I'm shortly to head to Colonsay with the family and was wondering whether anyone had any tips on good cycling routes. I've never been before and gather the island is quite small. We've got small kids and are all taking bikes, so wondered about family friendly cycles. I was hoping to get some longer night rides in after kids are in bed too.
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Cycling on Colonsay
(6 posts)- Started 8 years ago by BaseCut
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Posted 8 years ago #
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I've only been to Colonsay once, but that was with a bike on the Wednesday day trip you used to be able to do from Islay (the ferries may still be timetabled that way).
If you are sticking to tarmac then there is only about 15 miles worth of road, maybe less, so it shouldn't take too long to cover most of the island.
We cycled across to the tidal Oronsay with its Priory, it's certainly quite easy to cycle across the sand/track and all the way to the priory. I think you get quite a long low tide window.
There are some good sandy beaches on the west coast (of both islands), I seem to recall we were able to cycle, or at least, wheel the bikes from the road.
Colonsay house, at the time, served tea and excellent lemon cake in their garden. This was only done on a Wednesday for the day trippers.
From a glance at the map it looks like there are a few other tracks to explore. It may even be possible to cycle across the runway could be fun?
Longer night rides could be seeing how many 'laps' you can do?
I should say, our visit was in 1999 or 2000 although I don't imagine the island has changed much!
Bear in mind that the wind can be hellish on these islands and could well sap the will power of even the most determined child.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Nice choice. It can be wild there - Scalasaig is on sheltered east side and has tea room near pier and hotel up hill above. You roll off the CalMac and have nice wee climb up to the hotel as we found. Turn right and you can have a bigger climb. In fact there's no shortage of small hills on any route! Clockwise is maybe best way round island.
Irene and I were there last year for a two or three days. We only did one clockwise island circuit on tandem but used the bike mainly to get to some lovely beaches and also to road end to walk over the Strand to Oronsay at low tide (The Colonsay Hotel has a rack of wellies you can borrow if staying - useful for us as we don't usually carry such things on a bike tour!). Clientele of the hotel seemed like active types but beware of ecologists driving you off the road. Like Barra and other islands with limited tarmac you can find that you are expected to vacate the road at points other than passing places.
As usual most people were driving to get to somewhere safe to walk. I would take family to beach at Kiloran. That's big time Atlantic waves in a beautiful setting. Cycling experience depends on where you are staying.Note: Visit the Colonsay Brewery - island is quite enterprising!
Sorry about bike spoiling shot!
Kintyre, Islay, Colonsay, Appin Tour Jul 5 by LaidBackBikes, on FlickrNice sea arch on this beach that big kids love.
Kintyre, Islay, Colonsay, Appin Tour Jul 5 by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
Royal Mail doing the Strand
Oronsay visit by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
Posted 8 years ago # -
cycled round this, with the tidal thing out to the other bit also
too addled to remember the fine details
great scene
Posted 8 years ago # -
"Cycling routes" would be putting it too strongly. It's pretty much that there's a loop road and both north and south spur roads from this. That's it.
The loop road is about 5km (very very roughly) from one point to the furthest point.
I let my kids ride alone (as a pair) around the loop at ages 8 and 10. They are both very sensible. There were only one or two places where I considered that they might be at risk because of blind corners. Scary thing to do but a good decision. Where else in the UK could they have such an adventure. They were around it in time for a late lunch back at base.
The 'Strand' between the islands didn't get dry as such - just paddleable. Wouldn't be a good idea to take a good bike through the salt water. Quite walkable - although not much time to explore Oronsay before need to return.
Road north becomes a track. Much of this is really mountain biking although I did it on a tourer (with some walking).
Openstreetmap has good information (much surveyed by me). This map shows 'tracktype' information by the variation in the symbol used for track:
http://osm.org/go/et~SI4mI-
See also:
https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:tracktype
(Tracktype is an approximation, but provides an approximate idea of what to expect)See also this second osm based map for contours (but not tracktype)
http://osm.org/go/et~SI4mI-?layers=CThis is the road's high point.
http://osm.org/go/et~Sgzg5-?layers=C&m=
Hard work for an 8 year old (think kids walked much of it). Good training if you do it at speed as an adult. Think Kaimes Road not Bealach na ba.Explore the woods at Kiloran House if the weathers rubbish.
http://osm.org/go/et~SlpkK?layers=C&m=There are (were?) several geocaches which provided an excuse for a walk.
Happy to answer more if you like. While it may sound like the island's too small in cycling terms try to value this - go walking. Teach them to explore. I persuaded my kids to go up on the hills in the middle which for their age were quite adventurous enough. Some cliffs here in places. They invented fairyland type names for the bits of hill. Where in modern life do you get to do that properly.
Have fun. Take a GPS and add to the OSM mapping when you get home... adding to the fences is on my list for next time as there are places where these can be a little inconvenient. Also the paths in the woods. Zoom in on the maps I linked to to see some significant fences and gates through these.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Thanks all for your responses. I'm really excited now and will take your tips with me. It looks amazing and thanks for taking the time to give such detailed input.
Posted 8 years ago #
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