Trail Guide - Beyond Torridon
Issue 61 / Thu 24th Oct, 2019
'North' is simply a direction, but in Scotland, it promises adventure unmatched anywhere else in the UK. Pete Archer and Tristan Tinn travel beyond the well-known trails of Torridon and Skye and head further to explore the scenery and riding in this isolated and beautiful part of the world.
Is there more to mountain biking in the Highlands than just Torridon?
Armed with an unexpected four days off, to do as we please, myself and fellow compatriot Tristan Tinn decided to look at the UK weather forecast for the following days, see where the weather would be best and head there with the bikes in search of trails… As luck would have it, the weather window was slap bang over the far North West Highlands of Scotland, so a quick plan was hatched, the camper van stocked up, and a long drive north of the border into Scotland ensued.
Waking up the following morning after parking up just off the road close to Tyndrum, the overnight rain was clearing, and the bacon and sausage breakfasts were calling. Fuelled up for the rest of the day's adventure we carried on heading in one direction - North. After scouring through countless maps and researching online for any existence of trails we had set about aiming to arrive at Lochinver, a quaint fishing village on the North West coast surrounded by a stunning backdrop of mountains rising seemingly from nowhere.
With just a few hours daylight remaining, bikes were unpacked, camera gear organised and we set off in the hope of finding some coastal single track heading straight from the village itself. We weren't to be disappointed. Minutes after leaving the tarmac, we found ourselves riding along some incredible trails, undulating through dips and over crests in the landscape. Stopping every now and then to admire the view we carried on with no real idea of where we were headed.
The single track continued, and we found ourselves cruising down a narrow road to what can only be described as a Caribbean style beach. In Scotland! Yep, crystal clear blue waters with perfect white sand and we were still in the UK! The water temperature was most definitely not the Caribbean however, and with the light starting to fade, a hasty retreat back to the camper was in order.
Day two rolled around, and after a bit more research the previous evening, we settled on the idea of riding/hiking our bikes up to the summit of Ben More Assynt. With no prior intel on the trails and what lay ahead, we relied on images from keen mountain walkers on the internet to get an idea of what was in store for us. The trail looked like it should ride, especially the descent from the summit, so again bags packed and sun cream on, it was time to hit the trails. The first climb steadily wound its way along the floor of the Glen, snaking steadily next to the small river and gently gaining our height. So far so good, although the first Munro summit of the day loomed over us in such a way to make us continually question ourselves - "are we really taking our bikes up there?"
A ride report in Scotland in the summer surely has to feature the wee beasts that frequent these parts; midges! The evil little insects were out in force down at the bottom as we slogged our way up past the stream in sweltering heat (yes, we're still in Scotland here!) and that gave us all the more encouragement to gain height and keep on going. The pedalling turned to carrying, the conversation slowly dried up, and the climb up to the first peak of Connival got steeper. The views, however, they were incredible.
Upon reaching the top of Connival, we were treated to incredible vistas far out over the West coast of Scotland, through to the far north coast and beyond. Our original plan of summiting Ben More Assynt was starting to look less ideal from our current vantage point, with the ridge between Connival and our intended summit dropping away sharply through some huge boulders. The executive decision was made to call it a day there, turn the bikes around and point them back down the hill and to reap the benefits of the last four hours of hiking.
The trail started off reasonably mellow, a little bit of bedrock here and there to keep things interesting, then opening up to some flat-out single track surrounded by some of the most incredible views in the UK. The speed slowed down as both the mountain and the trail steepened quite considerably as we found ourselves almost surfing down the quartzite rock. After a short carry down a brief scramble, the trail carried on, maybe not as loose but just as slow and technical.
Multiple line choices were opening up, but the length and physicality of the descent were taking its toll on both bodies and bikes by now, but somehow things held together, and we found ourselves back on the single track at the bottom of the Glen heading West towards the setting sun. Back at the van, what better way to finish a ride like that than to sit down with a cold one, both agreeing that while a good day out, neither of us would be in a hurry to go back up there again for a while!
Our third and final day dawned and feeling slightly less energetic after the previous day's adventure, it was decided that we would do a short out-and-back ride up Quinag, a rather imposing looking mountain in the landscape but one littered with copious amounts of rock slabs, all crying out to be ridden. The defined trail from the road soon petered out, but we found ourselves still riding up the rocks, the traction was incredible on the grippy Torridonian sandstone.
Once again, the riding turned to hiking, and a decision was made to leave the bikes just below the summit, there was no way we would be able to ride through and down the top boulder field. The views however more than made up for the fact we had to leave the bikes behind, I think this is one of the defining features of riding in this landscape this far North - the vistas just seemingly never end wherever you look.
Heading back down, we got back on the bikes and tried to ride the frustratingly loose, nadgery trail as best we could. The trail was stop/start on the bike, by the time you would seem like you had the flow going, you would encounter an obstacle that would just stop you dead, quite frustrating… However, further on down the hill, we managed to pick up a faint trail that meandered through some incredible rock slabs, these made for great detours on the way back down and ultimately, back to the camper van.
That was it, three days of riding in a place neither of us had considered. Incredibly challenging, technical but rewarding trails, but better than the riding in Torridon? We'll leave that one for you to decide!
How to get there / when to go:
The Highlands of Scotland are beautiful at all times of the year, but for the best riding conditions we would recommend either heading up there late spring/early summer before the midges are out in force, or head up there in late September/early October when they've all disappeared! Most of the trails aren't way-marked, so it's essential to carry a map of the area as chances are, you won't see another soul out in the mountains on some days.
As for getting there, Inverness is the nearest airport but with public transport being incredibly limited that far north, we'd recommend either hiring a car or a camper van to really make the most of this spectacular corner of the UK.
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By Pete Archer
Pete Archer is the Web Editor for IMB Magazine and when not sat behind his computer, he can usually be found behind some handlebars somewhere out on his local trails in the English Lake District. Riding bikes has always been a part of his life and it looks set to continue that way too!
