Welcome What’s to See Experience the landscape of North Argyll Cycle amid the brooding beauty of North from the saddle of a bike: there’s no better Argyll’s forests and you will find much more Contact 1 Forestry Commission Scotland way to take in its splendour and scale. than the beguiling scenery. West Argyll Forest District The waymarked routes that Forestry Commission Whitegates, Lochgilphead, Argyll PA31 8RS Scotland maintains pass through lush forests The forest Tel: 01546 602518 against a mountain backdrop, looking out over wildlife is e-mail:[email protected] abundant but Web: www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland lochs and cut through by lively burns. You will find excitement, inspiration and tranquillity shy. Keep quiet Glen Orchy and Ben Lui: © VisitScotland/Scottish Viewpoint among the trees. as you glide along For A830 information . Watch out for other users on these routes, some the trails and you may chance F or t 2 William on what’s Pitlochr y

The forests provide a dramatic setting for your are shared with walkers, and the roads are often across it – red and roe deer, foxes, A A 9 Forest Cycle Code available from 82 excursion, no matter what level of challenge you used by trucks and machinery in these timber badgers and red squirrels. Tober mor y 3 Forestry MULL . 49 Per th . are seeking. The routes range from circular forest producing forests. It’s best to keep to the waymark ed Golden and sea eagles occasionally Commission A8 Oban Cr ianlar ich . A85

1. Don’t rely on others: 0

9 9 A A road trails suitable for families to steep and soar overhead. Scotland 84 M routes, which are easy to follow, as the rest of this A 3 can you get home safely? 8 8 • 1 2 4 in the rest of A Stir ling narrow hillside tracks that are not for the large network of forest roads is not waymarked. There are wildcats too, which may • carry the right equipment Lochgilphead and know how to use it. Argyll and M9 E fainthearted. All enjoy glorious views, are Although you are of course free to cycle anywhere well see you, although you are Glasgo w surrounding M8 steeped in history and are home to iconic wildlife. unlikely to see them. ISLA Y 8 in Forestry Commission Scotland forests. 7 areas please A Rly 2. For your own safety: 3 8 M A contact 7 4 A always wear the right safety clothing, 7 You will cycle through flotillas of fallen cones, the • 6 Do bheatha don dùthaich! Dè tha a dhìth? at least a cycle helmet and gloves. Ayr seeds they once contained long since blown ARRAN Frith-rathaidean rèidh, no ceumannan casa • only cycle within your abilities. 2 Forestry Commission Scotland )

d Lochaber Forest District Tel: 01397 702184

across the forest by the wind. Red squirrels and e t cruaidh? Uair a thìde straibhèigearachd, no latha only tackle jumps and other i • d e-mail: [email protected] e r

challenges if you are sure you c

birds like siskins and crossbills feast on the cones d e

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l 3 Forestry Commission Scotland

can do them - have a look first. t w o r

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riut ann an coilltean Cheann a Tuath Shiorrachd S Tay Forest District Tel: 01350 727284 h

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The conifers were mostly planted for their timber. o gleanntan, agus lochannan-mara ainmeil an y r C

a Cowal & Trossachs Forest District Tel: 01877 382383 r y r b t Among them is the native Scots pine, which was i s . On and off road: L

3 e-mail: [email protected]

eachdraidh agus dualchas nan Gàidheal, agus e r e r o u F t

, treasured in Gaelic culture. Its sap was used to expect the unexpected – c i cliùiteach air feadh an t-saoghail airson • s P e

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K o n 7 . h g i S p I E-mail: [email protected] s 4. Cycle carefully and l & e whom lived in l D A D Glen Orchy. please come back soon! For information on public transport services contact: Traveline Scotland, 0871 200 2233 or www.travelinescotland.com River Orchy: © VisitScotland/Scottish Viewpoint © Crown Copyright 2012

2 Anaheilt 8 Corran A Scotstown Clovullin Kinlochmore Location Map Keppanach en Lev Strontian Onich Loch Blackwater Resr A861 North Ballachulish B863 Glencoe Kinlochleven Rannoch Ardnastang Station A82 Kentallen Ballachulish Altnafeadh Kilmalieu Gaur B8 Duror R 043 L Laidon

8 82 Dalness A Alltchaorunn Elleric Invercharnan Loch Creran: © VisitScotland/Scottish Viewpoint Look out for the leaflet covering Portnacroish Appin Fasnacloich Glenceitlein North the Mid Argyll trails further south. Port Appin Glasdrum Invercreran Creagan Port Ramsay Druimavuic Gualachulain L Tulla North Shian Black Mount Achallader Clachan South Shian Sutherland’s Grove Achnacroish Barcaldine Achinduin Bridge of Orchy L Lyon Argyll Rhugarbh 8 Benderloch 2 8 Glen Orchy Kilcheran Ledaig A Achnaba Black Crofts 4 ay 7 och Bonawe 0 R L Dunbeg 8 B Ganavan Connel Achnacloich 5 85 Dunollie 8 A A Clifton hy Balliemore Fearnoch Stronmilchan rc Tyndrum Taynuilt O R art OBAN Lochawe R Doch Cycling L Nell Dalmally 85 Cleigh L Nant Ardanaiseig Inverherive A Gallanach Barran Benmore Most of the trails are on forest roads Kilbride e w Crianlarich which are shown on the maps in white. Kilmore Kilchrenan A Annat Cycle Route Grading Kilninver Cladich Musdale h 82 Coillaig oc e A L 40 n Raera Bragleenmore B8 y Find the right trail for you F Inverarnan Forest roads & bike parks Clachan 9 R Inverlochlarig Inverinan 1 6 8 1 A 8 L Avich A Tullich Ardlui Green: Easy Blue: Moderate Red: Difficult Black: Severe Forest Road Orange: Melfort Suitable for: Suitable for: Suitable for: Proficient Suitable for: Expert & similar Bike Parks Kilmelford Blarghour Clachan Beginners in good Riders in good health mountain bikers with mountain bikers with Suitable for: Suitable for: Dalavich h Loch oc 85 Glenmore Portinnisherrich L e A Katrine health with basic with basic off-road good off road riding high level of fitness. Cyclists in good health. Extreme level riders yn Stronachlachar Arduaine F Cairndow bike skills. riding skills. skills & fitness. Quality off-road Map reading useful with expert technical Garraron Eredine INVERARAY Ardno A83 Inveruglas Most types of bike. Basic mountain bikes. Good mountain bikes. mountain bikes. (routes not always skills & good fitness. Inversnaid Barravullin St Catherines marked). Most bikes. Technical bike skills Trail: Trail: Some “single- Trail: Challenging Trail & surface types: important. Jumping Relatively flat track” sections & climbs, tricky descents Greater challenge & Trail: Gradients can ability obligatory. The car park at Fearnoch is on the A85 between Oban vary. Surfaces may be Where to Start & wide. small obstacles of & technical features difficulty. Expect large and Taynuilt, just outside Fearnoch village. root & rock. such as drop-offs & & unavoidable uneven or potholed in Trail: Extreme levels The car park for Sutherland’s Grove is large rocks. features. places. Look out for of exposure & risk, Parking for Glen Orchy at Bridge of Orchy is off the A82 vehicles & other users. large features. just east of Barcaldine, off the A828 between between Tyndrum and Glencoe. An alternative starting User Advice: Mountain biking is a potentially hazardous activity carrying a significant risk. It should the Creagan Bridge and Oban. The trail is passed by only be undertaken with a full understanding of all inherent risks. These guidelines must always National Cycle Network route 78, which heads from point for the trail can be found at the Eas Urchaidh falls, be used in conjunction with the exercise of your own experience, intuition and careful judgement. Campbeltown towards the Great Glen. but getting parked here is difficult . Maps Key The more family-friendly Barcaldine East trail heads Forest Woodland Sutherland’s Grove back on a loop that runs past Gleann Dubh reservoir. Forest Road Doire an t-Sutharlanaich The Glen Dubh trail, however, runs right around the North Argyll Other Trails water. You can look back across the reservoir from a high Main Road The trees in this darkly beautiful glen are special. viewpoint at its head before completing your journey. Secondary Road The trails begin by Sutherland’s Grove, whose towering Douglas fir were named to honour John Donald Seo dùthchas Caimbeulaich a’ Minor Road Sutherland, the founding father of the Forestry Bharra-Challtainn, ’s iad suidhichte Cycling Other Minor Road Commission in Scotland. Deeper into the forest, you an seo gus stad a chur air Cycle Trail will find more ancient, native trees – Scots pine and oak. creachadairean às an Apainn a’ goid Multi-use Trail crodh muinntir Mheudarloch. At first, the two trails share a route as they follow Dh’fhaodadh gu bheil an gleann seo Parking Fishing forest roads that rise to look out over the Firth of dubh, ach tha sealladh math bhon Viewpoint Camping Lorne and fall to cross tree-lined, roaring burns. In mhullach, rathaidean rèidh, agus Picnic Area Caravaning winter, when the leaves have fallen, you can glimpse greiseag gharbh ma thogras tu. Loch Creran through the bare trunks and branches.

96 97 98 99

150m Where to go 200m 1 50 0 0

m Craobhan eireachdail, fiadh-bheatha iom'-fhillte, Loch Creran 5 0 The tree-cloaked hills and glens of North Argyll are m dualchas drùidhteach, seallaidhean àlainn: tha unforgettable. Thrilling waymarked trails will take coilltean Cheann a Tuath Earra-Ghàidheal a' you to the heart of our forests, along tracks and Sluice Gleann Dubh Sutherland’s Teith feitheamh riut! As bith dè an ìre aig a bheil thu, Reservoir hàinn il roads. Let the excitement of the last descent provide Grove Ab thoir leat an rothair. the adrenalin needed to crest the next rise. Barcaldine F o r e s t 42 42 ) e T Waterfalls n ( i 8 2 8 d A l

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in along the way. The views over the forest are fabulous as

Ordnance Survey Lice1 nce number [100021242]. 0

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a i somewhere in the ch Bridge a s 33 n 33 i views can be earned with a few long climbs. V area. But watch ©

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Eas Urchaidh v 32 i 32 0m waymarked route 55 R To Dalmally © Crown copyright and database right [2012]. Ordnance Survey Licence number [100021242]. A85 Colin Campbell, looked even further into the skies 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 as the forest is vast. above Argyll, sharing his astronomical observations with Sir Isaac Newton. Gabh latha dheth, agus gabh cuairt tro ghleann Glen Orchy You might covet a chance encounter with Fearnoch's The Trail brèagha ach dìomhair, a bha uaireigin ’na abundant wildlife, perhaps a glimpse of a red deer or Gleann Urchaidh dhachaigh don bhàrd Donnchadh Bàn Mac Fearnoch trail Grade - Forest Road red squirrel along the route around the hill. You’ll an t-Saoir: Length 5 miles / 8 km / Allow 1 hour certainly pass impressive domes of pine needles, The Trail homes to great colonies of wood ants. More rarely The circular trail has some moderate climbs and seen – but never forgotten – are the descents through pleasant woodland with splendid views. Forest roads and tracks criss cross your path so Grade - Red: Difficult Little warm glen of comfort, Glen Orchy trail glow worms near Fearnoch village. stick to the waymarked route. Length 7.5 miles / 12 km / Allow 2 hours Where crops grow so well, This route is a real challenge, with a significant water With the little meadows crossing and many steep climbs on both tracks and In which the seed is sown… 95 © Crown copyright and database right [2012]. 96 To 97 ilt Ordnance Survey Licence number [100021242]. Co u forest roads. The intrepid cyclist is rewarded with great [The Song of Glenorchy, Duncan Bàn Macintyre] nn yn Fàilte don Fheàrnaich, Fearnoch el a 0km 1/4km 1/2km 3/4km 1km T views over a historic glen and truly exhilarating descents. A85(T) To far an do dh’fhuirich 0ml 1/8ml. 1/4ml. 1/2ml. Gleannan blàth na tìoralachd uaireigin bàillidhean An ro mhaith ’n cinn an stuth, Mhuc Càrna, an sgìre Dailnamac A roller-coaster of a route that takes you along a Far am bheil na h-ìnnseagan, seo. Glacaidh tu sealladh 32 ch 32 rla Am bheil an sìol an cur… a n glen celebrated in highland history. It was the air beanntan mòrail mu e a

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heartland of the Campbells of Glenorchy, the thuath, ach cum do shùil er Luach 5 m 100m Riv a Middle Road birthplace of Rob Roy’s mother and home to the air an talamh cuideachd: N s a 0m Gaelic poet Duncan Bàn Macintyre. a thuilleadh air neadan E 10 iongantach nan The trail through this ancient place will test your skill seanganan-coille, a-rèir and endurance. Forest road becomes a track that 100m beul-aithris tha òr H o climbs and descends sharply as burns cut into the 150m y

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sides of the glen. W

Fearnochar chh ForestF r y 31 n 31 Take care when crossing the impressive Allt Coire d

Bhoicair when it is in full flow. Look out for the

m 0 5

Allt Broighleachan nature reserve, the southernmost 1

outpost of Caledonian pine forest. Marvel at the

m m

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sculpted rock around the horseshoe Eas Urchaidh 0 1

falls from the Bailey bridge over the River Orchy.

m

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0 2 The return route heads back to Bridge of Orchy along the B8074.

30 95 96 97 30