBru must have been full sugar. Shirley, the low sugar option would be a waste of the taste buds when needing that much sugar... Well, you know what I mean (goes to look up 'Dram' ).

Just googled... whisky.. oh To you yours (but I can see how you'd be firing on all foru cylinders ).