North Bristol Mountain Bike Club

Bridge of Orchy to Taynuilt via Glen Kinglass and the shore of Loch Etive

There are few technical difficulties on the route, but it is a long route and far from civilisation, so carry plenty of food and at least one spare inner-tube each. And at the risk of stating the obvious, a map (Landranger sheet 50) and waterproof jacket are also essential for this ride—no matter how good the weather forecast was when you set out!

The route starts on a quiet back-road for 6 km to Forest Lodge. From there, it’s a gentle climb along landrover tracks and singletrack to the top of the pass, only getting moderately steep for the last km after passing Loch Dochard.

The singletrack reverts to landrover track when it gets to Glenkinglass Lodge, and makes for a pleasant run down to Loch Etive.

Once you reach Loch Etive, it’s easy to make the mistake of thinking that the ride is nearly done. But don’t be fooled – there’s another 13 km of riding ahead of you, and the loch-side track is like a roller-coaster as it crosses headland after headland, meaning you haven’t even done half of the ascent yet! Just ignore the pain and take in the grandeur of the mountains and Loch Etive stretching ahead of you.

Once at Taynuilt, there’s a convenient coffee shop where you can refuel close to the railway station.

Getting back

If you have planned ahead, it is possible to return to Bridge of Orchy by train, changing at either Tyndrum or Crianlarich. (Train timetables : you will need the Glasgow – Oban service to get to Tyndrum or Crianlarich, and then the Glasgow – Fort William service to get to Bridge of Orchy. At the time of writing (May 2007) it was possible to leave Taynuilt at 1839 any day of the week in summer, and arrive in Bridge of Orchy at 2044, with over an hour to spare en-route at Tyndrum.

Don’t overlook the fact that getting to Tyndrum Upper station from Tyndrum Lower involves a 1 km ride and 50 metres of climbing. But if there is a lengthy wait for the connecting train, the Green Welly Shop just up the road makes for a good refuelling stop (despite its name!).

Booking ahead and reserving bike spaces (free on Scotrail) is strongly advised if you want to get your bikes on the train with you. The four of us had no problems getting on unbooked when we did this ride in September 2005, but it was a different story a year later—the conductor stuck rigidly to the rules and would only allow three bikes onto the train, leaving the rest of us to cycle half-way back in what was by then torrential rain.

Cycling back to Bridge of Orchy by road is quite feasible, but the first half, along the A85, is busy with HGVs and tourist buses, so not particularly pleasant. The third option is to arrange to have a car at each end of the ride.