Fort William to Glencoe Pass and onto Gretna Green
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert Nick Carthew - (MRA Master)
Last edit: 17-04-2025
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Verdict
Duration
8h 43m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
373.38 km
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RouteXpert Review The approach to the Glencoe Pass could not be more beautiful with the mountain Beinn a' Bheithir ('mountain of the beast' in English) right in front of you. It has two Munro summits: Sgorr Dhearg at 1,024 metres and Sgorr Dhonuill at 1,001 metres. The more rounded Creag Ghorm at 758 metres sits to the right. A Munro is any Scottish mountain over 3,000 feet (914 meters) in height.
Then you use the Ballachulish Bridge to cross over the 'Narrows of Patrick's Son' the stretch of water between Loch Leven and Loch Linnhe. The bridge opened on 23rd December 1975, replacing a long standing commercial service running since 1733, although doubtless ferry boats had criss-crossed the narrows long before that. The structure of the large steel box truss bridge seems to perfectly frame the approaching landscape.
Then comes the pass. This is one of those passes that you have to ride again, turn around at the top and ride back down to get a different view and then turn around again ride back up just in case you missed something. It truly is gorgeous.
As you leave the pass behind, you have the option to ride into Glen Etive, the fictional ancestral home of James Bond. The road leading down to Loch Etive, is a well-known filming location in the James Bond movie Skyfall.
A little further on as you ride over Rannoch Moor you get a fantastic view of the Grampian mountain range, one of the three major mountain ranges in Scotland.
This route stops at the famous Green Welly Stop, this gives you a chance to discuss with your buddies, what you have just ridden through! The Green Welly Stop is a refuelling and meeting place for motorcycles where you can buy just about anything remotely connected to Scotland. From a Haggis and a tartan kilt to a bottle of Whisky or a fluffy Loch Ness monster!
Next comes the beautiful Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, great roads and great scenery. Loch Lomond, nestled in the heart of Scotland's first National Park, is renowned for its stunning natural beauty and diverse wildlife. As the largest freshwater lake in Britain by surface area, Loch Lomond draws visitors from around the world, attracted by the sweeping landscapes, myriad activities, and rich history. At approximately 22 miles long, with varying widths up to 5 miles and a maximum depth of around 153 the ride alongside Loch Lomond seems to take forever.
There is a shock to your eyes as the route travels further south when it reaches the edge of Glasgow and civilization. This route avoids most of the hustle and bustle of city life by crossing the River Clyde over the Erskine Bridge and following the coast road which offers great views of the Isle of Bute and Isle of Arran. The route leaves the coast and heads inland at Ayr on the A713. This is a really great road on the edge of The Galloway Forest National Park and this route follows it for about 35 miles on towards the hotel for the night at Gretna Green.
Gretna Green is where young English couples would elope to, to marry their sweethearts as the laws in Scotland were different to those in England. The blacksmith would perform the wedding ceremony and the Old Blacksmiths is still there today, the route passes right by it so you can stop for a photo.
We spent our last night in Scotland at The Days Inn Hotel.
Enjoy
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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'.
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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 The Ultimate 10 Day (North) UK Tour
Starting from and returning to Harwich ferry port, this tour follows the east coast of England up to the Highlands of Scotland and returns via the Lake District. It visits 6 of the UK's national parks and explores 2 islands and visits 2 James Bond 007 film locations.
Daily highlights.
Day 1, Harwich to Wells Next the Sea:
Southwold lighthouse, Cromer Crab lunch and sleeping on a Dutch barge.
Day 2, Wells Next the Sea to Middlesbrough:
Royal Sandringham Estate, Humber Bridge, a lap of Oliver's Mount, North York Moors National Park, Whitby Abbey the inspiration for Dracula.
Day 3, Middlesbrough to Dundee:
Tees Transporter Bridge, Angel of the North, Bamburgh Castle, Holy Island of Lindisfarne.
Day 4, Dundee to Inverness:
Cairngorms National Park, Balmoral Castle, Whisky Distilleries.
Day 5, Inverness to Ullapool:
Exceptional Landscapes, Falls of Shin, Loch Drumbeg Viewpoint, Kylesku Bridge.
Day 6, Ullapool to Dornie:
Kinlochewe viewpoint, Applecross Pass, Isle of Skye.
Day 7, Dornie to Keswick:
Eilean Donan Castle (007), Glencoe Pass, Glen Etive (007), Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.
Day 8, Keswick to Kendal:
A tour of the Lake District National Park visiting 6 of the best passes including Wrynose Pass and Hardknott Pass and 7 of the great lakes including Ullswater and Windermere.
Day 9, Kendal to Matlock:
Yorkshire Dales National Park, Ribblehead Viaduct, Peak District National Park, Snake Pass, Matlock Bath (motorcycle Mecca).
Day 10, Matlock to Harwich:
Heckington Windmill, Moulton Windmill, Dutch Quarter in Colchester.
By starting from Harwich, this tour avoids the traffic congestion of the south east and London making it perfect for European visitors wanting to see some of the best landscapes and sights that the north of the UK has to offer.
The cost of the ferry from Hoek Van Holland to Harwich return for motorcycle and rider costs £139.00 (163.51 Euro) (in 2019) which includes a cabin on the outward leg.
Where possible, motorways have been avoided and scenic routes are used every day.
Enjoy.
Daily highlights.
Day 1, Harwich to Wells Next the Sea:
Southwold lighthouse, Cromer Crab lunch and sleeping on a Dutch barge.
Day 2, Wells Next the Sea to Middlesbrough:
Royal Sandringham Estate, Humber Bridge, a lap of Oliver's Mount, North York Moors National Park, Whitby Abbey the inspiration for Dracula.
Day 3, Middlesbrough to Dundee:
Tees Transporter Bridge, Angel of the North, Bamburgh Castle, Holy Island of Lindisfarne.
Day 4, Dundee to Inverness:
Cairngorms National Park, Balmoral Castle, Whisky Distilleries.
Day 5, Inverness to Ullapool:
Exceptional Landscapes, Falls of Shin, Loch Drumbeg Viewpoint, Kylesku Bridge.
Day 6, Ullapool to Dornie:
Kinlochewe viewpoint, Applecross Pass, Isle of Skye.
Day 7, Dornie to Keswick:
Eilean Donan Castle (007), Glencoe Pass, Glen Etive (007), Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.
Day 8, Keswick to Kendal:
A tour of the Lake District National Park visiting 6 of the best passes including Wrynose Pass and Hardknott Pass and 7 of the great lakes including Ullswater and Windermere.
Day 9, Kendal to Matlock:
Yorkshire Dales National Park, Ribblehead Viaduct, Peak District National Park, Snake Pass, Matlock Bath (motorcycle Mecca).
Day 10, Matlock to Harwich:
Heckington Windmill, Moulton Windmill, Dutch Quarter in Colchester.
By starting from Harwich, this tour avoids the traffic congestion of the south east and London making it perfect for European visitors wanting to see some of the best landscapes and sights that the north of the UK has to offer.
The cost of the ferry from Hoek Van Holland to Harwich return for motorcycle and rider costs £139.00 (163.51 Euro) (in 2019) which includes a cabin on the outward leg.
Where possible, motorways have been avoided and scenic routes are used every day.
Enjoy.
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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