Bikepacking Scotland's North Coast 500 In Three Days | Si's Ultra Endura...

This scenery on this video is simply stunning and a great inspiration for our ride! I hope we get the weather and will checking out similar scenery to this( if not covering quite the distance1)Remember Wednesday night is stovies night!

Met Office Forecast - Ben Nevis

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/forecast/gfh7n5qpt#?date=2019-05-05

Forecast for the next 7 days shows snow all week, heavy on Friday and Saturday and below freezing (down to -7 deg C). A heatwave the following week seems unlikely.

So I may opt for Glenfinnan Viaduct.

I will probably be on the 10.34 from Queen Street and might get off at Connel Ferry to check out the route into Oban. I will buy milk and bananas, and anything else we may need for breakfast and the ride to Fort William.

Who's on Whatsapp?

I have a new phone! and have mastered(?) Whatsapp which is a convenient way to share messages often FOC. We could set up a group  something like Dragonriders.

This way all messages,photos, attachments,links to routes etc can be kept in one place for us all to see and share as we see fit. You can link your Whatsapp app from your phone to  your pc so messages and photos can also be accessed there.

I am already sharing routes and messaging through whatsapp with Clyde. Do the rest of you use it?

If you do message me through google contacts and I will set up the group ahead of our trip only 2 weeks away now!

Day Two Highlight - Commando Memorial, Spean Bridge not to be missed!

Whilst reading up on day 2 as I plotted my Garmin Route I noticed that just 3-4 miles off NCN78 is a fine memorial to the British Commando Forces commissioned after WW2 overlooking the training depot at Achnacarry Castle. This detour I believe is too good to miss with fine views back over Ben Nevis and Aonoch Mor so I have incorporated it in my route to share with you. I now have 4 routes plotted from day 1 to 3 as I have split day one to ensure we can find the hostels en route.

             

Ferries

If you follow NCR78 religiously from Oban to Fort William, you have to cross the water on two ferries. The first is Inchree to The Corran. If you look up something called the Corran ferry on line, you will find departure times from places called Ardgour and Nether Lochaber, neither of which bizarrely is given on the Landranger sheet 41! Nevertheless, the good news is that ferries are very frequent and go on until the evening (the last is 2110 from Nether Lochaber = Inchree on the map, if you want to be that late!) 

Once on the western side of the loch (northern end of Loch Linnhe, I think, altho the Landranger doesn't give this stretch a name. Could be Loch Eil), you have to get back to Fort William, which is on the east side. Route 78 crosses once again on a ferry, at Camusnagaul. The ferry is not so frequent nor does it continue to as late a time as the other. You must not arrive at Camusnagaul later than 1635, according to the timetable, altho I have phoned the ferry operator, asking if there are any later boats (the website invites you to do this). It seems that the boat ties up at Fort William for the night, so there should be a ferry after this 'last' one (outside of the holiday season, they don't normally have anyone to go back), but we can phone on the day.

Or you can just stay on the east side of the loch and avoid either ferry! But then that isn't Route 78.

PS First ferry is free. Second is £1.80 adult fare but a pedal cycle costs £1.50. Is that extra, so £3.30? I didn't ask. I guess we can stretch to that!

Ben Nevis Summit

Ben Nevis May 2005!

Ben Nevis

31 August 1969.

From the summit on a sunny day. No snow!

Climate Change?

Ballachulish Good Friday (13 April) 1963

The snow was still there above about 200m (amsl)

Scotland - all hostels now booked

We have accommodation at all 4 locations:

Clyde has booked Oban Backpackers
Shawn has booked The Wild Goose Hostel at Fort William for 2 nights so that we can ride on the Jacobite/Climb Ben Nevis/have a rest day.
Martin has got us accommodation at Morag's Hostel in Fort Augustus
I have now booked for the 4 of us (not Martin) at Inverness YH. This was the most suitable (not the cheapest but not much extra and there is a discount because it was booked via Shawn's link). WE have a 4 bed private room with 2 bunk beds. Shared bathroom and brekky is extra.

I will decide on whether I stay another night in Inverness nearer the time when the likely weather is forecast.

See you all at Oban (or possibly on one of the two possible trains from GLQ to Oban.)

Trains booked

I have booked all of my trains using Scotrail - Total cost £96.20

My journey-

Out:  Monday 13 May - Retford/ Edinburgh/Glasgow/Oban, arriving at 19.43

Return: Saturday 18 May  07.55 - Inverness/Edinburgh/Retford

Hostels

Just catching up on all of the bookings. Clyde, Have you booked the Oban Backpackers hostel?
It's all looking good.

Inverness and the sleeper

I found Struy Guest House, Inverness, but not sure who wants it. It's very cheap - beds at £16  and a room for 4 for £64.

Also, out of my depth with regard to sleeper. Is 07:55 on the Saturday morning? Is there another overnight? I can see no Advance tickets at all and not sure how to break the journey up! 

Martin, you don't want to stay at Inverness? What time is that sleeper that you are boarding?

Secret Scotland, Sleeping Elephants and the Jacobite (Hogworts Express)!

By strange coincidence I caught an interesting travel program  on Channel 5 called 'Secret Scotland'. the episode shown on friday evening featured Ben Nevis, Loch Ness and the 'Hogworts Express' sorry ' The Jacobite

Lovely shots of the train on the Glenifinan Viaduct, of the foot plate and the 1st class carriage, Peter take note. Nice piece on Nessy of course as well as dolphins on the loch! Did anyone else know that they described the view of Ben Nevis from the farshore of Loch Liney as a sleeping elephant!

You can catch up on the program 'Loch Ness' featuring the diminutive comedian Susan Calman on channel5.com or My5. I am sure it will appear as a repeat somewhere in the schedule over the next week!

Latest thoughts on Scottish Trip

After spending some time on trains yesterday I had made some notes in a clear area of the Metro free paper, having not thought to bring anything more suitable. To my chagrin, on arriving home, I realised I had given the paper to a young mother and her 5 month old daughter so that she could use the table in the carriage to change her (after I had got off so no nasty sights/smells for me). We were on an old HST which has very few loos with changing facilities. A quick recheck suggests that Shawn's suggested hostels are good and cheaper than SYHA so I would be happy to go with them. The Jacobite steam train to Mallaig runs on 14th May, departing at 10:30 and arriving back at 16:00 - there is a 2 hoursish stop there to service the loco (it cannot be turned as there is no longer a turntable). The return fare is £37 standard or £60 first class. I don't think you get served with goodies in the 1st class. I would quite like to do this trip so, with a late afternoon return to FW we would need 2 nights there which would imply a Friday evening arrival into Inverness. The London sleeper train certainly runs on Friday nights or there is an 07:55 INV to Kings Cross via the East Coast route on Saturday morning. There is an SYHA hostel there as well as other private ones.

UPDATE

Yes the Jacobite does run on 14/05 but those who choose this option will be catching the 15/05 departure (same times). With thanks to Clyde for the correction.

A Google problem

I have discovered that, although I am the Blog Administrator, I cannot publish comments - any I write and click "publish" vanish into the ether. Obviously others among you have no such difficulty so maybe it is my Mac. So I am going to have to start a new post every time I have anything to add.

To follow up posts and comments:

I had only checked that there were SYHA hostels at each stop over but am happy to look at those offered by Shawn and compare prices, facilities etc. English YHA are offering 10% discounts on all bookings, including groups, for both accommodation and pre booked meals so worth a thought.

When train tickets are available for the relevant week, consideration should be given to booking separate tickets for each leg ie to Crewe, Crewe to Glasgow(Central) and Glasgow (Queen Street) to Oban. This could reduce the price to around £30 each way. I haven't taken my big bike on a Pendolino for a long time and am unsure of the cycle capacity but I am confident that Scotrail services offer 6 spaces - you do have to hang them upside down by the back wheel and booking is essential on the Highlands services due to demand.

I would be interested in a ride on the Jacobite but it would probably impinge on our overnight arrangements (and I would have to pay cos it's not run by National Rail).

Maps arrived planning can be begin!

Day planner with  Route Description 

 I have found hostels in Oban, Fort William and Fort Augustus that meet our budget and numbers. There seems to be limited availability of budget accommodation so I think it might be as well to book as soon as we can book rail tickets in a couple of weeks. FYI information and perusal

Monday 13/05/19   OBAN ; backpackers hostel

Tuesday 14/05/19   FORT William: Chase the Wild Goose Hostel

W'nesday 15/05/19 FORT William: As above ie 2 nights for train or hike/mountain climbing! on this rest day!

Thursday 16/05/19  Fort Augustus: Morags Hostel  ,FA

Friday    17/05/2019  Inverness SYH? or other suitable as people may well be travelling home overnight or next day might need to be flexible for now.

Any comments and alternative suggestions are welcome.

Scotland here we come.

At our recent meeting at the Brunswick attended by Maldwyn, Shawn, Clyde, Martin and Peter we discussed 2 possible routes in Scotland and one in Cornwall. Of these, the route on NCN78 from Oban to Inverness gained most favour but we did consider giving some thought to NCN7 from Dumbarton to Inverness.
The NCN78 route would involve travel to Oban (possible in 1 day from our location) and then the next day heading north. There seems to be a couple of options;
Oban to Fort William, FW to Fort Augustus and then the third day to Inverness. Distances are 80, 55 and 55 kms (approx)
An alternative which avoids the first long day is to stop at Glencoe YH the first night, then Invergarry and finally Inverness. This does mean a slight diversion away from NCN78 at the end of day 1 and then back at the start of day 2 but does balance the distances. Seeing Shawn's plan makes this even more of an advantage as we could meet up at Glencoe.
A quick check of possible train fares revealed (surprisingly) that if booked well in advance Monday travel is no more expensive than Tuesday so I would suggest that we get to Oban in the evening of Monday 13th May which implies Glencoe on 14th, Invergarry the 15th and overnight in Inverness on Thursday 16th. For those, like me, who fancy a fourth day doing a tour of the Black Isle (neither black nor an Isle) there would be a second night at Inverness SYH and travel home on Saturday (or the Friday night sleeper).
It is not long to go until we are less than 90 days from our trip at which point trains can be booked. I suggest that consideration is given to breaking the journey down to 3 legs; the first to Crewe, then CRE to Glasgow Central and finally Glasgow Queen Street to Oban. GLC and GLQ are less than a mile apart. Doing it this way takes advantage of Virgin trains cheap fares and then of Scotrail's generally more reasonable charges.

Found my way here again!

Hi anyone who has relocated the blog.

I am excited about our planned trip to the great glencoe and beyond. I would appreciate if Peter you could place an outline of our proposed Oban to Inverness Sojourn with examples of SYH on route that we are to stay at with dates and locations. My idea is that I will start off from Glasgow and cycle all the way to Glencoe on route 78 (The Caledonian way) and intercept you all there for the leg to Inverness.

I  can then work back from the point at which I intercept you to plan my train and overnight stay in Glasgie!

Still game!

S