Road to the Isles

Today I set out on the trip of a lifetime; to cycle along the famous Road to the Isles in the Scottish Highlands.

Despite living and cycling in Scotland most of my life, I have never been on this road. As well as being a magnificent cycle, it also serves to give me some time alone with my thoughts, gain some perspective and hopefully come back and put my everyday life into order.

I awaken at 6am and start out immediately. The first 10 miles are from my home to the nearest town where I will get the earliest train into the city of Glasgow. This is the hardest part of the journey; just trying to get into the rhythm of the bike and the weight I am carrying on it. I will be gone for two nights and have to carry clothes, bike equipment, my camera and various other essentials.

Once I arrive in the city, it’s a short trip to the other railway station that serves the Highlands. From here the train makes its way along the north bank of the River Clyde and at one point I look across the water to my old home town of Greenock. I have always enjoyed seeing it from this side of the river after having spent so long looking in the other direction.

The train beings to climb with the landscape already changing from that of the populated lowlands, to the sparseness of the highlands. The track hugs the side of a hill and goes round in a loop as we pass Bridge of Orchy, a small settlement consisting of a few houses and a hotel that once served the best toffee fudge pudding ever. I have been on the road that down below but soon the train track and the road split as the train climbs ever higher onto the plateau of Rannoch Moor, one of the most desolate landscapes in Britain. No humans live here and no road passes through. The railway itself if supported on logs that have been driven into the bog.

From Road to the Isles

From here on I don’t know what to expect as I have never been on this route before despite beingonly a few hours from my either my childhood home or where I live now. I do know that the train will descend to my first destination, the town of Fort William, which lies at the base of Britain’s tallest mountain Ben Nevis. The hostel I am staying in lies in Glen Nevis so it is only a short climb on the bike to my place of rest where I will gather myself and prepare for the road to the Isles on saturday.

The train arrives in Fort William at midday with the sun beating down, something that doesn't happen often enough in Scotland. I decide to cycle 5 miles up the road to the ski centre at Aonach Mor to take the gondola up the mountain.

It's a bit disconcerting to hear rap music blaring out when I arrive there but it turns out there is a mountain biking event taking place here and I guess this is all part of the show.

I do have an initial moments hesitation as the gondola leaves as the carriages are small and the ascent is steep. As I look down I see a mountain biker thundering along the trail. He hits a ramp and is projected at least 10 ft into the air, twisting his wheel and landing down in one swift, fluid movement. It's exciting stuff and given that one move, I can now see the need for all the body armour they wear.

The view from the top is breathtaking so I stay for half an hour to take in the natural wonder that lies below me.

From Road to the Isles

Saturday
I wake early ahead of the big cycle on Saturday, but more from anticipation than anything else. As with yesterdays departure, my chain comes off the bike almost immediately but I see this as good fortune as I wouldn't want it coming off later today. I am taking the train to the fishing port of Mallaig on the North-West coast and from there, cycling back over the course of the day.

This train journey is widely regarded as one of the most famous train rides in the world and has been a massive feature in the Harry Potter films. Everytime you see the Hogwarts Express it is travelling on the line that I am going to be on today. That particualr steam train does run in the summer but it is an expensive tourist ride, whereas I will be travelling on the standard train with my bike and seeing the same scenary for a fraction of the cost.

This train line closely follows the road that I will be returning on so I will be getting a good idea of what I face. Travelling to the end of the line and cycling back gives me all day to enjoy the views but there is also a practical reason for if the weather is windy, then it is likely to be behind me, thus adding and not hindering my journey.

As the train leaves Fort William I play Eddie Vedder's soundtrack to Into the Wild, a book and film about Chris McCandless and his desire to escape the modern world which is very much what I am doing today.

"I got my wish to up and disappear"

What has hit me on this trip is that although I had set out to disappear, I am actually discovering a new found lust for life.

Hard Sun is a euphoric song as the train crosses the Glenfinnan viaduct at the head of Loch Shiel. The windows on the train are splattered with mud but it does not take away from that feeling.

From Road to the Isles

9:50am The train arrives at the fishing port Mallaig and I am hit immediately by the smell of the sea and the fish. As with Friday, the most difficult part of this trip is at the beginning as I climb out of Mallaig. Of course, this climb has a payback and there is a pleasant descent after the first 10 miles. From here on the journey should be quite straightforward, along a relatively straight road back to Fort William. The distance is about 50 miles and I could easily complete this in 4 hours but I am going to take my time and savour the experience. The route passes through small villages with wonderful Scottish names that even a native like me is enamoured with: Morar, Arisaig, Druimindarroch, Lochailort, Glenfinnan, Kinlocheil, and Corpach.



It's not too hot but I know it will be so I plan on getting the climbing out of the way. It's steady and I am kept going by the fact that there will be payback. It comes after Beasdale station with a glorious descent to Loch Nan Uamh where I stop for a break on these huge rocks. I have completed the first third of todays ride in 1.5 hours.



Beasdale to Glenfinnan is the hardest part of the journey as I am starting to get tired but I know in my heart that I am fit enough to cope. After a steady 2 miles climb I see what I take to be a summit but when I reach it I swear out loud. This is not the summit; the true summit was obscured by the rock walls either side of the road. Time to dig deep because my legs are really sore now. However, the effort is worth it as the descent to Glenfinnan is one of the finest I have ever experienced as a cyclist. By now I am 2/3 of the way there, covering another 15 miles in 1.5 hours.



I rest at Glenfinnan for an hour, basking in the sun as the tourists gather round the visitors centre. The subsequent ride from Glenfinnan to Fort William is steady but dull, as the road plateaus out. By now I am praising the fact that I have done the cycle in this direction as it would have been more tiring in the other direction.



As I enter Glen Nevis I find the last of my strength and sprint for the last mile, pounding away on the tarmac until I see the hostel and .......pull up a couple of metres short for an ice cream! That ice cream was sweet. I get in, shower and crash for an hour.