The A82.

[Hummers]

Driving back from Inverness, I pondered to myself that it would be great if you could cycle beside Loch Lomond, over Ranoch Mor and through Glencoe all the way to Fort Augustus without having to ride on the A82.

There is some breath taking scenery but sharing a narrow road with frustrated holiday makers and being over taken by lorries and caravans cannot be much fun.

Is there a possible alternative that follows roughly the same route?

H

[Jaded]

Did you mean Loch Ness?

There's a road on the south side of the Loch. Much nicer. General Someone's Road. (Wade?)

[Craig]

IME the A82 is a horrible road for cycling on.
There isn't really an alternative road along much of that route.

But there is the West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way. I've not been along much of the West Highland Way, but I think it might be mostly ridable on a mountain bike. The Great Glen Way between Fort William and Fort Augustus is fairly easy going - much of it is on canal towpaths, with some forest tracks, so probably ridable on a touring bike.
Though they might be rather busy with walkers in the summer.

[Hummers]

Did you mean Loch Ness?

There's a road on the south side of the Loch. Much nicer. General Someone's Road. (Wade?)

No, I meant Loch Lomond (there may be a route around the other side for all I know) and yes, there is a very fine route that runs on the south side of Loch Ness between Fort Augustus (splitting near Foyers into a lower and upper road) and Inverness.

I know that bit for a fact as I rode this as a loop last week.

BTW. It was General Wade.  

H

[Jaded]

Now I see what you mean! 

[Pete]

We (my wife - fiancée then - and I) did some of that route - well, up alongside L. Lomond, then a wide loop taking in Inveraray and Oban and up to Glencoe and Rannoch Moor, back in 1980!  Since then the road alongside Loch Lomond has been upgraded, widened and straightened, and no longer winds along hugging the 'bonnie braes and bonnie banks' right alongside the loch, as it used to.  I believe some stretches of the old road are still in place and can be cycled upon.

Apart from that, little alternative if you want to stay on roads, I'm afraid.  In the Highlands, you have to be either a roadie, used to fast traffic, or a complete off-roader, used to rough stuff.  There's no middle ground.

[Hummers]

We bypassed it (pretty much of it) on LeJog by a series of ferries and minor roads between Ballachulish and Fort Augustus.

Our route to Ballachulish was from Arran via Oban avoiding Ranoch Mor completely.

H

[Sigurd Mudtracker]

The A82 up Loch Lomond was bad to start with, and worse (for cyclists) after they "improved" it.  It's a regular death trap for motorists.

The other bank of Loch Lomond is great to ride up, especially in winter when all the trippers and holiday makers have gone.  There's tarmac as far as Rowardennan.  The West Highland Way continues up the precipitously steep east shore, under Ben Lomond:  I did a loop of the loch in 1980-something, and at that time it was definitely shoulder/push your bike a lot of the way: climbing over rocks, under tree branches, etc.  Of course it may now be tamed for the modern rambler.

[Pingu]

...It's a regular death trap for motorists...

Which is the motorists' fault not the road's.

[padbeat]

This is pretty much my home stomping ground!

The tarmac'd bit up the east side as far as Rowardennan is more of the quality of unadopted gypsy-finished driveway - rideable, but make sure you have a spoke key to sort out the dings as you go along! Thereafter, it's perfectly mountain-bikeable, indeed a friend is cycling the West Highland Way at the minute.

The A82 is truly hideous and nigh-on lethal. There is a shared-use cycle path running between the road and the loch which isn't too bad by the typical standards of these things, but stuff all use for a training ride!

If you need to get from one end to the other, I'd suggest heading west from Tarbert into Arrocher and then down the side of Loch Long and Gareloch towards Helensburgh and Dumbarton. Remember to wave at the Strategic Nuclear Deterrent at Faslane!
From Arrocher to Garelochead it's nice quiet B road with a couple of leg-stretchers, then 7 miles to Helensburgh which is not too bad after 8am (when the base starts work) and outside 4-4.30 when it finishes.

[Deano]

Aye, I rode along the A82 for a couple of days last week and it's pretty 'orrible.  Some really badly judged overtaking, the caravans are frightening and the coaches whizz past with little or no room to spare.  However, the majority of HGV drivers were remarkably patient and considerate.

I planned to ride only the Glencoe section and take the forest route from Fort William to Fort Augustus, but time limits meant that I had to forge ahead fairly quickly.  The hilly route to the south of Loch Ness looked marvellous, so I was a bit disappointed not to get to ride it.

There is a minor route from just before the bridge at Glencoe which takes you past the Clachaig Inn (good beer and food) and into Glencoe Village, but it still means riding along the A82 before that.  I had a look at the Explorer map of the area - there is absolutely nothing else around there.

[Jacomus]

...It's a regular death trap for motorists...

Which is the motorists' fault not the road's.

Indeed. I just feel sorry for the people who have to clear up the mess, and the innocent people who get hit by out of control twunts, in the process of killing themselves.

[bumper]

Thanks for cheering me up folks 

I'm heading along part of this death route in September on my way to Applecross 

[Really Ancien]

It's only the bit from Tarbert to the top end of the Loch I really hate. I do of course have video evidence of the sort of problems you might encounter on the Black Mount, but some of the sections between Tyndrum and Glencoe are real fun for an all out blast. I have avoided this stretch in the past by riding to Rannoch Station and putting the bike on the train to Spean Bridge.

Damon.

[Hummers]

Thanks for cheering me up folks 

I'm heading along part of this death route in September on my way to Applecross 

You should be OK as long as you are in a car. 

I do of course have video evidence of the sort of problems you might encounter on the Black Mount...

Is that the clip with a crocodile of traffic snaking behind a lone randonneur?

H
H

[bumper]

It's fine, just pulling your leg 

I've done it a few times. The only bit I'm risking is northwards from Tyndrum to the Corran ferry and that's because I've got to call in to see a friend . The coaches and caravans are a PITA over Rannoch but apart from that I hope I survive.

I may put a sign on my back to read ' I'm on holiday too please don't squash me '

[Really Ancien]

Thanks for cheering me up folks 

I'm heading along part of this death route in September on my way to Applecross 

You should be OK as long as you are in a car. 

I do of course have video evidence of the sort of problems you might encounter on the Black Mount...

H
Is that the clip with a crocodile of traffic snaking behind a lone randonneur?
H

Yes. the shot goes from a large coach passing a rider over the bridge at the bottom and then Ian Johnson and others on the Mount itself, later I was able to film Stuart Dennison on a largely empty road because an overtaking driver had been forced to pull in quickly, hitting two riders and breaking the leg of one, closing the rode behind us for a short while. I have tended to ride that road on my own on pretty robust wheels with 28mm tyres so that I can take a very steady line close to the verge. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ah85hs8dJhE&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/ah85hs8dJhE&rel=1</a>  Black Mount from 57 seconds.

Damon.

[Deano]

I didn't find Black Mount at all bad - maybe it was the thought of the burger van at the top that kept me going.

When I reached the top and ordered my cheeseburger, I noticed that I'd ridden the whole way up in the big chainring.  I thought it was a bit tougher than it might have been.

[Sigurd Mudtracker]

...It's a regular death trap for motorists...

Which is the motorists' fault not the road's.

Indeed. I just feel sorry for the people who have to clear up the mess, and the innocent people who get hit by out of control twunts, in the process of killing themselves.

Absolutely, roads just lie their, minding their own business.  It's the motons that drive on them that are dangerous.  I continue to get exasperated by the Meeja's pontifications about "Killer Roads" when they are really talking about "Killer Drivers".

BTW, were some of the early racing scenes in The Flying Scotsman filmed on the old bypassed bits of the A82 up Loch Lomond?  They looked oddly familiar. (Mind you, that could be said of all the Scottish locations in the film!)

[Really Ancien]

I didn't find Black Mount at all bad - maybe it was the thought of the burger van at the top that kept me going.

When I reached the top and ordered my cheeseburger, I noticed that I'd ridden the whole way up in the big chainring.  I thought it was a bit tougher than it might have been.

So much depends on the wind direction with the Black Mount, as a climb it's fairly benign.

Damon.

[richie_b]

Thanks for cheering me up folks 

I'm heading along part of this death route in September on my way to Applecross 

I might be unusual, but I don't mind this road at all.  The only bad bit is between Inveruglas & Crainlarich, but takng a strong primary normally gets you through.  Last time I rode this, I wasn't far from hypothermia (wearing shorts & jersey in P*ssing down rain & strong winds & 12 degrees (C)), but had no bother at all from the traffic.  I think that it helps to avoid peak times (July & August &/or at the weekend).
I've done this route a few times & the scenery & beauty far outweighs the difficulty for me...
It's not any harder than a not particularly busy road that varies between single & dual carraigeway...

Bumper, feel free to give me a shout if you want some company...

[Wowbagger]

We carefully avoided the Loch Lomond-Glencoe section of the A82 when we did our LEJoG last year. I suspect a fast roadie keeping up 17+ mph would find it far less daunting than a couple of codgers on a fully laden tandem going at half that speed.

Our route was Annan - St. John's Town - Ardrossan Ferry - Arran - Mull of Kintyre and after Kilmartin we used the B840 to Ford and the minor road north of Loch Awe to Tainault, thereby missing Oban. We then used the Connel Bridge, finally joining the A82 at Ballachulish. We used the Great Glen way, thereby inflicting serious injury on a Rohloff hub before rejoining the A82 to Fort Augustus. It was our only really wet day and there was very little traffic on the road. Even the following day, alongside Loch Ness, it was OK to Drumnadrochit. Then we went via Glen Convinth. That bit was brilliant!

[bumper]

I should be up there near the end of September, beginning of October Richie.

I've used the road a fair amount and don't mind it, it's not as bad as for traffic as here. The worst stretch imo is the section from Onich to Fort William, it's a bit twisty and the traffic is fast and they're up your ar5e end slamming the brakes on 

I'm still going even if the road  is ( to read: drivers are )  crap. I'd rather die riding my bike than die at work 

[alves]

I love this bit of road, I've had many good runs home from Mallaig along it but only when riding early in the morning or after 6pm in the summer.
At any other time, I hate it (or rather my fellow road users) with a vengence. I met a Dutch girl cycling East from Ft Wm, once at the Crianlarich Youth Hostel who was in tears and swore she'd never ride again and hated all Scots!
I really wish that Sustrans could develop a roadside bike track or widen the road to allow a bike lane, this is such a great way into beautiful country that it is a tragedy it's so dangerous and unpleasant for most of the time. I know we need to adopt an assertive primary position and share the road but it really is too dangerous on this fast and busy road.

[richie_b]

I should be up there near the end of September, beginning of October Richie.

I've used the road a fair amount and don't mind it, it's not as bad as for traffic as here. The worst stretch imo is the section from Onich to Fort William, it's a bit twisty and the traffic is fast and they're up your ar5e end slamming the brakes on 

I'm still going even if the road  is ( to read: drivers are )  crap. I'd rather die riding my bike than die at work 

I'm in Glasgow at that point, so feel free to PM me if you want some company.  I may or may not be on the rota & may or may not be able to get leave, but I really enjoy this route, even if I normally have disasters on it...
September/October is a good time to attempt the route, even if the weather can be a little unpredictable...
If I don't see you, then enjoy the route!
(In case there's a fashion worry, I'd be on a bent...)