Wednesday 3rd July: Glencoe to the Argyll Forest - 95 miles

The Glencoe Independent Hostel is the perfect place for an overnight stop. Shared room, shower, communal kitchen and lounge. There's also a large drying room and with the Clachaig Inn a quarter mile away - a good shout all round for £16. The location is perfect if you are continuing along the Glencoe valley A82, however I'd decided to check out the new Sustrans route 78 to Oban which meant 3 miles back the way I'd come.

Outside the Clachaig Inn

Cloud hugging the tops of the Aonach Eagach ridge, considered to be the finest mainland ridge walk/scramble in Britain. I have fond memories of doing this in winter some years ago.

So, back to the cycling and to Ballachulish and the start of route 78.

Views across Loch Linnhe

Castle Stalker

Overall, this is a great path- very scenic, but as yet, the incomplete sections mean getting back on the A828 but with excellent signposting it's easy to find the next bit. Eventually I arrived at the Connell bridge and just as in the song (Roll me away) "I could go east, I could go west, it was all up to me to decide",

It was east on the main A85 until turning right on to the much quieter A819 to Inveraray. 

This was a fabulous section and after an initial incline the route was flat ish across the top before a glorious long descent into Inveraray. I just made it to the castle cafe in time for a latte!

Inveraray castle

On leaving, I noticed this ancient old road bridge over Loch Fyne.

I now had a long cycle to get round to the other side of Loch Fyne before taking the A815 to Dunoon where I would be crossing the Firth of Clyde in the morning to Greenock.

It was getting late and I wasn't sure where I was going to be sleeping. Each day I feel I can go on forever, but then if i'm camping I have to allow time to find somewhere. I stopped at a hotel for a bar meal and upon discovering B&B was £90, I was soon back on the bike pedalling into an ever darkening Argyll Forest. Fortunately after 5 miles or so i turned into a picnic area with a perfect spot for the tent.

I'm using a HiGear Soloista which is great for weight (1.63kg) and price (£30 Go Outdoors) but very small inside. I'm 5'10" and there's enough length to get a small bag, shoes, jacket etc at one end, but the lack of headroom is like being in bed and looking under the quilt down at your toes! Still, it packs up small. The tarp for the bike is a Homebase garden chair cover (£20) and is quite light.