CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

Great Glen Way Route Problems

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  1. Slug
    Member

    A quick update for anyone intending cycling the GGW. We opted to do the GGW footpath - as opposed to cycle path - as it's more scenic and misses out some road sections, so I assume the cycle route is okay.

    The route is fine from Fort William to Laggan Locks, but this is where the 'fun' starts. The section between Laggan Locks and Laggan Bridge has seen considerable storm damage, with many trees blown down, duly covering the path, roots ripped out creating craters, etc. so unless you're a Danny Macaskill type, you'll need to stop here and there to lift your bike over the various obstacles (awkward if you've got panniers full of bivi kit). In saying that, this section is little more than a warm-up for what's to come on the next section.

    Laggan Bridge to Oich Bridge up the Southeast side of Loch Oich. Depending on what type of character you are, you may view this as a great adventure or a bloody nightmare! You will need to manoeuvre bikes over, through, around and even (crawling) under fallen trees. At one point, we had to wade, knee deep, through a stream, whilst carrying/hauling the bikes because the path was impassable. Large parts of the path are flooded and then there are the inevitable punctures, (two) courtesy of pine needles/thorns. All in all, three hours to cover this five mile stretch!

    With the value of hindsight... probably should've followed the cycle route.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  2. gembo
    Member

    Can also be done by boat and at leat that bit is clear (no walkers or cyclists)

    Brief googling suggesting cycle path upkeep not as good as it was also sections may be closed for timber operations and indeed one website telling you to cycle on the footpath

    As with pentlands my preference is that bikes go on designated cycle paths and walkers on footpaths. However, I have seen mtbs stuck in mud and walked at a faster pace than them so I have no issue particularly.

    The overall popularity of going outdoors is what is eroding the outdoors. Back to the pentlands there are three popular car parks and the other starting points are rarely used.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  3. Slug
    Member

    I was giving an update on the state of the GGW route for anyone who may be interested, primarily because I couldn't get any decent, up to date info. before I did it. You have just confirmed that info. is, at best, sketchy. It is a really nice route, (storm damage aside) which I suspect will be of interest to many cyclists.

    All the damage here was done by Mother Nature - not walkers or cyclists - so I don't really get your point? Are you having a dig at me for cycling on a footpath?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  4. gembo
    Member

    Sorry, I was not having a dig at you for cycling on a footpath as I pointed out, the info on websites suggests you do that.

    Signage could therefore be clearer? You have helpfully provided detail from the terrain itself.

    my knowledge of this route is sketchy. You were there I therefore accept that the damage to this route is caused by Mother Nature.

    In the Pentland Hills, where I am more at home, there are various routes marked for cycling or walking but cycling isn't banned from the other routes, it is just sometimes quite daft.

    I then made the general point, from as long ago as higher geography 1982 that increased use of our open spaces leads to erosion of our open spaces and that this is exacerbated because people go to the same routes that are popular. I made this as general as possible rather than singling any group out.

    I am very sorry if I have started the new year with a dig, not my intention.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  5. Slug
    Member

    No bother Gembo, and as it happens, I totally agree with your point regarding 'loving out hills to death'. One only needs to look at the old path up Schiehallion or Ben Lomond for proof of this, and as a lifelong mountaineer, (and Munro 'compleatist') I often take an alternative to the 'trade route' up hills, particularly the busier ones that have suffered some horrendous erosion through millions of feet plodding the same path.

    I also agree with your point about the Pentlands and have a particular interest in this as well, as this is how I commute to work, although I only cycle where I will cause negligible damage (no more than walkers).

    All in all, it seems we're both on the same wavelength. A Happy New Year to you, sir!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  6. gembo
    Member

    cheers Slug, good to hear you are still going over the top on your commute. Weather has of course been kind so far, as with previous winters, Jan and Feb cruellest.

    There are many good walks in the pentlands that don't start/end from flotterstone, thriepmuir or Harlaw but they aren't so convenient.

    Thieves Road / Cauldstane Slap to West Linton is a belter, but boggy and non-circular

    Listonshiels, Temple House, Borestane to Carlops and back by Nine Mile Burn and West Kip is longish circular route, with long lead in and exit Temple referring to Knights Templar

    Posted 10 years ago #

  7. Dave
    Member

    I have to admit that sometimes I consider that the Himalayas used to be flat and just the other day (in geological time) the whole of Scotland was covered with kilometers of grinding ice, and it seems quite funny that we worry about erosion following millions of people enjoying the outdoors.

    The only way to preserve it is to stop people enjoying it, and even that willfully ignores the fact that the whole landscape is constantly being changed, not always for the better from a human perspective.

    I'm not unsympathetic any more than I like the idea of people in 4x4s driving all over my garden, but still...

    Posted 10 years ago #

  8. gembo
    Member

    Himalayas full of people who shouldn't be there littering the place with their frozen bodies?

    I first came across this phenomenon in 1984. We had walked to the top of the Cobbler at Arrochar, fair amount of kit in rucksacks, just in case, decent new boots, gaiters etc.

    We were admiring the view when we met a very cheerful chap in his semmit, plimsolls, drinking one of his four pack cans of Special Brew,

    mountain rescue are out in their helicopters every weekend etc.

    The flip side is also available

    people going for gentle stroll in North Face gear from head to toe, with two walking sticks, brasher boots and ginormous rucksacks.

    I guess if I am trying to make a point it is about how we can try different routes? How to convince people to use the tremendous amenity on our doorstep in a savvy fashion? Harlaw car park totally jammed on a sunny Saturday afternoon, cars on verge all the way down to the Barr's farm. how about parking in Currie, walking up the poet's glen, going round to Swanston and then back along the WoL to the car etc.

    The idea of charging to park in these carparks thriepmuir and Harlaw has been floated but I cannot see that working.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  9. Slug
    Member

    Agreed, Dave, something of a catch 22...

    Gembo, I've had to 'wimp out' a few times on my commute recently due to strong winds and have found myself becoming increasingly depressed when I have to take the car... just can't bear the crawling traffic thing anymore!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  10. gembo
    Member

    @slug, I have had a viral thing a bit like pleurisy so have been going in to work on bike and taking train home avoiding hill, wind and rain. still not 100% so might be still on train next week. I could never go back to the bus now, however, as I have said all along, I am quite keen to see how the tram will work.

    I used to go to work on hybrid down WoL path and although it took quite some time for me to get to Leith it was a great way to start the day

    Posted 10 years ago #

  11. Slug
    Member

    @gembo, I only started cycling to work a couple of months ago but there is already a marked difference in me when I cycle in, (Mr. Happy, springing through the car park and bounding up the stairs) as opposed to the days I drive, (more greetin' faced than Victor Meldrew on a bad day). Mind you, I haven't had snow and ice to deal with yet, but I don't expect that to change things.

    All the best for a speedy recovery to full cycling!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  12. Dave
    Member

    To balance use you need to make the popular thing worse and / or alternatives better. People cram Harlaw because it's better. This is already enough that we avoid it at peak times, BTW...

    Money (parking charges) is easiest and flexible but you could incentivise in kind, reducing parking and putting parking in for poet's instead?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  13. gembo
    Member

    @dave agree about Harlaw. One reason it is better is the numerous circular routes. If you go further out to the south west pentlands the routes are drove roads across the hills. There has been work done on the south shore of Harperrig Reservoir so the path there will link to Thieves Road.

    part of the problem is the Lang Whang. It has no pavements, no bus route etc. On the other side I think the service still runs to Dumfries and this will stop at nine mile burn, Carlops and West Linton, so you can go say to west Linton and walk up to the covenanter's grave then walk back down to west Linton, instead of pushing on North wards on the drove road to Tarbrax.

    so it is possible to do lots of the pentlands without a car but would be better if there was a bus from Carnwath end that went to west Calder. I suppose there isn't any way of making that viable.

    there used to be a summer bus that trundled along the rig road but that was a very short lived experiment

    Posted 10 years ago #

  14. fimm
    Member

    I was poking around on the Sustrans site and came across this:

    "Fort William to Inverness - under development (no map)
    The route from Fort William to Inverness is under development and is not signed. It is possible to cycle between these destinations using the canal towpath between Fort William and Fort Augustus and minor public roads along the south side of Loch Ness from Fort Augustus to Inverness. See the Great Glen Way website for more information on the current walking route. Please note, the Great Glen Cycleway is no longer signed. Mountain bikers are advised to devise their own route along the many forestry tracks to the north of Loch Ness.    "

    Posted 10 years ago #

  15. crowriver
    Member

    The route from Fort William to Inverness is under development and is not signed.

    Isn't that one of the routes Scot Gov announced money for last year?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  16. Slug
    Member

    "It is possible to cycle between these destinations using the canal towpath between Fort William and Fort Augustus and minor public roads along the south side of Loch Ness from Fort Augustus to Inverness."

    The canal towpath only runs from Corpach to Gairlochy, which is around 7 miles, then a small (currently closed for storm damage) section of approximately a mile between Laggan Locks and Laggan Bridge and then the section between Oich Bridge and Fort Augustus, (currently flooded in sections) which is about 5 miles. That's a total of 13 miles or so of towpath on that 37 miles section, much of which is damaged/flooded. I think the Sustrans route description is somewhat misleading, to say the least.

    The section from Fort Augustus to Inverness is okay if you follow General Wade's Road but the paths on the North side of Loch Ness are currently blocked/damaged/impassable, apparently.

    In saying all that, it's still a great route... if you don't mind the odd 'obstacle'!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  17. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    In fairness Sustrans can't really do much about the flooding, and presumably that flooding is a temporary thing. Of course they should maybe have updated news about the fact it's flooded just now.

    (unless it is permanently flooded, in which case ignore the above)

    Posted 10 years ago #

  18. Slug
    Member

    Flooding/storm damage aside, Sustrans indicate that the Fort William to Fort Augustus section is entirely along a towpath. In reality, little more than one third of that section is actually on a towpath, although most of the route is on decent forest tracks. There's a fair bit more 'up and down' than you'd expect on any canal towpath.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  19. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Ah no, that's fair enough, it really was just the flooded sections of that towpath that I was thinking it was a little unfair to be having a go at Sustrans about (I'm no fan of the organisation).

    Posted 10 years ago #

  20. DaveC
    Member

    Has anyone ridden the south side of Loch Ness? I'm on a long cycle ride in the summer and plan to cycle from Inverness to Fort William on the east (south) side. I'll be using the road.

    Cheers,

    Dave C

    Posted 10 years ago #

  21. Min
    Member

    Fort Augustus? Yes. It's lovely. Nice and quiet and rolling (steep) hills. The descent into FA is awesome. The north side is horrific. Don't even think about it.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  22. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    Any problems with the tow path between Corpach (Fort William) and Gairlochy (end of Loch Long) could be avoided by taking the B8004. I rode that a couple of times on my way to the end of Loch Arkaig via the Green Mile which is worth a detour.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  23. Slug
    Member

    @DaveC, exactly what Min said. It's a nice route but lots of trees barring decent views of the loch. The Southern section from Fort Augustus to Fort William is much more scenic.

    @Cyclingmollie, that section of the path is great, but your alternative looks interesting nonetheless. I've got a photo somewhere of that very same spot, if it's the one I'm thinking of... about half way along Loch Arkaig?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  24. cb
    Member

    You can cut up to the east end of Loch Arkaig via Achnacarry stopping off at the Achnacarry Commando museum where there will sell you an ice cream, or maybe a packet of shortbread.

    From Loch Arkaig you can nip back to the Great Glen via the Green Dark Mile (and past the waterfall, above).

    Posted 10 years ago #

  25. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    @Slug It's between the Dark Mile* and the eastern end of Loch Arkaig. There had been a lot of rain that week (well we were on holiday on the west coast).

    *Not the green Mile, thanks @cb

    Posted 10 years ago #

  26. Slug
    Member

    Right... I think it is the one I was thinking of but I seem to remember it being farther along Loch Arkaig. Or maybe I'm thinking of another one... or maybe it's a different loch entirely? Can't trust my memory these days!

    Posted 10 years ago #

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