Author Topic: Route from Aberdeen to Ayr  (Read 2314 times)

Route from Aberdeen to Ayr
« on: 01 November, 2018, 03:20:00 pm »
Just wondering if anyone has ever ridden a route from Aberdeen to Ayr?

Looking at covering approx. 200 miles and doing a few sights whilst crossing the Tay Road and Forth Road bridges via Dundee.

Also thinking about skirting around Glasgow rather than through it.

Any suggestions?

Dave_C

  • Trying to get rid of my belly... and failing!
Re: Route from Aberdeen to Ayr
« Reply #1 on: 01 November, 2018, 03:24:45 pm »
How do you feel about climbing? How long do you want to take? Days, or a week? Are you planning on travelling light or taking everything you own?

This passes the Wallace Monument and the Kelpies and rides over from Perth to Stirling with a stead climb not too steep.

https://goo.gl/maps/34LSqztWN3R2

This one goes south along the Dee, on the quiet road to Braemar. Then over the Cairnwell (Scotland's highest pass at 670m) but it is an easy climb, long and steady. Then down to Pitlochry where a lovely micro brewery is. Then avoiding the A9 you ride past the old 'road house truck stop at Ballenluig before riding to Kenmore and along Loch Tay on the south side. Deserted roads. Then ignoring the Busy Lix Toll you head up the walkers / cx path (no probs for a road bike!) and over the Glen Ogle and the old railway path. Google it, it is superb, giving spectacular views over Loch Earn. Thgen along the cycle path to the old Kings House hotel now called Mhor84 for food. Continue along the cycle path towards Calender but then peal off and head to the Famous Steam boat along Loch Katrine, or take the north private (no traffic) road to the end of the Loch. Ten head over to Inversnaid hotel before hopping on the pedestrian ferry over Loch Lomond. From here head south to Tarbet and then west over past Arrochar and the Cobbler and over the Rest and Be thankfull, taking the old Road to avoid traffic. Then head down to Loch Fyne and either head south along the coast road past Otter Ferry to the Tarbet Ferry or head north of the loch past Loch Fyne Oysters resterant and then onto Inverary. Either way you arrive at Tarbert. Then a short hop over to Claonaig and the ferry to Lochranza on Arran. Daon the east side takes you to the ferry back to the mainland and t'is but a short cycle south the Ayr.

https://goo.gl/maps/q7sYGNc55rK2

I've tried to include the cycle paths but Google only allows so many vias, so if you want a GPX course I'd be happy to produce one for you.

Dave C
@DaveCrampton < wot a twit.
http://veloviewer.com/athlete/421683/

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: Route from Aberdeen to Ayr
« Reply #2 on: 01 November, 2018, 04:37:48 pm »
Just wondering if anyone has ever ridden a route from Aberdeen to Ayr?

Looking at covering approx. 200 miles and doing a few sights whilst crossing the Tay Road and Forth Road bridges via Dundee.

Also thinking about skirting around Glasgow rather than through it.

Any suggestions?

Gonig Via Dundee makes the route a bit clumsy but

Take deeside out to Braemar, over the Cairnwell, take Glen Isla down to Alyth
From Alyth head to Newtyle then up to Muirhead descend between Camperdown and Templeton, through Dundee make sure to go through the tunnel on the Inner Ring... unless its between 4:30 and 6:30 (allow for half days on Fridays too) in which case descend Gourdie brae from Birkhill, cross the Kingsway at Myrekirk and take the route through the tech park to Riverside Avenue then pick up the shared use along the waterfront... actually if you're touristing then the latter gets you a better view of the sights. Both routes get you to the bridge, the former gets you plenty of that quintessential Dundee traffic feature the "Circle" the later gets you out the traffic.

Once in the Kingdom head along the tay to Newburgh then head into Strathearn towards Dunning and then Auchterarder, skirt the gowf course to Braco and turn right in there which eventualy takes you over the A9 on a bridge to Bridge of Allan which takes you into Stirling... (This is the same as what Dave_C has mapped)

From Braco the alternative is to frogger the A9 onto the Sherifmuir road.


Dunnoh from there as I'm usually heading to Aberfoyle or Denny.

Re: Route from Aberdeen to Ayr
« Reply #3 on: 01 November, 2018, 05:00:04 pm »
Thanks guys.

Its for a forthcoming challenge on the Saturday closest to the longest day of the year so basically the rider goes from East coast to West coast in a day (dawn till dusk - approx. 17 hours).

Self supported so you take all your stuff with you.  Alternatively riders can have support in the form of a driver to carry things.

I've done a similar challenge from Minster on Sea on the Isle of Sheppy to Burnham on Sea which is 206 miles so we're looking at doing a similar thing oop North.

TIA.

Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
  • Mrs Pingu's domestique
    • the Igloo
Re: Route from Aberdeen to Ayr
« Reply #4 on: 01 November, 2018, 08:58:55 pm »
Something like this as a starter for 10? https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28869058

Re: Route from Aberdeen to Ayr
« Reply #5 on: 01 November, 2018, 10:22:24 pm »
Having ridden large parts of DaveC's route and also the roads around the Tay and Forth bridges I'd say go with Dave's second route, it would be an unforgettable ride. It's got Royal Deeside, the road along the south shore of Loch Tay (one of the best roads I've ever cycled), the Trossachs and Arran. Dundee can wait.

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: Route from Aberdeen to Ayr
« Reply #6 on: 02 November, 2018, 02:08:21 pm »
Thanks guys.

Its for a forthcoming challenge on the Saturday closest to the longest day of the year so basically the rider goes from East coast to West coast in a day (dawn till dusk - approx. 17 hours).


What definition of Dawn and Dusk are you using?
Do you mean when night starts and ends or the periods of Civil Twilight?
It becomes important in these northern parts, due to the fact that even in Gretna there is no Night time on the 22nd of June (The Saturday nearest the longest day).
There is also no Astronomical Twilight either.


At Aberdeen there's just short of 18 hours of actual daylight
And then 2 hours 20 of Civil Twilight and 3:46 of Nautical
There is less Civil Twilight at Gretna 1hr 57, but 4hr 40 of Nautical Twilight

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/aberdeen
Civil Twilight:
03:03 - 04:12
22:08 - 23:17
Total:02:19

Dusk doesn't end much earlier in Ayr
https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/@2656708
03:35 - 04:36
22:05 - 23:05
Total:02:00

So a Crack of Dawn in Aberdeen start and end of dusk finish in Ayr allows nearly 20 hours!
Using the end of Sunset as the end time would still give nearly 19 hours!

It's not quite the Simmer Dim though!

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: Route from Aberdeen to Ayr
« Reply #7 on: 02 November, 2018, 02:12:31 pm »
Having ridden large parts of DaveC's route and also the roads around the Tay and Forth bridges I'd say go with Dave's second route, it would be an unforgettable ride. It's got Royal Deeside, the road along the south shore of Loch Tay (one of the best roads I've ever cycled), the Trossachs and Arran. Dundee can wait.

Based on the concept, I think the Arran ferries are not feasible, the first at Claonaig is at 0730 and the last around 1930 IIRC and Claonaig is not somewhere you want to be stuck; which only needs the Kilbrannan to have a bit of a swell on and the ferry isn't going to land at the exposed slip (you'd think with all the money spent at Lochranza for the new ferry that Claonaig would have had something spent on it but it's as basic and exposed as ever).

Re: Route from Aberdeen to Ayr
« Reply #8 on: 02 November, 2018, 03:41:35 pm »
Thanks guys.

Its for a forthcoming challenge on the Saturday closest to the longest day of the year so basically the rider goes from East coast to West coast in a day (dawn till dusk - approx. 17 hours).


What definition of Dawn and Dusk are you using?
Do you mean when night starts and ends or the periods of Civil Twilight?


Cycling from the minute the sun rises to when it sets.  The challenge is to reach the destination before the sun sets.  Here is the website containing the Southern version which I have done many a time but the organisers now would like to see one set up somewhere in Scotland.  The general principle is that it should be challenging and be East coast to West coast in a day.

https://www.chasethesun.org/

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: Route from Aberdeen to Ayr
« Reply #9 on: 02 November, 2018, 03:53:35 pm »
ah,

finish in carlisle so any one wanting to go longer can ride up to Crammond on RTTS that night  :P

Dave_C

  • Trying to get rid of my belly... and failing!
Re: Route from Aberdeen to Ayr
« Reply #10 on: 02 November, 2018, 04:02:49 pm »
Thanks for the clarification Nothereforafasttime, I missed initially that this was in the Audax board. If you are cycling simply from east to west, then take Pingu's route. 260km is easily done in daylight and not really a challenge though. My suggestions were a nice mutliday camp/b&b out in Scotland.

You know there is also the north of the country....

https://goo.gl/maps/HWux5V7Vf2r

Peterhead to Arnamurchan Lighthouse. Scotland's Most Easterly point to it's most Westerly point. Now this would be a real challenge in the daylight given. 347km. Sit on the sea wall and when you see the sun come up you set off. Sunrise at 04:08 in Peterhead on 22nd June 2019. Sunset at 22:21 on 22nd June 2019. 18 hours and 13 minutes! That averages at 19kph. Easily doable adding in stops for refreshments.

You'd need support though as accomodation might be sparce at Ardnamurchan. The aim to arrive to see the sun set behind the lighthouse.
@DaveCrampton < wot a twit.
http://veloviewer.com/athlete/421683/

Re: Route from Aberdeen to Ayr
« Reply #11 on: 02 November, 2018, 04:51:42 pm »
Mark Beaumont did a ride in September from (I think) Campbeltown to Aberdeen- the idea was 240 miles with 80 riders to simulate his round the world in 80 days ride- give people an idea of what his typical day was like.  A colleague was one of the lucky 80 and certainly enjoyed it.

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: Route from Aberdeen to Ayr
« Reply #12 on: 02 November, 2018, 10:15:40 pm »
Thanks for the clarification Nothereforafasttime, I missed initially that this was in the Audax board. If you are cycling simply from east to west, then take Pingu's route. 260km is easily done in daylight and not really a challenge though. My suggestions were a nice mutliday camp/b&b out in Scotland.

You know there is also the north of the country....

https://goo.gl/maps/HWux5V7Vf2r

Peterhead to Arnamurchan Lighthouse. Scotland's Most Easterly point to it's most Westerly point. Now this would be a real challenge in the daylight given. 347km. Sit on the sea wall and when you see the sun come up you set off. Sunrise at 04:08 in Peterhead on 22nd June 2019. Sunset at 22:21 on 22nd June 2019. 18 hours and 13 minutes! That averages at 19kph. Easily doable adding in stops for refreshments.

You'd need support though as accomodation might be sparce at Ardnamurchan. The aim to arrive to see the sun set behind the lighthouse.
Even getting to Aberdeen and back from Ayr could be a logistical challenge and not much cheap accommodation around either.

Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk