Durness Ullapool Loch Ness Fort William
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert Nick Carthew - (MRA Master)
Last edit: 23-01-2024
Route Summary
A beautiful ride south passing loch after loch after loch. Stunning scenery along the entire route.This route well and truly deserves the 5***** stars that I have awarded it. It is an exceptional route that you must do.
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Verdict
Duration
9h 32m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
354.30 km
Countries
Ardvreck Castle RP 7
RouteXpert Review
This route formed part of our Lands End to John O' Groats trip in May 2016 and this section would be the first to head south. WHAT a great ride this was! The route starts from The Lazy Crofter Bunkhouse and follows the shoreline of Loch Durness, it then passes beautiful loch after beautiful loch with plenty of places to stop and take photographs. Route point (RP) 6 is Kylesku Bridge, because of the curvature the bridge is 276m long but only crosses a 130m stretch of water! The bridge is transformed into something very special by its wonderfully curved design and the stunning scenery of this part of the Scottish Highlands. The route passes the ruins of Ardvreck Castle at RP 7, it is said to have been built towards the end of the 16 c and formerly the residence of Neil Macleod but sadly it is now in a ruinous state.
Ullapool at RP 10 is the first town of any size, we had a nice coffee and cake here at The Ferry Boat Inn and also topped up with fuel even though we had only traveled 67 miles. From here the routes heads toward the north end of Loch Ness, my wife wanted to see if we could see Nessie the Loch Ness Monster so we started our quest at Urquhart Castle RP 18, a good place to look for Nessie, sadly, we never saw her! The route follows the shore of Loch Ness to Fort Augustus RP 19 where you can see the 5 large locks that form part of the Caledonian Ship Canal that joins the east coast to the west coast. We stopped here for a coffee and had nice fish and chips from The Moorings restaurant.
From here the route heads for Fort William and the hotel for the night. We stayed at the Onich Hotel overlooking Loch Linnhe but as Fort William is a tourist destination, there is plenty of accommodation available to suit all needs.
As you can see by the amount of green, pink and yellow route markers, there is lots to see on this route and I would allow 6 hours to fully enjoy it. Links for the bunkhouse and hotel are below this review along with a link to a YouTube video that I made during our ride.
Kylesku Bridge RP 6
Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle RP 18
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Disclaimer
Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Nearby routes
Scotland
About this region
Scotland (Scots: Scotland, Scottish Gaelic: Alba [ˈal̪ˠapə] (listen)) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a 96-mile (154-kilometre) border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the North Sea to the northeast and east, and the Irish Sea to the south. It also contains more than 790 islands, principally in the archipelagos of the Hebrides and the Northern Isles. Most of the population, including the capital Edinburgh, is concentrated in the Central Belt—the plain between the Scottish Highlands and the Southern Uplands—in the Scottish Lowlands.
Scotland is divided into 32 administrative subdivisions or local authorities, known as council areas. Glasgow City is the largest council area in terms of population, with Highland being the largest in terms of area. Limited self-governing power, covering matters such as education, social services and roads and transportation, is devolved from the Scottish Government to each subdivision. Scotland is the second-largest country in the United Kingdom, and accounted for 8.3% of the population in 2012.The Kingdom of Scotland emerged as an independent sovereign state in the 9th century and continued to exist until 1707. By inheritance in 1603, James VI of Scotland became king of England and Ireland, thus forming a personal union of the three kingdoms. Scotland subsequently entered into a political union with the Kingdom of England on 1 May 1707 to create the new Kingdom of Great Britain. The union also created the Parliament of Great Britain, which succeeded both the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England. In 1801, the Kingdom of Great Britain entered into a political union with the Kingdom of Ireland to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (in 1922, the Irish Free State seceded from the United Kingdom, leading to the latter being officially renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1927).Within Scotland, the monarchy of the United Kingdom has continued to use a variety of styles, titles and other royal symbols of statehood specific to the pre-union Kingdom of Scotland. The legal system within Scotland has also remained separate from those of England and Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland constitutes a distinct jurisdiction in both public and private law. The continued existence of legal, educational, religious and other institutions distinct from those in the remainder of the UK have all contributed to the continuation of Scottish culture and national identity since the 1707 incorporating union with England.In 1999, a Scottish Parliament was re-established, in the form of a devolved unicameral legislature comprising 129 members, having authority over many areas of domestic policy. The head of the Scottish Government is the first minister of Scotland, who is supported by the deputy first minister of Scotland. Scotland is represented in the United Kingdom Parliament by 59 members of parliament (MPs). It is also a member of the British–Irish Council, sending five members of the Scottish Parliament to the British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly, as well as being part of the Joint Ministerial Committee, represented by the first minister.
Read more on Wikipedia
Scotland is divided into 32 administrative subdivisions or local authorities, known as council areas. Glasgow City is the largest council area in terms of population, with Highland being the largest in terms of area. Limited self-governing power, covering matters such as education, social services and roads and transportation, is devolved from the Scottish Government to each subdivision. Scotland is the second-largest country in the United Kingdom, and accounted for 8.3% of the population in 2012.The Kingdom of Scotland emerged as an independent sovereign state in the 9th century and continued to exist until 1707. By inheritance in 1603, James VI of Scotland became king of England and Ireland, thus forming a personal union of the three kingdoms. Scotland subsequently entered into a political union with the Kingdom of England on 1 May 1707 to create the new Kingdom of Great Britain. The union also created the Parliament of Great Britain, which succeeded both the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England. In 1801, the Kingdom of Great Britain entered into a political union with the Kingdom of Ireland to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (in 1922, the Irish Free State seceded from the United Kingdom, leading to the latter being officially renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1927).Within Scotland, the monarchy of the United Kingdom has continued to use a variety of styles, titles and other royal symbols of statehood specific to the pre-union Kingdom of Scotland. The legal system within Scotland has also remained separate from those of England and Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland constitutes a distinct jurisdiction in both public and private law. The continued existence of legal, educational, religious and other institutions distinct from those in the remainder of the UK have all contributed to the continuation of Scottish culture and national identity since the 1707 incorporating union with England.In 1999, a Scottish Parliament was re-established, in the form of a devolved unicameral legislature comprising 129 members, having authority over many areas of domestic policy. The head of the Scottish Government is the first minister of Scotland, who is supported by the deputy first minister of Scotland. Scotland is represented in the United Kingdom Parliament by 59 members of parliament (MPs). It is also a member of the British–Irish Council, sending five members of the Scottish Parliament to the British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly, as well as being part of the Joint Ministerial Committee, represented by the first minister.
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Route Collections in this region
6 Must do routes in The Highlands of Scotland
This collection of routes in the spectacular Scottish Highland's offers a great way to experience the full spectrum of what this region has to offer - snowcapped mountains, loch after loch, areas of solitary wilderness, white sandy beaches and a multitude of historic castles and buildings that reflect the past, the Highland's have everything. The weather however, cannot be guaranteed and somebody once said " Nobody visits Scotland for the weather"!
May can be a very good time of year to visit - temperatures can be pleasant and it's often a dry month with the added bonus that it's too early for the midgies. Many of the roads are single lane but largely empty and well maintained so the riding is comfortable and stress free allowing you to take in the views and there really is a wow around every corner. The pass at Glencoe for example is staggeringly impressive - you can actually see the geology and appreciate how it was scooped out by glaciers.
The people you encounter are warm and engaging and the food is good.
The very popular North Coast 500 route is included for those of you with Iron Butts that like a 1 day challenge. For me, the best way of enjoying the NC 500 is with two overnight stops, so the route includes these if required.
May can be a very good time of year to visit - temperatures can be pleasant and it's often a dry month with the added bonus that it's too early for the midgies. Many of the roads are single lane but largely empty and well maintained so the riding is comfortable and stress free allowing you to take in the views and there really is a wow around every corner. The pass at Glencoe for example is staggeringly impressive - you can actually see the geology and appreciate how it was scooped out by glaciers.
The people you encounter are warm and engaging and the food is good.
The very popular North Coast 500 route is included for those of you with Iron Butts that like a 1 day challenge. For me, the best way of enjoying the NC 500 is with two overnight stops, so the route includes these if required.
View Route Collection
6 Routes
2275.79 km
57h 3m
Top 10 Downloaded UK routes by RouteXpert Nick Carthew
Hello and welcome to this collection of the Top 10 MyRoute app downloaded routes in the UK.
There will be a great new event to be announced soon, where all these routes can be ridden.
Download them all now and place them in a new "Top 10" folder, so that you always have them at hand.
If you are going to drive one of these routes in the meantime, track them with the MRA Mobile App or with MRA Navigation. Take some photos (moments) along the way as these will come in handy.
Create a travelstory of your Top 10 driven routes and add the recorded track to it.
There will also be some great prizes on offer, so keep an eye on the MRA-RouteXperts page and your email.
There will be a great new event to be announced soon, where all these routes can be ridden.
Download them all now and place them in a new "Top 10" folder, so that you always have them at hand.
If you are going to drive one of these routes in the meantime, track them with the MRA Mobile App or with MRA Navigation. Take some photos (moments) along the way as these will come in handy.
Create a travelstory of your Top 10 driven routes and add the recorded track to it.
There will also be some great prizes on offer, so keep an eye on the MRA-RouteXperts page and your email.
View Route Collection
10 Routes
2910.58 km
83h 52m