Revisiting favourite rides

17 Monday Nov 2025

Posted by theoldbikeshome in achill, Creeslough, Croagh Patrick, Cycle touring, Doe Castle, Doolough Valley, errigal, Great Western Greenway, Greenway, killary, L&LSR, leenaun, mayo, Mullraney, Killary Fjord,, Newport, Owencarrow Viaduct, Townsend BX-40, westport

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achill, cycle touring, cycling, Donegal, Doolough, Great Western Greenway, hiking, Ireland, killary fjord, leenaun, Mullraney, Mullranney, Newport, photography, Townsend BX-40, travel, westport, Westport House, wild atlantic way

I suppose every cyclist has their favourite rides. It is always good to explore new territory, but it is also nice to repeat old ones. You can very often see something new. During October, I took the time to revisit some old favourites that I haven’t done in years, probably since before breaking my ankle in 2021. One of my favourite routes in the entire country (that I’ve seen so far) is to leave Westport and cycle along the coast to Louisburgh and then through the Doolough Valley to Lenaun and Killary Fjord and then back to Westport by going over the Sheffrey Pass. It is true I’ve been around Lenaun and Killary a few times in the past few years as I’ve based myself at the Ben Lettery Hostel in Connemara on a number of occasions. It is too far from there to make a loop around from Westport and back over the mountains for a day ride.

Staying in Westport, you can also easily ride the Great Western Greenway, something I’ve done many times in the past and am always happy to do again. Westport is also (in my opinion) one of the nicest towns to stay in in the entire country. Yes, it can be a bit touristy, and it’s often busy, but on the other hand, it is so beautiful along the river and the many stone bridges, there are hundreds of acres of beautiful parkland to explore and leave the hectic modern world behind in the grounds of Westport House. Westport also has a great live music scene in the many friendly pubs in the town, something that is worth of exploring. The problem is that accommodation has become very expensive in recent years so I haven’t stayed there in quite some time. Sometimes, you need to treat yourself.

My plans got off to a bad start. I had originally planned to go on the first weekend of October to make a long weekend out of it, driving down with my bike on Friday evening and having Monday off work. It would leave me Saturday and Sunday to do my two planned rides. The complicating factor was the weather forecast suddenly became very unfriendly. A red weather warning was issued for the Friday, and the Saturday didn’t appear that much better. I usually don’t change plans for bad weather, but a red warning is somewhat different. Reluctantly, I made the decision to cancel my accommodation. On hindsight, I believe it was the right thing to do as it wouldn’t really have been safe to have driven to Westport during Storm Amy. I decided to re-schedule for the following weekend.

That still left me with a Monday off work and I decided to make use of it by riding another route I used to love but hadn’t done in a very long time. I would ride to Creeslough, and come back to Letterkenny around the back of Errigal via Dunlewey. This is quite a distance in some challenging terrain for a day ride. I wanted to make an early start. From September onwards, you start to run out of daylight for these long rides, especially if you do them at the speed I ride at! I would use my Townsend; I would need low gears.

Leaving Letterkenny and making my way around Churchill using minor roads, I briefly joined the R251 before turning on to the L1332 which would take me to Creeslough. This was one option. I thought about going over Lough Salt, or following the Velo 1 route from Letterkenny via Ramelton and Milford, but I decided on this. I hadn’t cycled this road in many years. I wanted to visit the monument which has been built to remember the those who died in January 1925 when the L&LS Railway Company’s Letterkenny to Burtonport train was derailed from the top of the Owencarrow Viaduct by a storm. It is a chilling thought, and as I stood and looked at the remains of the Owencarrow Viaduct, it re-affirmed in my mind that I was right not to travel to Westport during a red storm warning a few days previously. This may have been one hundred years previously, but it is a reminder of the freak things that can happen as the result of extreme weather. It must have been a terrifying experience for the people on board the train that night.

When I reached the N56, I could have turned toward Creeslough on the main road. This would have been easiest and quickest. I had made good progress though, and the weather was nice, if a little breezy. I decided to make a detour. By crossing the N56, and carrying on via the L2572 towards Doe Castle, I would pick up the Velo 1 route which I could then follow to Creeslough and on to Dunlewey.

Doe Castle (Caisleán na dTuath) stands sentry on Sheephaven bay. Doe Castle dates from the fifteenth century and was the stronghold of Clan tSuibhne (Clan McSweeney), with architectural similarities to a Scottish tower house. I have always been fascinated by this tower house and its defensive walls, set on a small peninsula so it is surrounded on three sides by water. I didn’t visit the castle today, but did have my lunch on the picnic benches in the shade of an oak tree. The ground was covered in acorns.

From Doe Castle, I picked up the Velo 1 signs and continued on towards Creeslough, a town I am sure will never be the same again after the tragedy that occurred a few years ago following a gas explosion. There is something chilling about cycling past the scene, and the shrine to those who died. Just like the railway accident I mentioned earlier, this is further proof that none of us really know when our life is about to be cut short.

From Creeslough, I head towards the mountains. Ards Friary is also nearby and well worth taking time to explore, but it wouldn’t be today. I still had a lot of ground to cover. It would have been possible to do at least some of the ride on the old Burtonport line which has now been converted into a shared use path for sort sections of its length, but I decided to stay on the road and follow the Velo 1 signs. Plans were starting to form in my head that I really should complete this route in its entirety at some point in the future.

So far, the weather had remained dry but it was becoming increasingly windy and I had one of those character-building headwinds that you often get in the west of Donegal. My ride would take me through the Derryveagh mountains, in the shadow of Muckish and around the back of Errigal, as well as touching on a lot of the old railway line and some of its bridges, old stations, etc., and places where the track bed can clearly be seen. Hopefully, someday this will all be surfaced and converted into what would be a hugely impressive greenway. I believe the last train ran in 1947.

The head wind was getting worse and turning it into a real slog now, speeds dropping into single figures even on the descents as I struggled to overcome the wind resistance. I did have an option near Falcarragh where I could have shortened the ride but didn’t take it. I was starting to regret it now! Eventually I reached Dunlewey and turned left onto the R251. It was drizzling rain now too and I still had quite a distance to cover back to Letterkenny and I was no way behind schedule.

Thankfully, the wind was now behind me (I used to believe tailwinds were just a myth, but here is evidence they do occasionally exist!). It allowed me to make up time riding along through the Poisoned Glen where the road overlooks the ruined church at twenty plus MPH with not too much effort.

Normally when I ride this road, I usually take the bridal path from the Glenveagh National Park through the mountains back to near Churchill. It is a pleasant ride, and nice to get away from the traffic. It is a gravel road and quite steep though, so much so much slower than being on the road. I decided to stay on the road. Traffic was light, and even though I did have dynamo lights, my preference was to get home before it was dark.

I made it eventually, with around eighty miles covered, some of it facing one of the worst head winds I remember. It really was an all-day ride. I enjoyed it all the same, felt I had overcome a challenge. The terrain was difficult anyway but the wind added a much greater challenge. It re-affirmed something I learned about cycle touring a long time ago. It’s not about speed, it’s about stamina and endurance, and the right mental strengths are as important as overall fitness. It won’t always be easy. There will be days were conditions make it challenging. You need not just fitness, but the ability to pace yourself and the mental stamina to keep going when the conditions are challenging. I knew to keep a steady effort up when faced with a strong headwind, but not try to attack it. I wasn’t racing anyone so I rode slowly and conserved energy. I then still had the energy to make up time from Dunlewey to Glenveagh when the conditions were in my favour.

The following Friday, I had my bike loaded into the car and was on my way to Westport in the evening (I usually finish work early on a Friday) one week later than originally planned. I had enough time to make it to Westport in daylight. The difference a week made to the weather was unbelievable. From a red weather warning and Storm Amy to calmness, bright blue skies and much warmer than you might expect in October. The drive to Westport was uneventful, but confirmed to me that driving is a much less enjoyable way to travel than cycling, even if it is more convenient. I checked into the B&B I had booked in advance and walked the short distance into town in search of food and then some live traditional music.

I had my breakfast at around eight on the Saturday morning and then retrieved the bike from the car. This would be another all-day ride. I was really looking forward to it. The weather couldn’t really have been any better. Warm enough not to feel cold but not too hot. Clear skies and most unusually for the west coast of Ireland, only the slightest hint of a breeze. A convenient accident meant I had booked a B&B adjacent to the turn-off for the R335 which would take me to Louisburgh.

The plan has always been to extend the Greenway from Westport to Louisburgh, although this always seems to be in dispute. I’m not sure what the objections are but I think it would be a great asset to the area and would increase tourism. As it is, there is a cycle path of sorts between Westport and Murrisk at the foot of Croagh Patrick, although it’s far ideal. I like Murrisk, the small village in the shadow of one of Ireland’s most iconic mountains. Croagh Patrick’s peak was shrouded in mist today but it was no less beautiful. I’ve climbed several times. I must build up my hiking distances over the winter and tackle it again next year as the view from the top is amazing. I’ve just been wary of it since my accident due to my weak ankle and the fact that the path is so worn that it’s loose and very easy to injure an ankle. Thousands climb it every year, especially on Reek Sunday. It is a pilgrimage for many as St. Patrick spent forty days there in solitude. Some even climb it in their bare feet.

Murrisk is also the location of the National Memorial to the Great Famine of the 1840s, Mayo being one of the places which was worst affected. It is cause to pause for thought that we are so lucky today despite the doom and gloom the newspapers like publish. From Murrisk, I carried on along the R335 to Louisburgh. It’s not a bad road to ride really as traffic isn’t too heavy and it’s mostly very wide.

I stopped briefly in Louisburgh to buy some things in the shop. I’ve never spent much time in Louisburgh but it always seemed a nice town. The Irish name is Cluain Cearbán, meaning “meadow of the buttercups” which makes it sound a really peaceful place. It is actually a planned town, dating from the late eighteenth century, and was built by the First Marquess of Sligo, John Denis Browne of Westport, to house Catholic refugees who fled sectarian conflict in the north of Ireland. He named it in memory of his uncle who had fought against the French at the Battle of Louisburg in 1758.

You can carry on from Louisburgh to Roonagh Pier (where you can catch the ferry to Clare Island and Inishturk) and to a very scenic beach, but I would be continuing through the Doolough Valley as this is really what I had planned this trip around. I never grow tired of this route. I could sit all day at the viewing point just looking at the mountains and the beautiful tranquillity of Doo Lough. There is also a monument here too the unknown number who died in this area in 1849 from Starvation after walking from Westport to Delphi to meet with the Poor Lords to try to gain admittance to Westport Workhouse. The Poor Lords refused to help and went back to eating their dinner. As Robert Burns wrote “Man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn.” Sadly, this type of thing is still happening in other parts of the world today.

I had options. I had wanted to return via the Sheffrey Pass, one of my favourite roads or I could extend the ride to Leenaun. I had made good progress and was feeling good. I decided to go to Leenaun on the shore of Killary Fjord. This route took me past Aasleagh Falls, very impressive after the recent storms and high rainfall. I had something to eat in Leenaun before retracing my steps back to the base of the Sheffrey Pass. Doo Lough reflected the light and the surrounding mountains like a mirror on this unbelievable calm day.

My ride so far had been relatively straightforward with no serious climbing involved. That would be changing very soon as I was going to ride over the Sheffrey Mountains. In reality, this isn’t too bad. It’s long climbs rather than short, steep climbs and if you have the right gearing, you can find your pedalling rhythm. After the climbs of the Kintyre peninsula earlier in the year, this seemed like little more than a speed bump! It is well worth it for the views.

Eventually you reach the top and then have a long descent. I didn’t see a single car on my whole time on the mountain. This is the type of cycle route that I like, and they have become increasingly hard to find. The road brings you to Liscarney eventually, where you can join the N59 and a relatively easy ride back to Westport. I tried to find an alternative route and continually got lost, and found myself going up several dead ends. Daylight was getting low so I gave up in the end and rejoined the N59 and took the easy but busier option. It wasn’t too bad really as there wasn’t much traffic at this time of the evening. It was completely dark when I arrived back in Westport and I was glad of my dynamo lights. I had covered around eighty miles for my day.

After leaving my bike at the B&B and getting washed and changed, I walked the short distance into Westport in search of food and music and I found both. I haven’t had the opportunity to do that many long rides this year so I was happy with my day and that I felt perfectly fine afterwards.

The Sunday morning also looked promising with clear blue skies and sunshine. I was going to make today a leisurely ride out the Greenway. What was obvious once I set off after breakfast was that today was much colder than it had been yesterday. I regretted not wearing an extra layer. I tried to follow the cycle route signs but kept getting it wrong and ended up with a couple of laps of the Malls. This highlights the issue with a lot of cycle “infrastructure” in Irish towns. It’s rarely safe and rarely user-friendly. I just used the road until I could join the Greenway on the outskirts of town. Westport has always been a cycle-friendly town anyway in my opinion with none of the aggressive driving that is sadly all too common in the more northern parts of the country.

I’ve cycled this greenway quite a few times and I always enjoy it. Early on a chilly, but sunny Sunday morning, there weren’t that many people using it. A few dog walkers and one large group of cyclists, presumably part of a local club and were going much faster than me. I always have mixed feelings about building greenways as the powers that be should be doing more to make the normal roads more cycle friendly. Greenways are great for leisure cyclists and great tourist asset but do little for people who want to cycle to work or for other utility purposes.

You rejoin the road on the way into Newport. Newport is a nice little harbour town. You get a nice view of the viaduct that carried the Achill train when the line was operational and Newport Station still exists if you go looking for it. I didn’t on this occasion. There is also a sculpture of Gráinne Mhaol or Grace O’Malley, Connaught’s famous pirate queen and much celebrated in this area. I don’t remember seeing this sculpture before so I guess it is reasonably new (or I’m not as observant as I should be). I like it. One of the things I always like about cycle touring at a leisurely pace is that you notice all sorts of artwork, monuments and other things of interest as you move around.

Outside of Newport, you re-join the Greenway again as you make you way to Mulranney. You can stop at what was Mulranney Station. When I first cycled the greenway many years ago, this was a complete ruin and looked ready for demolition. It has now been restored to its former glory and is used as a halting place with picnic tables on the old platform, toilets, public drinking what tap and also a shop (which was closed on this Sunday morning. There are other railway related items around, such as the old water tower and nearby, there is the hotel which was originally built by the railway company to try to generate trade and sell combined tickets. It was an idea that possibly ahead of its time. I did stop for a while and eat a snack and talk to a few other cyclists and walkers who were around. Everyone was commenting on the sudden change in the weather as it was suddenly much colder than it had been previously.

I made my way towards Achill. I never tire of the views of Clew Bay and its island for every day of the year. I do sometimes question the point of these greenways as they’re not really beneficial in most cases for utility cyclists (which is what needs to be encouraged in my opinion to break the over-reliance on cars and the problems they cause) but there is no doubt they make wonderful leisure facilities. I pondered this when I rode the Boyne Valley to Lakelands Greenway earlier this year too. Once you take the cars away, people mostly slow to a more leisurely pace and you often find yourself talking to others in a way you rarely would if cycling on all but the quietest of roads.

You rejoin the road near Achill Sound where the road bridge takes you to the island if you wish. I had time so decided I would. Achill is beautiful island and it’s always been on my to-do list to do a much more detailed tour of the island itself. Today would be just a flying visit as I was going to have to ride back to Westport. Achill Island is connected to the mainland by the Michael Davitt Bridge, named after Michael Davitt, the Mayo man who was one of the founders of the Irish National Land League and played an important role in Irish history in the nineteenth century as a political activist. This is actually the third bridge to join Achill to the mainland, the first being opened in 1887. This was replaced with a larger and better bridge in 1949 and a third bridge built in 2007. These bridges were all swing bridges which open to allow boats to pass below.

Once on the island, there is now a new piece of greenway on Achill itself which I wanted to check out. It’s very nice, but only a few miles long, eventually joining the R319. I continued along the R319 until I reached Keel Strand. I’ve always liked this beach. It was mostly deserted on this cold October day, apart from a few determined dog walkers. I ate my lunch before starting my return journey. I stopped briefly at the new Achill Island Distillery, which I was unaware of as it wasn’t there the last time I cycled in Achill Island. I stopped briefly at what was the old Achill station from the time when the railway was operational. It is nice that it has survived.

From there, the return journey was mostly a repeat of the outward leg. It usually try to aim for circular routes but it can be nice to re-trace your steps too as you can get a different perspective on a route when going in the opposite direction. I can confirm the Greenway is nice in either direction. I was almost dark as I arrived back in Westport. After putting the bike back in the car and having a shower and changing clothes, I walked the short distance into the town centre in search of food and music and found both. I had cycled nearly 160 miles over the two days and enjoyed it immensely.#

The next morning was also nice and slightly warmer than the previous day. I had brought hiking boots and had considered an attempt on Croke Patrick but decided against it. I still haven’t tackled anything that ambitious since breaking my ankle and the loose surface on Croke Patrick concerns me. I do need to be careful. I opted for a leisurely day spent looking around the bookshops, the harbour and also the wonderful park and gardens attached to Westport House. The people of Westport are lucky to have such a great facility on their doorstep free of charge.

I really enjoyed my few days in Westport, just like I had enjoyed the ride around the back of Errigal the previous week. I remembered why I like these places so much and feel privileged to have the opportunity to explore them by bike. I hope to do it all again at some point in the future. Westport remains one of my favourite Irish towns with its beautifully preserved Georgian buildings, interesting layout and riverside walks, the magnificent Westport House and gardens, the many options for cycling in the area and the wonderful live music bars and friendly natives. I wish my trip had been longer.

Sore backs and yellow warnings

05 Friday Sep 2025

Posted by theoldbikeshome in Ben Lettery, clifden, connemara, Connemara National Park, Cycle touring, Diamond Hill, Galway, inishbofin, Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh, Patrick Pearse, Townsend BX-40, Uncategorized, wild atlantic way

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Cleggan, clifden, connemara, Connemara National Park, cycle touring, Galway, inishbofin, Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh, Ireland, MTB, Patrick Pearse, Ros Muc, Townsend BX-40, wild atlantic way

Earlier in the year, I had spent a few days cycling in Connemara which I had really enjoyed. I had also identified a few different routes I would like to cycle. I hoped to do these at some point next year. I had a few days off work at the end of August. I had planned to do a little cycling trip. I had other plans that didn’t work at this time as I couldn’t find affordable accommodation. I decided to go back to Connemara, staying in the Ben Lettery Hostel as before.

The long range forecast was not looking so good and yellow weather warnings were mentioned but I booked it anyway. I don’t melt in the rain after all. Recently I had been feeling more motivated and doing more regular training rides of around twenty miles on single speed to try and get my fitness back to where I would like it to be. I was starting to feel the benefits and had lost a little weight as well. Then a few days before I was due to leave, I was riding my single speed Raleigh Pioneer when the bottom bracket spindle snapped when climbing a hill. I could see that it wasn’t a complete fresh break as around half of it was black. I can only image it had been damaged when I got hit by the car that shattered my ankle and it had taken until now to break it completely. I can’t think what else would have damaged it. It shows that if a cycle part has taken an impact, it’s possibly better to replace it.

I didn’t actually fall when the crank dropped off under load, but I did land heavily on the nose of the saddle and bruised myself. I also managed to twist my back in some way, it felt strange at the time and I was really stiff and in pain the next morning. It could have been worse, but it was hardly a good start to a planned cycling break. The back injury combined with the now atrocious weather forecast made me tempted to cancel it but I decided to go anyway as I felt like a few days to relax.

With my bike in the back of the car, I drove to Clifden, sitting in the car caused problems and I had to stop a few times to get out and walk around a bit. I seemed to really struggle with inactivity. Once I was moving and freed out, my back wasn’t too bad. The weather wasn’t too bad on the way down, although colder than it had been for most of August. There was a yellow weather warning in place from 6PM and for most of the following day with rain easing off in the afternoon.

After buying some groceries in the supermarket in Clifden, I made my way to the hostel, located on the N59 a few miles outside Clifden on the road to Galway city. I checked in and made myself something to eat and relaxed for the evening. I could hear the rain on the windows, one of those evenings where you can be glad to be inside.

It was still pouring rain the following morning. I struggled to get out of bed as my back hurt and was very stiff and I questioned the wisdom of coming here at all. I did start to free out once I started to move around a bit. The weather didn’t look very promising looking with wind a showers.

After breakfast went for a walk around outside during a break in the showers and felt not too bad. I decided to risk a short ride to see how I would feel. In the past, I have found gentle cycling spinning a low gear has usually helped my back when it’s sore. I put on my waterproof jacket and ventured down the road and I felt okay, so I kept going.

I wasn’t going to do the route I had hoped to do as it might be too much for my back at the moment as would have been about seventy miles and quite hilly in places. I wanted a gentle ride so stuck to where it wouldn’t have too many hills. I headed off on the N59 towards Oughterard. I would have options. I could turn towards Ballynahinch on the R341 or towards Carna on the R340. Both would be reasonably flat.

I choose the R340, which would have formed part of the route I was going to do anyway. This would also take me towards Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh at Ros Muc, something I had planned on visiting anyway. I was feeling okay and enjoying the ride despite the rain. The wind could make it challenging at times as Connemara roads often offer little shelter from the wind. I barely seen a car on these roads which is always a recipe for pleasant riding. There was still plenty to see too despite the much reduced visibility due to the mist. Around here, in some parts, you could feel nothing much has changed in fifty or a hundred years with the drystone walls and at this time of year, the stacks of turf in the bog waiting to be transported home for winter firing. Tractors have replaced donkeys over the years as the preferred method of bringing home the turf. It is nice to see so many lightweight tractors, some nearly seventy years old, still earning their keep for this purpose. Their light weight a huge advantage in a peat bog.

The only problem was that I had come out without bringing any food or drinks as I had only originally planned on riding a mile or two down the road. I wasn’t too worried as I knew there is a café at Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh. When I arrived, I was surprised to find I was not the only cyclist mad enough to go out in such weather as there were another three cyclists also visiting. I was disappointed to find the café was closed as I was thirsty and could have done with a snack. I decided I would still see around the visitors’ centre and the cottage, conscious that I was dripping water from my clothes as walked around.

Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh is a modern visitors’ centre built near the cottage which was owned by Patrick Pearse. Pearse was born in Dublin in 1879, was a barrister, a teacher, a poet, a writer, a nationalist and one of the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic. Pearse developed a great love of the Irish Language and became involved in the Conradh na Gaeilge (Gaelic League) at sixteen. He became editor of An Claidheamh Soluis (The Sword of Light) at the age of twenty-three. In his thirties, he became increasingly interested in Irish Nationalism.

The cottage dates from around 1870. Pearse used it as a summer retreat, and to write and study the Irish Language. He also held summer schools here for boys from Dublin. I can see why he liked it here in this picturesque and tranquil setting. The cottage seems so basic when we look at what we think we need today. He had little apart from basic furniture and books. I believe he last visited Ros Muc in the summer of 1915. He was executed by British Army firing squad in May 1916 for his part in the Easter Rising. It was fascinating to get a glimpse into the life of someone I had only ever previously read about in history books, and I knew very little about the man himself. He was clearly someone of great intelligence.

The cottage was passed to his mother on his death, and was burnt down by the Black and Tans in 1921. The family has it restored. It was given over to the State by his sisters in 1943 and has been preserved as a National Monument. The visitors’ centre is a modern addition and very interesting and educational. I consider it definitely worth a visit if you have an interest in history.

I went looking for a shop. There is a rural post office a few miles from Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh at Ros Muc peninsula. Ros Muc is actually a good example of the descriptive nature of Irish place names as Ros Muc literally means the “headland of the pig,” a reference to rounded pig-like rounded hills. The English translations of Irish place names lose the meaning. Ros Muc has one of the highest percentages of Irish speakers in the country, this would have been part of the reason Pearse came here as he was interested in the Irish Language.

I found the post office, one of those fascinating places where you can buy anything from a cement mixer to a packet of biscuits. It was closed for lunch between 1 and 2 so I would have another thirty-five minutes to wait before I could buy any food. Breakfast at 7am was now a long time ago. I went for a little ride along the coast in the rain before coming back for opening time. I got a bottle of water and few bits and pieces to eat which I ate at the leeward side of the shop to take shelter from the wind. I noted the memorial to the founder of the Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society.

The cycling had helped my back enormously but had done nothing for the weather which showed no sign of improving. I decided to just make my way back to the hostel. I largely just retraced my steps as there isn’t a huge selection of roads in these parts. I was surprised to find I had covered just over forty miles when I got back. I was very wet, but had enjoyed the day despite the weather. You can’t really prevent yourself from getting wet when cycling, the important point is to keep warm. Wet is okay, cold and wet is miserable. Ironically, as I got closer to the hostel, the weather suddenly began to improve with the sun putting in an appearance.

I had a shower and some dry clothes before making myself an evening meal. I had a relaxing evening. The hostel was quite busy, including a few other cyclists so there were plenty of people to chat to. Considering how warm it had been for most of August, today had been a culture shock in some ways. It wasn’t just the rain or the wind but it was suddenly noticeably colder and I was pleased I hadn’t worn shorts. Later in the evening, it also seemed to get dark earlier than usual. Signs that summer is now at an end.

The next day was Friday, and the weather forecast was much more promising for today, with less wind and early morning rain was to give way to afternoon sunshine. It was for this reason that I had planned a day-trip to Inishbofin Island for today and booked the earliest ferry at 11:30 am, and the last ferry back at 5:00pm. In normal circumstances, I would have ridden the approximately fifteen miles to the ferry port at Cleggan, but it was raining quite heavily first thing and my back was sore and stiff again when I got up. The route between Clifden and Cleggan also involves quite a bit of climbing. I was worried I might have overdone it the previous day.

For this reason, I took the bike in the car to Cleggan in good time for the 11:30 ferry. Again, as I had started to move about in the morning, my back had started to improve. By the time I reach Cleggan, the rain had stopped and there were signs of a blue sky. The day was reasonably clear and the wind had calmed, although there was still quite a swell in the sea.

The crossing takes about half an hour and I stayed out on deck the whole time. The ferry was much busier than I had expected and was also carrying quite a bit of cargo as they were taking out supplies to the businesses on the island. The sun had come out by now and added some heat but the crossing was still quite rough due to the swell in the sea.

After disembarking the ferry on Inishbofin pier, I wondered where I should go first as I had no particular plan or hadn’t really researched what I might find on the island. It would be the magical mystery tour! I decided to go right and circumnavigate the island in an anti-clockwise direction. My first stop was only a few hundred yards away from the pier when I stopped at some picnic benches overlooking the sea to eat my lunch. Food always tastes better with a view!

Inishbofin (Inis Bó Finne – island of the white cow) is a small island. I knew it wouldn’t offer great cycling potential as it’s only 3.5 x 2 miles. I was looking forward to a relaxed way of life, nice sea views, unspoiled beauty and some time away from the increasingly hectic pace of life on the mainland. I was surprised as it seemed much more densely populated than I was expecting (further research show around nearly two hundred residents) and all amenities like, shop, cafés, pubs, hotel, church and health centre. There is nothing particularly challenging about cycling around here, although there were a couple of deceptively steep, short climbs. In all, I only rode about ten miles on the island, following the coast road. Despite this, I still managed to fill my whole time on the island, arriving back the pier about twenty minutes before the last ferry was due to leave at 5pm. I had left my bike and walked along some of the hiking trails on offer and I had stopped at pub to sample island hospitality. I had a really enjoyable time and it’s definitely worth a visit. I might look into staying overnight at some point as the island is famous for its traditional music.

After I got back to Cleggan, I had something to eat before going for a rambling ride around the minor roads around Cleggan. I then put the bike back in the car and drove back to the hostel. I had had a good day, the weather was such a contrast to the previous day and I even got a little sunburned. I had cycled very few miles compared to what I usually want to do when touring but it was all very relaxed and enjoyable. It’s not always about riding long distances or riding at high average speeds.

I met a group of sea kayakers from Yorkshire at the hostel who were interesting company. They too had struggled with the weather on their trip to the west of Ireland and had to abort some of their plans due to the windy conditions over the past few days. The nice thing about staying in hostels like this is that you often meet interesting people. We all had one good day, but the forecast for the Saturday and Sunday were far from promising.

So, it proved as I woke up to wind and torrential rain again on Saturday morning. I sat with others in the commons room after breakfast looking for a break in the weather but none was forthcoming. Another German cyclist had booked to stay about fifty miles away around the coast and was waiting and hoping the rain would stop. I have been in that situation myself on tour on plenty of occasions. It is rarely as bad it seems once you get underway. The worst thing about getting really wet on tours is dealing with all your wet clothes afterwards as not everywhere has drying facilities.

The forecast was better for the afternoon so I decided to drive to into Clifden and visit the museum at the old railway station and have a proper look around the town, something I’ve never really done even though I’ve had several trips to Connemara over the years. The museum is interesting, located in what was the engine shed. I was surprised just how big the whole station complex actually was for what is a relatively small town. The line from Galway was built in the 1890s and had been built to full mainline standard and ran the standard Irish 5’3” gauge (most railways in the west of Ireland ran on 3’ narrow gauge track). It only really had a working of life of around forty years.

It provided a much-needed lifeline for the people of Connemara at the time of its construction as travel was slow and difficult and employment scarce. Road transport slowly became more efficient and there wasn’t enough passengers in this rural area to support the line; oddly enough, the line made it easier for the people from the poor areas of Connemara to emigrate which further sealed it fate. Parts of the old track bed are being turned into a greenway and I’ve cycled parts of this in the past on previous trips and I look forward to it being completed. I understand the delay is due to an ongoing court dispute about land ownership.

There is also a large part of the museum given over to Alcock and Brown who made the first Transatlantic flight in a Vickers in 1919 and crash landed in a bog near Clifden. I have visited this site in the past. There is also a memorial to Alcock and Brown in Clifden and there is a hotel named after them. I hadn’t realised Alcock had died later in that year.

Clifden is also famous as where Marconi made a lot of his early experiments in radio and first transmitted radio across the Atlantic from here. A huge part of the museum is also given over the Connemara Pony and its breeding. There is also the stuff you might expect to find in a rural Irish museum like butter churns and various farm implements. There was also an early Royal Enfield single speed roadster that had belonged to a local plumber, and judging by how hooked the chainwheel teeth where, he had clearly covered quite a few miles on it.

I also spent a lot of time looking around book shops, art shops, bike shops and second hand shops. I had really enjoyed my morning in Clifden and the forecast had been right. Now in the early afternoon, the rain had stopped, although it was still pretty windy. The mood for riding had passed now really. If I had been able to go out first thing in the morning, I would have done, but now the moment had passed. I had formed another idea after I had got some food.

I drove to Letterfrack to the Connemara National Park. I have often cycled past it but had never visited it before. I had had the foresight to bring my hiking boots with me so I had decided to climb Diamond Hill. I didn’t really spend much time in the visitors’ centre at the National Park but had just gone straight for the hiking trail. There are three options, a yellow easy loop, a blue moderately difficult route and red difficult route. I decided to do the blue loop to see how I would get on. I haven’t done much hiking like this since I broke my ankle as walking on uneven ground can cause me problems, although it’s not as bad as it used to be.

As it was, I was getting on fine and opted for the red loop after all that would take to the peak of Diamond hill at around 1,400 feet above sea level. I didn’t quite complete the red loop over the peak as it got to be so exposed and stormy near the top that it wasn’t really safe so I retraced my steps back. The views were amazing despite the somewhat murky skies and my ankle and back had held up fine. I had really enjoyed my time on the mountain. I also discovered that one of the buildings used by Marconi is included in the National Park.

I drove back to the hostel and made myself something to eat. The Yorkshire group were staying a second night as well. The wind had also interfered with their kayaking plans again.

Sunday morning was even worse than the previous day but I wasn’t really bothered this time as I was only going to be making my way home again. I had really enjoyed my few days in Ben Lettery despite far from ideal weather and a sore back. In some ways, it gave me options of doing other things that I probably wouldn’t have done if I had just gone out and cycled sixty or seventy miles every day like I had hoped when I had first planned this. It’s not just about average speeds or long rides. It just gives further evidence that most of us are trying to fit too much into our lives these days and we would all benefit from slowing down!

Kintyre and Arran Part III: Tarbert to Arran and home again

14 Monday Jul 2025

Posted by theoldbikeshome in arran, Brodick, Caledonia Way, Campbeltown, Carradale, Cycle touring, Kintyre, Kintyre express, Lochranza, NCN 73, NCN 78, Scotland, Tarbert, The Isle of Arran, Townsend BX-40, Uncategorized

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arran, Brodick, cycle touring, Isle of Arran, Isle of Arran Distillery, Lagg, Lochranza, Machrie Moor, photography, Scotland, Tarbert, Townsend BX-40, travel

Part II of this narrative can be found here…

The Sunday certainly dawned feeling much fresher and more pleasant than the previous few days. The downside was that it was also raining very heavily. The forecast was reasonably promising for later. After breakfast, I made leisurely preparations for my journey as I was hoping it would stop raining before I was ready to leave. The rain seemed much lighter by now so I decided to make a start.

I rode the short distance back into Tarbert again. I wanted to buy some food in the shop as I would be passing through some pretty remote areas today again, and I also wanted a look at the ruins of Tarbert Castle. It had stopped raining completely by the time I reached the village, with a nice fresh breeze, although it was still pretty grey and overcast.

Tarbert castle can be accessed on foot by a path that leads up from the harbour. It is quite steep. Once you reach the castle, you have a very commanding view of the harbour and the whole area. You can definitely see why they built it here for its defensive position. There have been defensive structure here since the eight century. A fortified structure was built during the thirteenth century with later fortifications carried out by Robert the Bruce in the 1320s. The ruins of the tower house you see today dates from the sixteenth century. The history of it is quite complex and it changed hands many times. I won’t even attempt to write it all here.

After leaving the castle, I began the next part of my journey as I would be making my way to Clonaig to get the ferry to Lochranza. As I was leaving Tarbert, the heavens opened again and I sought shelter in a bus shelter for a time. The rain seemed to show no sign of easing off so I decided to just continue. I was retracing the route I had a few days previously. There aren’t that many options for taking different routes around here.

The thought of riding in the rain is very often worse than the reality. I was enjoying myself and I felt much better than I had done on the previous really hot and humid days. I was pleased to see I was not the only cyclist tourist around as I seen several others, although most of them were heading in the opposite direction. The hills around here are definitely tough though and low gears were welcome.

I arrived at the ferry port at Clonaig and tried sitting in the shelter but it had been built without any windows or doors and I may as well have stood outside as the rain was blowing in to me. It seemed a new building; I assume they just haven’t finished it yet. Otherwise, it’s an incredibly poor design. I had to take shelter in the telephone box. I was in good time for the ferry. Arran was shrouded in mist which lifted periodically to reveal Goatfell and other peaks.

I had noted all the signs at the ferry port saying to book tickets online when I passed here a few days previously. I hadn’t booked a ticket as the Calmac online booking system simply wouldn’t work for me, a problem also mentioned by one of the other guests where I had been staying. As it turned out, there was no problem with paying onboard.

Unusually for me, I stayed in the saloon onboard the ferry as it was still raining heavily. The crossing was smooth and calm. As if by magic, it had stopped raining as we were docking at Lochranza. I had no particular plan for my time in Arran. I have been here before several times and it is one of my favourite cycling destinations. This time, I had planned on doing shorter rides and spend time relaxing and seeing other things I had never taken the time to do on previous visits.

Kintyre and Arran tour - Lochranza castle

I like Lochranza as it’s such a beautiful place, but I had elected to stay in Lamlash as it has shops and other services that aren’t available in Lochranza. The distance around the coast to Brodick and then Lamlash isn’t huge, but there are quite a few hills to climb. I was determined to take my time, relax and enjoy it instead of going somewhere else and adding mileage. I’m convinced the coast road that circumnavigates Arran is surely amongst the most scenic roads to be found anywhere. This time I made the time to explore places like Glen Sannox as I went along instead of just passing though.

I also stopped at The Corrie Hotel for a drink and a snack and to sit in their beautiful beer garden and look out to sea for ages. I had packed a lot of riding into the previous week, which is why I had set this week aside for mostly relaxing. The transformation in the weather from the torrential rain in Tarbert to the now sunny summer afternoon was quite extraordinary.

Kintyre and Arran tour - The Corrie Hotel

I bought some groceries in the Co-Op in Lamlash before checking in to the Arran Sleep Huts where I would be staying for three nights. I noted the blue sign outside the shop remembering Donald McKelvie who had done much to improve the varieties of potatoes which are grown. Growing up in a farming community, I was familiar with Arran Banner potatoes, but had never previously realised this is where they came from. One of those examples of missing the obvious, something I do all too often!

I have stayed at the Arran Sleep Huts before and I really like it as it’s peaceful, has nice views and yet is still within walking distance of the village. It is nice to sit outside and look to sea and to Holy Island. Unfortunately, midges were active and plentiful and I had to retreat back inside again. I’ve covered quite a lot of miles in recent years around Arran. This year would be more leisurely and more targeted in what I did.

Monday morning looked promising and I had a few things planned. I wouldn’t be riding a great deal today. I wanted to visit the Laundrette in Brodick to hopefully get some washing done, visit the Arran Heritage Museum in Brodick which I had heard good things about but always managed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time to visit on my other Arran trips, and I also wanted to visit Brodick Castle, something else I hadn’t done.

I set off after breakfast for my ride to Brodick. I wanted to get there just as they opened at nine; I had no prior arrangement and wanted to drop my laundry off first thing in the hope that they could complete it today. The three-mile ride between Lamlash and Brodick involves a lot of climbing, and in my limited experience, is the only piece of road on the entire island that could be described as busy. I suppose I was riding in the “rush hour” which didn’t help. It is a scenic route though with a lot to see.

I did make the Laundrette just before they opened and there would be no problem getting it completed today. I then rode the short distance to the museum, discovering a nice little off-road path in the process that cyclists can use. The museum wasn’t due to open until 10:30 that morning. I returned to the village and spent a little time going around some of the tourist shops before sitting down to just chill out and look out to sea. I got talking to some of the camper van owners around the sea front. It’s always interesting to hear where they’ve come from and what they’re doing.

Kintyre and Arran tour - Citroen C15 camper

I then made my way back to the Heritage Museum. I often tend to bypass the things that normal tourists do when cycle touring but I really found the museum very interesting and the staff were very friendly and informative. There is much to see – a blacksmith’s workshop and assorted tools and crafts, a cottage, a schoolroom, a lot of farm machinery, several tractors ranging from a pre-war Fordson to a World Series International. There are also a lot of other displays of all sorts of things related to rural life as it was, a large display of rocks, fossils etc and showing how the geology of Arran is formed, an archaeology section, a laundry and a coach house. It is definitely well worth a visit and the £5 entrance fee is cheap by modern standards. I spent much longer than I had thought I would as there was so much to see.

I made my way back into Brodick again. It was after midday by now so I bought fish and chips in a seafront café. By then, it was also time to pick up my laundry. I then proceeded to Brodick Castle. It’s a couple of miles or so on the coast road heading towards Lochranza. You can pay to just see around the extensive gardens or get a tour of the castle itself. I elected just to see the gardens. I’m sure the castle tour would be fascinating as there is a lot of history attached to the castle, but seeing around stately homes has never really been my thing.

There have been defensive structures on this site from as far back as the fifth century and was held for a time by Norsemen. The location is prominent on the Clyde so would have strategic importance. The current castle was built by the Hamiltons (Earl of Arran) in around 1510. The long and fascinating history of this site and castle is all available online and much too long for me to write here in any detail. The castle passed into the hands of National Trust for Scotland in 1958, in lieu of death duties.

Today, as you walk around the outside of it, it impresses on the size and scale of it, the prominence of its location and the sense of history. Just recently, the original entrance and remains of the drawbridge were discovered during renovations so it shows that there is always more to learn about old buildings and even though we know a lot, there is much we don’t know.

I really enjoyed the time I spent in the gardens. I was mostly lucky with the weather but I was able to seek shelter during the occasional downpour in the many summerhouses. I honestly think you could spend days exploring this garden, an afternoon doesn’t do it justice. The most interesting thing for me was the Bavarian Summerhouse. I spent ages studying it, the design of it and the artistic use of pine cones on the inside is like nothing I have ever seen before. It dates from 1845 and was built as a wedding present to Princess Marie of Baden. I believe there were originally four of these in the grounds but only this one remains. You can see why it was situated where it is too as the windows have amazing views.

Kintyre and Arran tour - Brodick castle gardens

I then made my way back to Lamlash and explored a few other little roads which seem to end in dead ends. I had covered less than twenty miles today but had a wonderfully relaxing day exploring and I had learned a lot about a lot of different subjects.

The next morning was very wet to begin with so I sat and read until the rain stopped. It cleared up into a lovely day in a very short space of time. I had visited the Machrie Moor standing stones in the past but today I wanted to spend more time there and explore more. I decided to get there via the south side of the island. I had seen most of the northern part of the Island when I rode from Lochranza to Lamlash a few days earlier so this seemed logical. It’s a pleasant ride, although hilly in places. I took the time to make a few detours too, seeing a rural art gallery and the ruins of another castle. The road took me through Blackwaterfoot and Lagg, which has a roadside pub that dates from the eighteenth century.

I reached Machrie Moor and in contrast to early in the morning, the weather was now very nice and just the right temperature for me, much nicer than the hot, humid day I had when I rode to Crinan a few days earlier. There are six stone circles in total, some with granite stones and others with sandstone pillars. The site dates from the Neolithic period and there is evidence of earlier wooden circles. There is so much to see here, and it’s such an impressive sight, and mindboggling to think they moved all these huge stones into position with out any of our modern lifting equipment.

I had options to get back to Lamlash – retrace my morning route, completely circumnavigate the island or go through the centre of the island. I probably would have had time to circumnavigate the island, although it would have been pretty late when I got back. I elected to take the inland route back to Brodick. This would be shortest, although probably the one with the most climbing. It is a lovely route all the same, with amazing mountain scenery. I left the coast road at Machrie and headed inland towards Tarnacraig. There is some tough climbing from there before dropping back down into Brodick. You pass the spot where there is a memorial stone to where King Edward VII had lunch after a morning’s deerstalking in 1902. It does not state what the King did after lunch! It’s also an example of how usage of language changes over time as stalking sounds sinister in modern context!

From Brodick, I made my now familiar three mile ride to Lamlash for the night. My third and what I had intended to be my final night on Arran. This is where I had run into a few problems. The vague plan had been to get the ferry from Brodick to Ardrossan or Troon on the mainland and return to Ireland via Cairnryan. This was partly why I had decided to come to Arran again in the first place as it offered an easy way back home.

As it turns out, there currently is no ferry service between Brodick and Ardrossan as the MV Isle of Arran is being repaired. Issues with service between Brodick and Troon meant a drastically reduced service and no time table or booking options. It seemed to be a matter of turn up and hope! I had spoken to people that had spent most of a day just waiting for a ferry.

I made a decision to return the way I had come. I booked a night at the SYA Lochranza youth hostel with the intention of getting the first ferry back to Clonaig on the Thursday morning. I did consider making a much longer ride of my trip back to Lochranza but decided to just take another relaxing day and go around the coast with scenic diversions again. I had bought lunch in Brodick and also food for my evening meal in the shop before leaving Brodick as there is no shop or no café in Lochranza, although I think the hotel does food. I also stopped at the Lochranza distillery, (one of two distilleries on Arran, although both are quite recent). I bought myself a small bottle to sample their wares that night in Lochranza when I got to the hostel.

The hostel is a really nice building with amazing views across the loch. I am sure this building has a lot of history, but nobody I asked seemed to know anything about it. I would guess an old hunting lodge or similar but I really don’t know. It is a nice place to spend time with excellent facilities. I was lucky to meet a few other cycle tourist so was able to compare notes and sit chatting late into the night and I enjoyed my Arran single malt. They had stories of woe and delays regarding trying to get a ferry to Brodick too.

In the morning after breakfast, I was able to get the first ferry back to Clonaig. I had options now. I could go the longer and less hilly west coast of Kintyre or go back down the shorter but much hillier route via Carradale on the east side again. This is also the quiet side of the island, although as main roads go, the A83 doesn’t seem to be particularly busy. I decided to take the east side again and avoid the traffic. The west side of Kintyre can wait for another visit, when I will fit in a trip to the Isle of Gigha like I originally wanted to do when I first thought about visiting Kintyre. There is a lot of potential for island hopping in this area.

After a leisurely but hilly ride of thirty odd miles back to Campbeltown, I had a nice dinner in the Black Sheep Inn in celebration of a really enjoyable cycle tour, one of my most enjoyable actually. After and early night at the Campbeltown Backpackers, with everything prepared for the morning, I made an early start for the short ride to the pier to board the 6:30 AM Kintyre Express back to Ballycastle.

The crossing was nowhere near as smooth as the outward journey and the little boat was tossed around by the big waves. I have always had good sea legs and it didn’t cause me any problems. It just added to the sense of adventure. At around 8:30, we had arrived in Ballycastle to wind and rain! Good Irish summer weather! I began my ride back home again, taking the train between Castlerock and Derry again. It may not be quite as extreme as parts of Kintyre, but there are some tough climbs between Ballycastle and Bushmills too, especially now I had a head wind.

I found I had covered nearly five hundred miles when I got home. I had had a mix of long days riding and few shorter rest days mixed in too, which I think is a good idea. I had really enjoyed my trip, I loved the low traffic volume in Kintyre, makes cycling much more pleasant. The difference in attitude towards cyclists in Scotland and Ireland is very pronounced too. One wonders why the north of Ireland in particular has so many aggressive drivers. As often happens when I do a cycle tour, I’ve found reasons to go back again in the future to see the things I didn’t get to see or do things slightly differently. In this case, I’m pleased I finally did something I said I’d do in 2019 and explored the Crinan canal in more detail! Now I’d like to go to Gigha or even Colonsay. There are other options to sail to Portavadie or the Isle of Bute from Tarbert. Lots of things to plan for another trip!

Kintyre and Arran Part II: Carradale – Tayinloan – Tarbert

10 Thursday Jul 2025

Posted by theoldbikeshome in Ardrishaig, Caledonia Way, Carradale, Crinan, Crinan Canal, Cycle touring, Kilberry Stones, Kintyre, Lochgilphead, NCN 78, Scotland, Tarbert, Townsend BX-40, Uncategorized

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Carradale, Clonaig, Crinan, Crinan Canal, cycle touring, Kilberry, Lochgilphead, NCN 78, photography, Scotland, Skipness, Skipness Castle, Tarbert, The Caledonia Way, Townsend BX-40, travel

Part I of this narrative can be found here…

When I originally thought about coming to Kintyre, I thought about spending a night on the Isle of Gigha on the west coast of Kintyre. The cost of accommodation on the island, or any mainland hostelry anywhere on the west side close to the ferry port of Tayinloan made me drop that idea and persuaded me to cycle up the east side instead. I was intending to have a leisurely day around Carradale. Then I was studying the OS map of the area that I found in the hotel bar and spotted that it was possible to cross the peninsula using unclassified roads through the forest and past the windfarms. The distance wasn’t huge, although it was going to be another hilly ride. I could make a daytrip after all to Gigha.

After breakfast I made a quick trip around Carradale Harbour before heading north on The Caledonia Way. I found the right turn that would take me coast to coast across Kintyre. It was unmetalled, but that was okay. I was riding an old mountain bike with two-inch wide tyres. The road takes you past an old cemetery and a few cottages. After that, I managed to make a wrong turning! After riding for about two hours, I ended up back on a road again. I didn’t know where I was so turned right. I found myself in Grogport, and realised I was back on The Caledonia Way, just slightly further north than I had started. It was hard to have any real reference point with so many trees around and I had never been there before either. I should probably have asked to borrow the OS from the hotel. I had no mobile signals either to help me out with navigation. I ate my lunch on the picnic benches in Grogport and went back to the start again. A lot of climbing is involved around here with 14% and 16% hills.

I arrived back at where I had originally turned off the road, some three hours later! I did know where I had made the mistake all the same, so decided to try again. I was pleased I did. This was to be one of the most enjoyable day awheel that I have ever had. A lot of trees, but also lots of places to have spectacular views from the top of the hills. A chance to get up close to wind turbines. (Which some people seem to hate but I’ve always found them fascinating, and much less of a blight on the landscape than a coal-fired power station. I assume those who complain about them don’t use electricity!) It was also so peaceful away from the traffic. This must have been what cycling was like around about the time of the Great War, before the motorcar arrived and bullied pedestrians, cyclists and horses off the roads with their perceived superiority. The only traffic I seen were the construction lorries going to the windfarm.

I was always greeted with a cheery wave from the lorry drivers. Some even stopped to talk and ask where I was going and where I was coming from and to make suggestions. I doubt their Irish equivalents would have been so cycle-friendly. I suppose a big part of it is that I always held over to let them pass if they came up behind me, as there is little point in me holding them up and it makes their working day easier. Some people seem to forget that respect is a two-way process.

The climb to top was not easy and I rode for seemingly miles on my 28-tooth granny gear and on occasion wished it was smaller. But I made it eventually, and of course what goes up must come down. I had an easy ride back down to civilisation where I joined the A83. It didn’t seem to be particularly busy and again, the respect shown to cyclists by Scottish drivers is alien to anyone used to the north of Ireland.

I did ride to Tayinloan. It was quite late in the evening by now. I had wasted a lot of time in the morning with my navigational error; some of the really steep climbing had slowed progress to crawl. I had also made no real effort to hurry. I was in the mood for leisurely cycling and enjoying the peace and quiet of the road less travelled. I decided it was hardly worthwhile taking the ferry to Gigha. Instead, I had food at the little shop/café at the ferry terminal. Shops and places to eat are few and far between in remote Kintyre so best to take advantage of it when it was there. I did have food but I could keep it for later.

I went back to the hotel in Carradale using the same route as I had come. The lorries had stopped now for the evening so it was even more peaceful. I stopped even more often than I did on the outward leg of my journey. It was just so peaceful with barely a breeze to disturb the trees and the sound of the birds singing and gentle running water in the streams and burns. The cuckoo could be heard in places. When I got back to the hotel around 7:30, I had covered around fifty miles. They were certainly tough miles, but they gave me a sense of achievement and after such a peaceful day, I felt so relaxed and at peace with the world. It was by far my longest ever off-road ride, and showed why suspension mountain bikes had developed as I was aware of a tingling sensation in my wrists from spending so much time riding on unmetalled roads which were often very rough. I wouldn’t like to have spent the day doing technical off-road riding like the modern mountain bikers do.

The next day, it was time to pack up again. I always hate packing up when touring. It seems things never seem to fit back into the same space again. It adds quite a bit of weight to the bike too, but today would be a relatively short day. I had accommodation booked in Tarbert but had no other particular plans. Today would be the easy day yesterday was originally supposed to have been before I discovered my off-road routes.

There is a small community owned shop near Carradale and I stocked up with a few bits and pieces for the journey before continuing on my way. I continued along Caledonia Way. (Which is the B842 road which leads up the east side of Kintyre – mostly single track but lightly trafficked.) It’s riding on roads like these that highlights yet again the difference in attitude between Scottish drivers and drivers in the north of Ireland as oncoming drivers will usually wait at passing places until you have passed. That rarely happens at home. They will also wait behind until I hold over or it’s safe to overtake. It’s why I like cycling in Scotland.

The B842 took me through Grogport, which I had passed through yesterday when I had accidentally cycled in a loop back to where I started. The coastline is nice around, but like most parts of the east side of Kintyre, it is hilly with quite a few 14% and 16% hills. My 28/32 bottom gear is low enough to climb these, even with luggage. You also need to have good brakes when going downhill again as it would be possible to pick up a lot of speed on hills like this if you didn’t control it, especially with so much weight on the bike.

When you get to Clonaig, there is a fork in the road where I could continue left to join the main road to Tarbert or go right to where the ferry port to Arran is. I wouldn’t be going to Arran just yet, but I initially took the right which also leads to Skipness and Skipness castle. Castle ruins come in many forms. I found Skipness one of the more interesting ones I’ve come across on my travels.

The main structure was built in the thirteenth century by Clan MacSween and there were later additions in the thirteenth, fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Castle was taken over by James VI in 1594 and came into possession of Archibald Campbell, 2^nd Earl of Argyll in 1511. The castle was besieged and later abandoned in the seventeenth century. Today, it is still an impressive sight and surprisingly well preserved. It is under the care of Historic Environment Scotland and admission to the castle and grounds are free. You can climb the steps to the top of the tower house which gives a commanding view of the area. You can see why they used this site for defence. Nearby the castle, there is also a fish restaurant a smoke house. I didn’t want a large meal but did have some light refreshments while there. A wonderful place to sit and relax in the shadows of the castle and with sea views.

Kintyre and Arran tour - Skipness castle

I rode back to Clonaig and on towards Tarbert. You join the A83 for the last few miles into the town of Tarbert. The A83 didn’t seem to be particularly busy. I landed in Tarbert at around three o’clock after my leisurely day’s riding and stopping. It was unnaturally hot and humid and I felt tired and had a headache. I just felt relaxing so sat down by the harbour and watched the world go past for a while. Tarbert has a nice little harbour area.

Tarbert (Argyll) sits at the head of Loch Fynne on narrow stretch of land which separates East Loch Tarbert from West Loch Tarbert. Tarbert is an anglicised form of the Gaelic word Tairbeart, which refers to a narrow stretch of land separating two bodies of water. There are several other Tarberts in Scotland and at least one in Ireland that I know about). Tarbert has a long history as a port and also as a strategic point to guard Kintyre and the Inner Hebrides. It was guarded by three castles, one of which still exists today (and I would visit it before I left).

Kintyre and Arran tour - West Lock Tarbert

Magnus Barelegs came to the throne of Norway in 1093 AD, and set about plundering the Hebrides. In an agreement between Magnus and the Scottish King Malcom, Magnus was told he could have all the land he could sail around. Magnus’ longboat was carried over the narrow strip of land at Tarbert so they could claim Kintyre! It is for this reason that Kintyre is sometimes referred to as the Mainland Island.

It is amazing how you end up talking to many random strangers of all nationalities if you sit on a bench by the harbour with your touring bike beside you as people take an interest in what you are doing. I even managed to meet another from Ireland. He was there in a Ford Transit MK II, something I hadn’t seen in many years but remember fondly from my youth. It was built into a simple camper van he had done the opposite of what I had in mind for my return journey – Larne to Cairnryan, then to Troon and ferry to Arran, explore Arran for a few days, and then ferry to Clonaig. He also had bike in the van and had plans for some cycling himself.

After getting something to eat, I made my way back towards the West Loch where I would be staying for two nights, before going to Arran on Sunday. I would hopefully continue on and explore the Crinan canal tomorrow. I did later walk back into town and found live music in one of the pubs. I was talking to members of the band afterwards and it turns out they had played in Dungloe on a number of occasions. A small world!

The next day, I had a much longer ride planned. One of the things I recall from 2019 is the Crinan canal, and I had always meant to return spend a bit more time exploring it. Tarbert was not my first choice as base for doing so really, but I had struggled to find accommodation in Lochgilphead or the surrounding areas. Today would probably be the longest ride of the entire trip. Again, the advantages of staying two nights in the same place is the ability to leave your luggage whilst going off to explore the area.

I had an early breakfast and was soon on my way. It still felt unnaturally hot and humid, not my favourite weather conditions as it always seems to give me headaches and sinus issues. I felt okay once underway though. I had options. I could go on the A83 to Ardrishaig which would be the easiest, fastest route, or follow the NCN 78/Caledonia Way signs on meandering minor roads with less traffic, but more hills and worse surface. I decided to go the Sustrans route and come back using the easier A83.

The turn-off for the NCN 78 to Kilberry is just on the Kennacraig side of Tarbert, very close to where I was staying. Some climbing is involved before you reach Kilberry. This is a very remote and peaceful road. At Kilberry, you can see the Kilberry Stones, which are very interesting to see. There is a range of styles from early Christian to late Medieval. It’s thought they originated in a local parish Church which is thought to have burnt down in 1640.

Kintyre and Arran tour - Kilberry stones

From Kilberry, you continue mostly along the shore of Loch Cadisport before going back inland again and eventually rejoining the A83 near Ardrishaig. Ardrishaig lies on the shore of Loch Gilp. I’ve been here twice before. When I cycled this route in 2019, I did pass through it but have little recollection as it was pouring rain and I continued on to look for somewhere to stay for the night. I also visited here in 2022 when I sailed on board P.S. Waverley and we were ashore here for about an hour before the return trip to the Clyde.

It is a nice little harbour town with two piers, a slipway and lighthouse on the sea front. Then there is the canal basis as this is where the Crinan canal starts. I was looking forward to the next part of my ride along the canal towpath. There is something so relaxing about riding along the water and you often meet interesting people or see interesting things along canals. There is always historical things to note and learn as well.

The Crinan Canal opened in 1801 to provide a navigable route between the Firth of Clyde and the Inner Hebrides without the need to go around the Mull of Kintyre. The canal was the work of John Rennie and work began in 1794. Construction was beset with problems. Problems continued after it opened, including the bank bursting at Lochgilphead in 1805. Thomas Telford was brought in to make changes to it and it later became very successful. Queen Victoria sailed its length in 1847 when she was holidaying in the Scottish Highlands.

Today it is mostly pleasure craft that use it. It makes a really relaxing bike ride or walk. I stopped in Lochgilphead and ate my lunch in a café, before continuing on my way. It might be only nine miles in length, but it will usually take longer to cycle nine miles on a canal towpath than on a road. It will be flat of course, but you can’t really go fast for a variety of reasons. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as we spend too much time rushing about in the modern world.

The highlight of the day happened when I found people with a scale model of the T.S. King George V, which underlines my point about the unexpected and interesting things you find when riding along canal towpaths! I wasn’t familiar with the T.S. King George V, but subsequent research shows it to have been a Clyde-built steamship with a turbine steam engine. It was built in 1926, and after initial teething troubles with her advanced high pressure steam turbines, she gave many years’ faithful service until being retired by Caledonian MacBrayne in 1975. She was later sold for use on the River Thames. While being worked on in docks in Cardiff in 1981, a serious fire caused extensive damage and the T.S. King George V was finally scrapped in 1984. A very sad end for what looks to have been a beautiful ship.

Kintyre and Arran tour - T.S. King George V model

It was truly fascinating to see the model, which had gathered quite a crowd. It is a working model and I did see it sail. To build something like this would take enormous, skill, dedication and determination.

Eventually, I reached Crinan, which is just a small town with café, hotel, etc, as well as the harbour and the canal basin. In today’s heat, everywhere was very busy. I like Crinan, a nice place to relax and watch the world pass by. Having seen model steamship in action already today, I now had the chance to see a full-sized steamship. Crinan is the base of one of the last Clyde Puffers in existence. Puffers were small cargo vessels which developed out of canal barges as steam engines replaced horses for propulsion. The Puffers were modified to go to sea, with sealed cargo holds etc and many plied their trade on the Forth and Clyde Canal, the west coast and the Hebrides. The car ferries which started to go into service in the 1960s killed their trade as now lorries and vans could go directly which reduced the amount of goods handling required.

I was lucky that Vic 32 was at port and also in steam, although you cannot go on board. Vic 32 was one of a batch of Puffers built by the Royal Navy during the second world war to act as tenders to the huge battleships that couldn’t come into ports. In the postwar years, they were sold off by the Navy and entered service on the Clyde. Over the years, many were converted to Diesel engines. A steamship needs to carry a lot of coal and water which adds weight and eats into available cargo space. Converting to Diesel reduced operating costs. Vic 32 is the last still sailing with its original steam engine (to the best of my knowledge). It is now hired out as a pleasure craft. It was lovely to see this piece of Scottish maritime history.

I had ridden fifty odd miles in very warm, humid conditions and it had taken much longer to get to Crinan than I had thought. I was contemplating my return journey back to Tarbert when I bumped into the MK II Transit camper van owner I had met at Tarbert harbour the previous day. He had also cycled the canal from end to end and back again to where he had parked his van. He was returning to Tarbert and offered me a lift. I decided to take it. It was nearly five o’ clock by now and although it would be faster on the A83 than the route I had taken to get here, it would still be quite late when I got back and I had a headache. It was nice to travel in a MKII Transit again for the first time in at least thirty years.

Back at Tarbert, I got something to eat and had a little ride around the harbour areas and beyond. I then decided to enjoy a relaxing evening. Then the thunder and lightning came and the torrential rain. I was pleased to be under cover and pleased as I hoped the thunder would clear the air.

Kintyre and Arran tour 2025 - Morris Minor and Morris 8

Kintyre and Arran – Part I Campbeltown to Carradale

07 Monday Jul 2025

Posted by theoldbikeshome in Caledonia Way, Carradale, Causeway Coast, Csampbeltown, Cycle touring, Davaar, Kintyre, NCN 78, Saddell, Scotland, Springbank distillery, Townsend BX-40, Uncategorized

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Campbeltown, Carradale, cycle touring, Davaar Island, Kinytre, nature, NCN 78, photography, Saddell, Scotland, Springbank distillery, The Caledonia Way, Townsend BX-40, travel

In 2019, I cycled National Cycle Network (NCN) 78, also known as the Caledonia Way which runs from Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland to Inverness, via Oban, Fort William and through the Great Glen. On hindsight, I had rushed the earlier stages of this route and Kintyre deserved more detailed exploration. I had always meant to go back. I decided now was the time.

Kintyre promises the cyclist quiet roads as the peninsula has low population density, but also a lot of climbing as the area is very hilly. It would be a challenge. I remembered how hilly it was the last time I was there. I am not as fit now for a variety of reasons. Would I be still be able to ride the Kintyre hills? I would find out. I took my 1990s Townsend mountain bike which I have modified into touring specification over the years. This was an easy choice to make as none of my other bikes have such low gearing (48/38/28 triple chainset and 12-32 eight speed cassette). With this gearing, it should be possible to climb most hills, even when carrying luggage.

I booked the Kintyre Express service from Ballycastle in Co. Antrim to Campbeltown on Kintyre. I’ve used their services several times in the past, once to Campbeltown when I rode NCN 78 and twice to Islay in more recent times. I find their service is good and reliable. It’s not particularly cheap, but it is the most convenient way to get to these areas of Scotland from Ireland and their boat can only carry a small number of passengers.

Kintyre and Arran tour 2025 - Derry Station

The Campbeltown service leaves Ballycastle at 4:30 PM. This gave me ample time to ride from my Co. Donegal home to Ballycastle. This is an interesting route itself. I took the train from Derry to Castlerock (mostly because it avoids a busy dual carriageway or somewhat awkward inland route) and then continued by bike. I took the coast road via Coleraine, Portstewart, Portrush, Bushmills and Ballycastle as I had time. I hadn’t done this ride in quite some time so it was nice to revisit it. The Causeway coast is a place of natural beauty. It has also got more heavily trafficked over the years. Even the signposted Sustrans route on quiet roads between Portrush and Bushmills seems to have a lot of high-speed traffic and surprisingly aggressive drivers. It was never like that years ago when I first started to experiment with cycle touring.

I was in Ballycastle an hour early despite my leisurely ride. This is the best way really. I always hate being rushed. It’s best to leave sufficient time and enjoy the journey. This is the whole essence of cycle touring in my opinion. It’s not about covering huge daily mileage targets or high average speeds; it’s about taking time to enjoy your surroundings. People are in too much haste these days to enjoy the simple things.

The seas around Ballycastle and Rathlin Island are known for being rough at times but on this relatively calm day, the crossing was comfortable and pleasant. This is a high-speed ferry service really and we reached Campbeltown a little earlier than the expected six o’ clock. On a clear day, this boat journey can offer great views of a variety of islands like Arran and Ailsa Craig but today was quite cloudy. You can see the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse as you round the tip of the peninsula and make our way towards Campbeltown Loch.

Kintyre and Arran tour 2025 - Kintyre Express

Campbeltown Loch was calm and tranquil today. You can see Davaar Island as you approach the harbour. My bike was hosed down to remove the salt spray from the sea during the crossing as it lives outside on deck. I had removed my panniers and they had been placed in the boat’s hold for the voyage. I made my way for the short journey from the harbour to the Campbeltown Backpackers Hostel where I would be staying two nights before moving on. I stopped briefly to look at the old Celtic Cross which is in the centre of a sort of roundabout on the seafront, and one of Campbeltown’s most famous monuments. It’s thought to date to around 1380, although this is not its original location. At the hostel, I put my bike away in their secure cellar and had a wash and change of clothes before going in search of something to eat. I had covered a little over sixty miles today, virtually all of it on Irish soil so far. Not a bad day to start of a tour.

Kintyre and Arran tour 2025 - Campbeltown Cross

Campbeltown was originally known as Kinlochkilkerran (from the Scots Gaelic Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain – head of the loch by the kirk of Ciarán) but became known as Campbeltown after Archibald Campbell, Lord of Argyll, who was granted the site in the late seventeenth century. This area has a long history of settlement and as a port. Kintyre has a mild climate and was famous for its dairy produce but that has greatly reduced in recent years.

There is another product which Campbeltown is known for the world over. “Campbeltown Loch, I wish ye were whisky” are the words of an old Scottish folk song. Campbeltown is one of the distinct malt whisky regions in Scotland. The area once had around thirty distilleries, but now only three. I decided I should visit one of them. I booked the early tour of the Springbank distillery so would be going there for 9:45. Conveniently, it is located quite near the Backpackers Hostel where I was staying.

The tour was enjoyable and informative and I got to keep the glass the taster was served in as well as a choice of miniature bottles to take home. Springbank is one of the few Scottish distilleries that still prepare their own malt barley, a mostly manual operation even in the 21^st century. The distillery buildings and most of the machinery used date back decades and no computer controlled devices are found here. I found it somewhat ironic to learn that the distillery has often sourced their barley and their peat from Ireland! I had never tried a Campbeltown whisky before and I have to say I liked it. The whisky industry is worth a lot of money to the Scottish economy.

After my whisky tour, I went to get a late breakfast in a café before collecting my bike from the hostel. I would explore the southern part of the Kintyre peninsula today. This would be all new to me. My first planned destination was the Mull of Kintyre itself. The Mull of Kintyre is the south westernmost point on Kintyre and Co. Antrim can be seen across the sea from here. The Mull of Kintyre was of course immortalised in the 1970s hit by Paul McCartney.

The road to the Mull of Kintyre is a very pleasant (but very hilly) route to cycle as it offers a relatively traffic-free haven compared to most places these days and much pleasant scenery. It is a tough ride all the same with a lot of climbing and a lot of use was made of my lowest gears. As I was returning to Campbeltown at night, I was able to leave my luggage at the hostel and travel light (relatively speaking as I tend to carry more than most on day rides).

The lighthouse was originally built in 1788 (designed by Thomas Smith) although it was substantially rebuilt in the 1820s. It was converted to electricity in 1976 and fully automated in 1996. It is now actually monitored from Edinburgh! It must have been a bleak existence for the lighthouse keepers on this remote, lonely and windswept place in days gone by.

The final few miles to the lighthouse is on a private road and closed to unauthorised motorised traffic. I did ride a little bit of it but it came to a point where the road was so steep going forward that I didn’t fancy riding down it. I would have been genuinely concerned about getting stopped, should I have needed to. I also realised there would be no chance whatsoever of riding the bike back up again. I’d have to push it. I considered leaving the bike and proceeding on foot, but it would have taken at least two or more hours to walk down and up again and I had other places I wanted to go and be back in Campbeltown in reasonable time. I am also aware that there is very little to actually see when you get there as the lighthouse is not open to the public. Somewhat reluctantly, I made the decision to not go the whole way to the lighthouse and turned around. I really wasn’t going to have time on this occasion.

Kintyre and Arran tour 2025 - Mull of Kintyre

The rocky coast of the Mull of Kintyre has seen many disasters over the years, such as the loss of the S.S. New York, which was enroute from Glasgow to New York in 1858. It is understood that a fault in the ship’s compass caused the navigational error that led her on to the rocks. More recently, there was the 1994 RAF Chinook disaster. I believe a memorial to those lost in that accident is located at the spot but I didn’t know where to look for it.

I retraced my route until I joined the road to Southend. The village of Southend is located by Dunaverty Bay and is again quite remote in its location. There is a beach and caravan/camp site and it’s a nice peaceful seaside resort, although I felt it was little run down as the shop and café had closed and some houses seemed derelict. By major coincidence, I met a group of Dutch hikers whom I had met at the hostel in Campbeltown the previous night. They were walking Kintyre Way and were planning on spending the night at the campsite. They had run into problems as they were hoping to eat at the café listed in their guidebook, but it had closed permanently a few months before and they were low on food.

The local hotel came to the rescue, even though they were actually closed themselves and helped out. I joined them for a drink in the afternoon sun and the hotel owners prepared and provided food for the hikers. One of those things that restores your faith in human nature.

From Southend, I proceeded to go to Machrihanish on the northern tip of the Mull of Kintyre, facing Ireland. Again, this is a pleasant little seaside village with a beach and lots of potential for coastal walks. It seems more prosperous than Southend. There is also a golf club. The thing that has fascinated me in Kintyre is the amount of palm trees to be found in all sorts of unlikely places, and here along the coast, they give an almost tropical feel to the Scottish coastline. The Kintyre climate is quite mild, and apparently, they grow well on Kintyre.

From Machrihanish, I made my way back to Campbeltown, after clocking up a pleasant fifty odd miles in the afternoon sunshine. I was being really lucky with the weather so far. The southern tip of Kintyre is a perfect location to get away from the masses and enjoy quiet roads and some spectacular scenery. E-bikes seem popular here, and I understand why as the hills are not for the fainthearted, but I had coped okay so far.

This was my second and last night in Campbeltown, as I would be moving on. I had both panniers loaded up and ready for the road quite early. I had a plan to walk across to Davaar island at low tide and I obviously needed to do that during the safe crossing period. The tide tables are available online nowadays which makes life easier. A printout of the safe crossing periods was also to be found on the noticeboard at the hostel.

I rode the few miles to where you can cross to the island. This is along a single-track road, and one of those rare things on the Kintyre peninsula – a level road with little discernible gradient. The crossing point isn’t very well marked and I went much too far and had to retrace my steps. No great hardship as this road offers lovely sea and island views as you might imagine.

I had the idea that I might ride across but decided against it and proceeded on foot. The surface looked to soft shingle and I would probably end up getting stuck if I’d tried to ride. I left the bike at the car park. Unauthorised vehicles aren’t allowed to cross to the island but the people who run the glamping pods do take their guests across in a four-wheel drive. I guess they know the best route to take. This is not just a narrow causeway but very wide when the tide is at it’s lowest. I believe around forty families once lived on the island.

Kintyre and Arran tour 2025 - Davaar Island

It probably takes about twenty minutes to walk across and I met a few others walking as well. The two main things to see on the island are the cave paintings and the lighthouse. I went in search of the cave paintings first. The cave painting of the Crucifixion was done by local artist Archibald MacKinnon in 1887. He claimed a vision had instructed him to paint it. It caused a lot of uproar at the time as people who saw it thought it was a sign from God, but when they realised MacKinnon did it, he was apparently exiled from the town. There is a memorial to the MacKinnon outside the Backpacker’s hostel.

The grass path turned into gravel, and then round beach stones and eventually larger round stones which were very difficult to walk on. I’ve had trouble walking on rough ground ever since shattering my ankle and this was starting to cause me a lot of pain. That combined with the possibility of injuring myself in a remote place when nobody knew I was there in the first place, persuaded me to abandon my search for the cave with the paining. I didn’t like having to give up on it but I was finding it too difficult and I didn’t have boots to support my ankle.

I limped back to more friendly terrain and made my way to the other side of the island to visit the lighthouse which dates from 1854. It was fully automated in the 1980s. It wouldn’t have been quite so remote as the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse as Campbeltown is within walking distance, but it would still have been a bleak place to live. I imagine it must have taken a special type of mindset to be a lighthouse keeper.

Kintyre and Arran tour 2025 - Davaar Lighthouse

I made my way back across the causeway in good time. There was no point in risking being cut off by the tide! I rode the short distance back into Campbeltown and ate in a café. I was surprised to find a little of bit shared use path which was once part of the Campbeltown railway. I had never suspected a railway would have ran to Campbeltown as I would have thought it too sparsely populated and much too difficult in terms of terrain. It seems coal had been mined near Machrihanish and a light 2’3” gauge railway line had run to connect the mines with Campbeltown. The line was later extended for passenger traffic as the new steam ships brought tourists and the railway thrived for a period. After the Great War, increased competition from motor buses hit the railway hard, and line was taken out of service in the early 1930s.

I then went to the supermarket to stock up on food as I would be going to somewhere where there would probably be no shops for the next few days. I got talking to another couple of hikers on the Kintyre Way outside the shop. They had felt they had brought too much luggage and were actually in the process of posting some of it home at the Post Office. I’m pleased it’s not just me who has a tendency to over-prepare for trips!

I would be making my way up the east side of the peninsula. I had passed this way in 2019 as it’s part of NCN 78. Today, I was going to only going as far as Carradale where I had booked a couple of nights in the Ashbank hotel. I had originally thought about going up the west side of the peninsula but I had struggled to find any sensibly priced accommodation on that. Ideally, I’d like to have visited the Isle of Gigha but it was just going to cost too much. I had formed another plan!

As you leave Campbeltown, you have nice sea views. Very quickly the road starts to climb. The main place of interest for me along this route is at Saddell. There is much to see there. Saddell overlooks Kilbrannan Sound and the Isle of Arran. The name is derived from the Norse for sandy dale.

There is a lot of history to be explored. I would only be scratching the surface of what you could learn about the area today. The first thing is the old Cistercian Abbey, originally found in 1160. The Abbey was founded by Somerled and completed by his son. Their descendants would become Clan MacDonald and later Lord of Isles. The Abbey is a ruin now, but interesting to walk around, as is the old graveyard which contains a hugely impressive grave of the MacDonalds. You also see some impressive carved stones, something Saddell became very well known for, although I understand some of those here belong to the Iona school of carving. I’m not educated enough to really understand the distance.

You can also ride through the grounds of Saddell Castle. This is a tower house built by the Bishop of Argyll in the early sixteenth century. The Campbells took it over in the seventeenth century and used stones from the Abbey to build the adjacent farm buildings. Further along the path to the shore, you can see the impressive new house which was built by the Campbells in the late eighteenth century. The old tower house was allowed to fall into disrepair. The tower house was restored to its former glory in the mid-1970s and featured in Paul McCartney’s Mull of Kintyre video (part of which was also filmed on Saddell Beach which is nearby). Saddell is definitely an interesting place to spend time. There is also the ruins of an old mill. I had enjoyed my afternoon there. I suspect you could spend days if you really wanted to immerse yourself in the history of the place.

I continued along the NCN 78 with a few scenic stops, including at the very nice Torrisdale Beach. I wasn’t very far from Carradale and my hotel now. I made many detours down small roads to little harbours and beaches. I was in no rush. I got to my destination around seven and after a wash and something to eat, I found myself being roped into making up the numbers in a quiz team in the hotel bar. We didn’t win, but at least we weren’t last either!

PART II of this narrative can be found here…

Kintyre and Arran tour 2025 - Torrisdale

Glencolumbkille

09 Friday May 2025

Posted by theoldbikeshome in County Donegal Railways, Cycle touring, Donegal, Glencolumbkille, Townsend BX-40, Uncategorized, wild atlantic way

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adventure, bikepacking, cycle touring, cycling, Donegal, Glencolumbkille, MTB, photography, Townsend BX-40, travel, wild atlantic way

Pre-Covid, I used to like to cycle to Glencolumbkille. It is surely one of the most scenic rides you can undertake anywhere on mostly quiet roads, and cheap accommodation was always available in the absolutely unique Doey Hostel. At a push, I probably could have made it there and back again in one day, but it would be an extremely long day with a lot of climbing involved. I always preferred to stay overnight and experiment with different routes as well.

That was all quite a long time ago now and much has changed. Sadly Mary, who ran the Doey Hostel died a few years ago and it is no longer open. The cost of accommodation (and the cost of living in general) since then has gone up drastically. No more €12 hostel beds! I also lost a lot of fitness following my accident and other things going on has had an effect on the miles I ride.

I’ve suddenly found myself much more motivated this spring with a desire to get properly fit and lose weight again. I decided it was time I made my first cycling trip to Glencolumbkille since 2020. I had been riding a decent amount again recently and had managed two back-to-back days of long rides in Connemara in March without any real difficulty. It was time to attempt the Glengesh Pass again.

I had thought about camping, but despite complaining about the cost of accommodation nowadays, I did manage to get very reasonably priced bed and breakfast at Aras Ghleann Cholm Cille. There is still sensibly priced options if you look hard enough in many places. The hostel at Malinbeg is also a possibility but I understand they want bookings for two nights or more.

The Saturday I had booked dawned bright and warm with blue skies. It was going to be a pleasant day. In the past, I usually cycled straight to Fintown when going this direction. I decided to try something different and took a series of minor roads from outside Letterkenny to Cloghan. There are many options available to make this ride really. Quite a bit of climbing was involved but I was happy with my route selection.

In Cloghan, I turned towards Ballybofey before turning off on to a minor road near the Isaac Butt Heritage Centre (formerly an old National School) on to a minor road that links the R252 to the R253. I love the R253 which leads from Ballybofey to Glenties, although I haven’t ridden it quite some time. It’s why I planned my route like this. I joined the R253 at the Reelin Bridge over the River Reelin. For anyone familiar with the Irish Folk Song, Johnston’s Motor Car, this is the bridge where Dr. Johnston got his car (a Morris I believe) hijacked by rebels after they had sent him a telegram calling him out to hoax medical emergency. They needed the car to transport weapons from Dungloe. The events have passed into local folklore and have been immortalised in the song, written by Willie Gillespie. I understand that Dr. Johnston disagreed with the line “you could hear the din going through Glenfin” as his car was immaculately maintained and didn’t make a din!

From the Reelin Bridge going towards Glenties, this road is a delight to cycle on with a decent surface and surprisingly little traffic. The scenery is varied with bog, woodland, lakes and mountains. The cuckoo could be heard. Riding this road reminded me why I like cycling in secluded areas where possible. You become so much more aware of your surroundings and live in the moment. Drive a car on the same road and you are isolated from the birdsong, the murmur of flowing water in the burns and the rustle of the breeze in the trees. It might be quicker and easier to drive, but you miss out on so much of what is on offer and lose the sense of serenity and being present in the moment.

Eventually you reach Glenties, one of the bigger towns in this relatively sparsely populated area. I have always found Glenties a pleasant town and it has all amenities you might require. After spending most of my day so far on lightly trafficked single-track roads, Glenties actually felt like entering a large, noisy metropolis!

From Glenties, it’s a short ride along a busier road to the town of Adara, which is another pleasant town. I leave Ardara on the N56, faster and busier than any road I had been on today, but still not busy enough to be considered dangerous for cycling on. This is one of the joys of cycle-touring out of season, just like the time I spent on the N59 around Clifden in March. These routes can get quite busy in peak tourist season but in March or April, they are fine to ride on. I also note that work seems to be going on building a decent cycle path alongside the N56 in this area. This is a good thing.

A few miles out of Ardara, the interesting bit starts when I turn off the N56 on to the R230 that will take me the rest of the way to Glencolumbkille. This road serves up the very best of the fabled Donegal hills! It starts climbing gradually at first before becoming much steeper as it snakes it way around the hairpin bends that lead to the top of the Glengesh Pass which is over nine hundred feet above sea level.

I was pleased to be able to climb it without needing to get off and walk. I had deliberately brought my Townsend Mountain Bike as it has the lowest gearing of all my bikes. I also had some luggage in my Carradice saddle bag. I was pleased to be still able to climb it. I think I would have struggled if I had been using a bike with higher gearing or had been carrying a lot of luggage; I still felt a great sense of achievement all the same when I reached the top and stopped at the viewing place to admire the view. It was a big effort to get here so I was happy to sit on the walk and enjoy the view for a bit. This is the reward you get when you climb to the top of a mountain pass by bicycle!

The most severe climbing might be over at this point but there are still some ups and downs between Glengesh and Glencolumbkille. This definitely is not an easy ride. It was a nice place to be on such a beautiful day though. There wasn’t much traffic either which always makes for a pleasant ride no matter where you. I arrived in Glencolumbkille at last. Surprisingly little had changed since I was last here. I was too late for the café so bought food in the Glen Head Bar, somewhere I had spent a few evenings in the good old days.

I wouldn’t be spending the evening here this time, which in a way was a shame as they were to have music later. My B&B was a few miles out of town, further along the coast. To my complete surprise, there had been a dramatic change in the weather whilst I was eating my dinner. I had gone in in glorious sunshine, and came out to see rain bouncing of the patio. The forecast had predicted rain coming in anyway, but rarely have I seen such a change in the weather in such a short time with no real warning. I donned waterproofs for the last few miles. It had also become very windy along the coast road. I was pleased to reach my destination for the night, where a warm welcome was received and I was allowed to bring my bike into the hallway despite it dripping water.

After a shower and change into dry clothes I was able to relax and read for the evening. My Carradice saddle bag had remained totally waterproof as usual. It may be an old-fashioned approach to cycling luggage but it works and their bags are high quality and last for many years.

The heavy rain continued over night as I could hear it on the roof in my upstairs bedroom. The forecast had given heavy rain overnight with it clearing up in the morning. I was in no rush first thing as I had all day to make my way home again and I was hoping the rain would stop. I’m naturally an early riser anyway so had a leisurely breakfast and talked to some of the other guests and the B&B owners.

At around nine o’ clock, I set off on my way home. The worst of the rain had passed by then and it was now downgraded from torrential downpour to a soft drizzle. I had no real plans for my journey home. Going over the Glengesh Pass again seemed obvious but there are other alternatives if you go towards An Port, the deserted famine village and follow the many small roads that lead to the coast and back into Adara.

Once clear of the village again and into the mountains, there was still quite a headwind. The sky was grey and uninspiring. I passed several junctions that could have given me an alternative way home but I was not confident of how well I would remember the roads that I only rode once back in 2020, and I had no phone signal to use electronic help. The windy, grey and damp weather combined with the wind meant it didn’t really feel like the sort of day I wanted to go out and get lost and explore new places. I decided to continue on the R230 over the Glengesh Pass as the most sensible route (for now. I ‘d like to come back when feeling fitter and in better weather to take the minor routes).

The Glengesh Pass is never as bad to ride from this side as it’s just a very long drag, rather than a series of short, tough climbs between hairpin bends. It’s just a question of having a suitable gear ration and getting on with it. The gradient combined with a headwind and not being as fit as I’d like meant I made much use of my low gearing. I was overtaken by a gaggle of Alfa Romeos of various types, obviously a club out on a tour. When I got to the viewing point at the top of Glengesh, they were all stopped. I regret not taking some photos. I will probably never see so many Alfa Romeos in one place ever again.

I did make a minor detour from my route to visit the Assaranca Waterfall because I knew it would be spectacular after the heavy overnight rain. I was not disappointed. It is a nice ride along the coast, and where I would probably have ended up if I had been more adventurous and looked for the alternative routes; something I will do again in the not too distant future.

I had hoped to find something to eat in Adara or Glenties but all the cafés were closed on a Sunday morning. I bought some bits and pieces in a shop in Glenties and ate it sitting in the rain at the roadside, something that seems to be a normal part of my tours!

Traffic was light and I decided to take the direct route back through Fintown and then on to Letterkenny. I love this road, and the weather was improving all the time now. A common theme on my rides is always looking for abandoned railways and this case I was able to look for the former Stranorlar to Glenties line. Part of it is now open as preserved railway alongside Lough Finn and they have one of the original County Donegal Railways Joint Committee (CDR -JC) diesel railcars. CDR – JC were actually one of the pioneers of using diesel power on their railways in an effort to reduce operating costs. Sadly, it wasn’t enough and all CDR – JC rail services finished in 1959. Much of the remains of the old railway infrastructure such as bridges and stations still remain. I find it interesting to look for it when cycling in areas which had rail services. I detoured down a side road when I spotted a bridge that spanned the track. So many of these bridges have survived and are still carrying traffic; a tribute to those that designed and built them.

Once I hit Fintown, the rain stopped and the weather started to improve. I continued on my way back to Letterkenny. I had covered over 120 miles over the two days, taking in some of the finest of the Donegal hills. I didn’t feel as tired as I thought I might have. I really enjoyed my weekend trip and it gave me the motivation to do more of this type of trip if I can this summer. Even though I largely was covering ground I can covered before, I still found some new things and re-learned my appreciation of the Donegal countryside. I also re-learned the joy of riding a bicycle – slowing everything down and living in the moment with the feeling of tranquillity that it brings.

This was my third little trip this year so far and I hope to make a few more before the year ends….

Connemara

13 Sunday Apr 2025

Posted by theoldbikeshome in Ben Lettery, clifden, connemara, Cycle touring, Galway, Greenway, leenaun, Lough Mask, Lough Nafooey, mayo, Townsend BX-40, Uncategorized, wild atlantic way

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clifden, connemara, cycle touring, Ireland, leenaun, Lough Inagh, Lough Mask, Lough na Fooey, photography, Townsend BX-40, travel, wild atlantic way

I enjoyed my few days in Connemara last year and had decided to go back again whenever I could for a few more days. That time had arrived as I had a few days leave to use up before the end of March so decided to make a long weekend of it.

I booked to stay in the Ben Lettery Hostel again. Since the pandemic, the amount of traditional backpacker type hostels in Ireland has dwindled. Ben Lettery is one of the good ones and I’m happy to go there again. With the ever-rising cost of accommodation in this country, the type of bike trips I used to enjoy making are often too expensive to do. The option of staying at Ben Lettery makes a cycling trip to Connemara very affordable.

The weather forecast wasn’t particularly promising but I decided to do it anyway. It was really windy with some horrible showers, sometimes of hail, as I drove to Clifden on the Friday. Not exactly ideal for a weekend’s cycling but I knew at least I would be under cover in the warm in the hostel. This is why I’m not a huge fan of camping when cycle touring. Unless the weather is reasonably good, getting wet and coming back to a small tent with nowhere to dry things is not very appealing to me. I do sometimes camp, but I choose my weather conditions very carefully.

I did take a roundabout route to Clifden, going via Westport and the Mayo/Galway coast as this is one of my favourite coast roads. Not even the inclement weather could hide its beauty and there was the odd moment of clear blue sky between the downpours. The weather was improving all the time though, and by the time I reached Connemara, it had cleared up to a very nice evening although it was still very cold. I was able to make something to eat in the kitchen and relax in front of a roaring fire.

The rain was back on the following morning, and very heavy too. The forecast was for it to start improving around 11 AM so I decided to sit it out and wait. There was no rush. The rain had cleared to little more than a drizzle and I decided it was time to get going.

I had been studying road maps and I had a route in mind for today but it would be close to eighty miles. I had concerns about the distance. I decided it was now out of the question due to the late start, and there was still a strong wind, which would make it slow going in places. The days still aren’t quite long enough. I had lights but there is little point in cycle touring in the dark!

I decided to forget the plan and have my day without one! The most enjoyable days out on the bike are often the ones where you have no plan but just go with what you feel. Today would now be one of those days.

I possibly didn’t wait long enough before starting out as there were some heavy showers and it wasn’t long before I was soaked. The wind was behind me at this point and I was cruising along a decent speed but I knew there would be payback! My original plan would have taken me along the N59 to Oughterard so I set off in that direction but I knew there would be no way I would get that far before turning off the main road somewhere.

I normally avoid main roads but the N59 isn’t a particularly busy one (at least out of tourist season) and reasonably early on a Saturday, there weren’t many passing cars, and any that there were overtook in a safe and considerate manner. My observation over the years is that you don’t get the aggressive driving you often get in the north of Ireland in other places.

I saw a signposted bicycle route sign at the junction with the R340 towards Carna, so I decided to take it. Carna is a region in Connemara with history dating back to the early Christian period. It is a predominately Irish speaking region and in the early years of the Irish Free State, a lot of effort was made to record the folklore, mythology and the oral story-telling tradition of this region for posterity.

I wouldn’t be investigating any folklore stories today. I mostly just kept riding. The rain had now stopped but the dreich sky remained, as did the wind. I was enjoying the ride though. This was new territory for me. It was also very flat compared to the sort of terrain I usually ride in Donegal. Of course, the headwinds are usually worse in flat areas as there is no shelter from the wind.

I didn’t take the direct road to Carna but detoured towards Scríb, but didn’t quite get there! I took a turn-off for Ros Muc instead. I did stop at the Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh. Sadly, the café is closed out of season, but it’s a nice place to visit with lots to see and a very impressive map of the region marked on the floor. The centre is named after Pádraig Pearse who was one of the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic. He had a cottage nearby. It is possible to visit this, but I did not take the time to do so today. We remember Pearse today for his part in the 1916 Easter Rising, and being one of the fifteen who were executed by the British army; but he was also a barrister, a schoolteacher, a poet and a writer. I hadn’t given his connections to Connemara much thought previously, but maybe on a future trip to Connemara, I might make time for a more explorative tour of Connemara to look at things connected to him. He certainly packed a lot into his thirty-six years on Earth and earned an important place in history.

Ros Muc is said to be the half-way point between Clifden and Galway city. It had stopped raining by now by now, some glints of a blue sky were starting to show through the greyness that had characterised the day so far. Earlier, I had run my dynamo lamps in the interests of visibility in the murky conditions but I switched them off now. There was promise of a better afternoon in the air. The strong wind remained though, sometimes as a friend but mostly as a foe, depending on which direction I was going at the time. I found Ros Muc a pleasant little rural community all by itself with rural shops and post office and I came across a nice little harbour and sea views too.

I then started to make my way towards Carna at last, passing through Cill Chiaráin. Galway hookers with their distinctive sails once carried passengers between here and Galway. The kelp harvest from this area was exported from the Cill Chiaráin pier to Scotland to be used to produce iodine during the Great War so it could be used to treat wounds in injured soldiers.

Making my way around the coast towards Carna, I was very impressed with Clochar na Trócaire in Carna, which is an old convent and nunnery from around 1870. It is sad to see this once fine building in a dilapidated state with slates missing from the roof. I hope it can be saved but am realistic enough to realise it costs a lot of money and the building probably hasn’t got a purpose any more.

I continued on around the coast via Glinsce and An Caisel before taking the R341 to take me back to the N59 and the hostel again. I did ride this part of the R341 last year and have fond memories of exploring the grounds of Ballynahinch Castle and some of the Connemara greenway which I hope will be completed in the not-too-distant future. I didn’t really have time for that now. I had covered more ground than I had intended in my shortened day. It had brightened up into a beautiful sunny, if stormy evening. I was fighting daylight now as I wanted to be back at the hostel before it got dark. I had accidently put myself in a position I never like to be in as I joined the N59 again – riding into the setting sun. I was concerned about my visibility as I rode the last three miles or so along the N59 as the sun was low and quite strong. Of course, drivers should drive slower when visibility is compromised like this, but some won’t.

I made it back to the hostel with about half an hour’s daylight to spare. To my surprise, I had covered over sixty miles. I very nearly completed the distant of the longer route I had planned but cancelled due to the late start. I was nice to get in out of the wind and make a simple evening meal in the hostel kitchen. There weren’t that many other guests but I suppose it is very early in the season. A relaxing evening was spent reading in from of a log fire whilst listening to the wind whistle in the chimney. One of the other guests was someone I remember as a warden at the Trá na Rosann hostel in the past and she is now a warden at the Glenmalure Hostel in rural Wicklow, somewhere else I must get around to visiting someday soon.

I didn’t feel as tired as I thought I might but still went to bed reasonably early as I would have an hour less in bed as the clocks would change to British Summer Time. The other side to this would be a longer evening so no need to rush tomorrow’s ride like I did with the last fifteen miles or so of the Saturday ride.

The Sunday dawned much more promising from a weather point of view. It was still slightly overcast at times but there was no rain and the wind had died down. Yesterday was supposed to be about exploring a new area (to me) of Connemara and although I did visit some new places, the late start had meant the route had been trimmed down.

Today would largely be going around the places that have caused me to fall in love with Connemara in the first place. The other thing of course was gaining an hour of extra daylight in the evening. There is always something nice about when the clocks change in my opinion. I always feel the long dreary days of winter are now in the past, spring is here, the daffodils are out in abundance, the trees are budding and new-born lambs start to appear in the field. It’s all about new life and new beginnings.

Leaving Ben Lettery, I made my way towards Maam Cross on the N59. Early on a Sunday morning, traffic was almost non-existent. I pulled over into an entrance to let the driver of the early Clifden to Galway bus service pass during a series of blind corners, and he had been happy enough to sit behind rather than do a risky overtaking manoeuvre like some would have done. I got a wave of thanks and appreciation. A little respect between and co-operation between all road users would make the world a much better place. There are times when it is necessary to be an assertive cyclist, but I would have gained nothing by insisting in keeping the bus behind in this situation, other than the stress of cycling with a bus breathing down my neck.

This part of the N59 must surely be one of the most scenic main roads in the country as you pass mountains, lakes and bogland. I have travelled on the N59 several times but this time I did notice something I had never noticed before. Possibly because I had been thinking about the Connemara Greenway the previous evening and wondering when it would be finished, I started to note where some work is ongoing and I was suddenly able to see where the Clifden – Galway line had run alongside the road. I had never noticed this before and it is quite overgrown, but the signs of old railway infrastructure is there when you start to look for it. I really do hope this is completed as it will be such a scenic route and an offroad path the full distance between Galway and Clifden opens up a lot of touring opportunities.

The line seems to have had a relatively short working life. It opened in 1895 under the Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR) Company. It was one of the Balfour lines (when much funding was made available under Prime Minister Arthur Balfour for railways in the west of Ireland). It was considered of vital importance as Clifden was largely only accessible by boat, and crop failures and lack of modern infrastructure had caused great hardship to the people of Connemara. It’s thought that the owner of Ballynahinch Castle had made a lot of land available causing a change to the original plan of a coastal route.

The complete track length was 49 ¼ miles and it was built to Irish 5’3” standard gauge. The line was badly damaged during the Civil War and the War of Independence, and was closed for several months. This, combined with a lack of investment by the new Free State government meant the decision was taken to pave what is now the N59 rather than improve and repair the line properly. The last train ran in 1935. As with many of these west of Ireland lines, you can’t help wonder about the tourist potential they could have offered if they had have survived into the modern age. Some disused lines should ideally be brought back to life, but I doubt there is the population base in Connemara to make it viable in this case. I look forward to riding the greenway whenever it is completed.

At Maam Cross, you can see where the station was and a small part of it and the line has been restored as an ongoing project. They seem to have quite a lot of rolling stock in their station yard. I’m not sure exactly what they are working towards with this, but it all looks overgrown and they’ve clearly suffered some storm damage.

From Maam Cross, I made my way to An Mám. This is the heart of what is known as Joyce Country, named after the principal family of the area in days gone by. Many will be familiar with The Sawdoctors’ song “The Joyce Country Ceile Band.” Most of the roads through Connemara were designed and built by the Scottish civil engineer, Alexander Nimmo. A monument to him is built at Roundstone harbour (which he also designed). Nimmo built an inn at An Mám (c 1820). It still exists today and is known as Keane’s. You find examples of Nimmo’s handiwork all over Connemara. He was clearly a gifted engineer and very prolific.

From An Mám, I would turn right on to the R345 which would take me to Cong. I have ridden this road quite a few times in the past, when I had based myself in Cong. I wouldn’t be going as far as Cong today; I would ride to the village of Corr na Móna. From there, I would be turning left to go over the mountains towards Clonbur. This part of the road would be new to me and I knew it would require a bit of climbing.

Here I would join the R300, which would take me briefly into Co. Mayo and past the southern end of Lough Mask. I ate my lunch over-looking Lough Mask at the little picnic area. Food always tastes better if you’ve worked hard enough to earn it and if it comes with a nice view.

I have ridden the R300 and it’s one of my favourite routes. I had wanted to fit it in this time as it’s a few years since I last rode it. With some climbing, it takes me past through Fionnaithe and Lough Na Fooey, one of my favourite inland views in the entire country before plunging back down the sea level to meet Killary Fjord at Leenaun. There is something about Lough Na Fooey that is just so beautiful and it’s also incredibly tranquil if you go down to the water’s edge where there is a small beach.

After so much climbing, I enjoyed the descent into Leenaun and the views across Killary Fjord, again amongst my favourite places in Ireland. I sat on the wall at the carpark looking out across the Fjord for a bit and absorbing the beauty. I was well ahead of time now and felt like relaxing for a bit. I was feeling hungry again and I was going to get something to eat in the café.

I very quickly discovered two problems. My front tyre was flat and the café was closed! I always carry tools and supplies so I could easily deal with the puncture. I still needed food. I wheeled my bike to the front of Hamilton’s bar. I would get a pint of Guinness and plate of chips and sit and watch the world pass by for a while before fixing my puncture and carrying on my way. I had time. If you are going to have to make roadside repairs, it is nice to be able to do it sitting outside a pub in a beautiful location, rather than doing it in the rain in the dark at the side of an unlit road, as this is what usually happens to me!

In my experience, you don’t get front punctures very often. They are always nicer to deal with as there is no chain and drivetrain to deal with so you don’t get your hands all oil. As it turns out, it wasn’t a puncture in the conventional sense as the tube was actually punctured on the inside edge, suggesting a rim tape issue. As I’ve said many times before, I carry a lot of emergency kit as I often cycle in remote places. I always think it’s best to be prepared if you’re riding a distance further than you would be prepared to walk back from.

In this case, I always carry a roll of electrical insulating tape as it can be useful for all sorts of things. I couldn’t see anything obviously wrong with the rim tape but put a few wraps of tape on it as a precaution. When I went to repair the tube, I realised it was actually very badly perished and possibly had just died from old age. I decided to fit my spare tube as I didn’t think the original was worth of putting back in when it was examined closely. How old is it? I don’t really know. It is possible the tube is original to the bike (1992). I don’t ever remember replacing it. There were a few patches on it but none recent. I have only ever had one puncture (on the back) on the Continental Double Fighter tyres I’ve been using on this bike in many thousands of miles. I would highly recommend them to anyone who wants a semi-slick tyre for a US 26” (559mm) wheel. They don’t have a puncture protection layer but still seem very puncture resistant.

From Leenaun, I rejoined the N59. Normally from here, I might have gone on to Kylemore Abbey and Letterfrack. Today, I would take R344 through the Lough Inagh Valley. I have ridden this road in the past but not in a very long time. The weather was changing now, it had got colder and there was dampness in the air, even though it wasn’t actually raining. You could see the thick mist forming in the mountains and overhanging the lakes. It gives everything a nice eerie feel I always think. The mist was nowhere bad enough to make visibility a problem.

This is another nice route with lakeside views. I could see that a couple were clearly having their wedding photographs taken over looking Lough Inagh. It would certainly give a nice backdrop to your wedding photos and I hope the couple be happy together. I’m sure they would have hoped for a clearer day for their pictures though.

It had started drizzling now and I kept riding rather than stopping. Eventually, after quite a bit of climbing, followed by a long descent, you reach the N59 again. From there, it is only a few miles back to Ben Lettery. I was surprised to see I had cycled 138 miles over the two days, much further than I thought. If the Saturday was mostly a flat ride (made slower and more difficult by coastal headwinds), Sunday took in a decent a mount of climbing. I think I can be satisfied and I hope to continue to improve my fitness for summer and hopefully more tours.

Another evening was spent in front of a log fire. The hostel was quieter tonight than it had been the previous two nights. The Monday morning dawned bright, sunny and unseasonably warm, just as I had to leave to go home again! At least it made it pleasant for the drive back. I really enjoyed my few days in Connemara, I hope to come back again and maybe get an OS map and explore the less obvious routes next time.

Boyne Valley to Lakeland Greenway

06 Thursday Mar 2025

Posted by theoldbikeshome in boyne valley, Boyne Valley Greenway, Boyne Valley to Lakeland Greenway, Brompton, Cycle touring, Drogheda, Greenway, Meath, Navan, Oldbridge House, River Boyne, small wheeler, Uncategorized

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Boyne Greenway, Boyne Navigation, boyne valley, Boyne velley to lakeland greenway, Brompton, cycle touring, Drogheda, history, Navan, Oldbridge House, photography, River Boyne, Sturmey Archer AW3, travel

It’s always nice to be able to cycle away from the traffic on our increasingly busy road network. It is this which makes cycling on the various greenways, often created out of disused railways a relaxing and pleasant experience. I do have doubts about routes like these as they do little to encourage utility cycling for most people. I believe more needs to be done regarding this as means to reducing traffic congestion in our towns. There is also a perfectly valid argument that some use to say these former railway lines would be better served being put back to use as railways. I definitely see the need for increasing our rail network but it isn’t always possible or practical.

Others think anything spent on active travel is money wasted. I definitely disagree with this. Increasing activity levels has many benefits to both physical and mental health and any money spent by the government on encouraging greater activity levels will pay itself back in reduced healthcare costs and lost productivity in the working environment. As it is, greenways give safe, relaxing environments for people to walk, run or cycle. The success of the Great Western Greenway along the former Westport to Achill railway line has done much to increase tourism in the area and repay Mayo County Council’s initial investment. I have cycled it many times, some of which I have detailed in this blog in the past, I look forward to hopefully doing it again soon.

I wanted to try out one of the newest greenways – the Boyne Valley to Lakeland Greenway from Navan in County Meath to Kingscourt in Co. Cavan. I was interested in as I have always loved the Boyne Valley. It has always been one of my favourite parts of Ireland and I did enjoy a few days touring in the Navan/Kells area in 2021. I had always wanted to go back. The opening of the completed greenway last summer had put it on my list as something to do when I got time.

The history of the line is quite complicated, and involved several different railway companies, and was completed in various stages. The complete Navan – Kingscourt line, built to full mainline Irish 5’ 3” gauge standard, opened officially in March 1875. Dublin and Meath Railways was later taken over by Midland Great Western Railways (MGWR) in 1888. The plan was to extend it from Kingscourt to Cookstown in Co, Tyrone where it would tie into the Great Northern Railways (GNR) system, but those plans never materialised.

The line became part of Great Southern Railways on the formation of The Irish Free State, and eventually came under Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) in 1945. CIÉ closed the line to passenger services in 1947. Sections of the line were still used for freight (almost exclusively for Gypsum Industries, a major industry in the area) until 2001. Gypsum Industries started to use road transport following a long-running rail strike in 2001. The line was mothballed for a time. The final train to run on it was a weedkiller spraying train in 2002. The line was eventually lifted to facilitate the building of the greenway. The Greenway was opened in sections, with the complete route being opened last year.

Which is how I came to be standing in Navan on a relatively cold but bright morning on the first of March. This would only be a weekend trip with the main feature being a leisurely all-day ride of the thirty Kilometre greenway from Navan to Kingscourt and back again. I had driven down the night before and stayed in a bed and breakfast on the outskirts of Navan. I brought my Brompton as it’s easy to fit it in the car. The other thing about cycling old railway lines is that they are always flat; I’d have no need for any low gears today – three would be perfectly sufficient. I was in no hurry anyway. I had all day to ride the sixty Kilometres. There is no point in trying to rush this sort of ride. I wanted time to look at the scenery and stop and look at anything of interest that took my attention. The other thing about paths like these is that they are shared use – shared with pedestrians, dogs, children and to ride at high speeds on a busy greenway is irresponsible. If you want to ride fast, go on the road.

A sign marks the official start of the greenway and informs you where you are and the distance to the end of the greenway and the former stations you pass through. These signs are repeated at one Kilometre intervals. This is new, I’ve never seen this on any of the other long distance shared paths I’ve cycled, and it is useful information.

Along the way you will pass through the former stations at Gibbstown, Wilkinstown, Castletown, Nobber, Kilmainhamwood before reaching Kingscourt itself. There is something to see at each of these stations, sometimes ruins, the platforms, sometimes the station buildings have been re-purposed. There are other signs too of the former railway if you look for them – the old signs, the signals, parts of the track remain in situ in some places, and even some more recent signs that remain from the last days of the railway when it was used for freight – like the signpost I seen with instructions regarding the level crossing.

Of course, although I rode the greenway in its entirety, I also took the time to leave it at each of the villages and ride around the local roads a little to see what I seen. I really liked Nobber in particular, old ecclesiastical ruins, churches, and what interested me the most – an old forge building constructed from corrugated iron. Once upon a time, corrugated iron was a new wonder material and many buildings were built from it, including churches and town halls. Many have long gone now, which is why it’s nice to see one that has survived like this old forge. Corrugated iron buildings have a character all of their own. Many, like this one I suspect, were home-made, but many others would have been bought as prefabricated structures and assembled. Corrugated iron made prefabricated structures possible. I hope this one gets preserved.

I also noted the old national school in Kilmainhamwood village, which seems to have been established in 1835 although the modern building appears to date from 1937 with many newer additions. I always tend to look out for certain things when cycling – old railway infrastructure, old bridges, old school buildings, old post boxes as well as old corrugated iron buildings. I think it is definitely worthwhile to make these little detours from the greenway.

Despite my leisurely perambulations through the Meath/Cavan countryside, it was still reasonably early as I arrived back in Navan at around four o’ clock. Unfortunately, it was starting to rain. I had vague plans to explore some of the back roads around Navan but there seemed little point in getting wet. I had covered around fifty miles for my day, a reasonable total. It felt easy of course, as I wasn’t riding in the Donegal hills where most of miles are covered. I decided to call it a day. I put the bike back in the car and drove to Slane and went to top of the Hill of Slane. By now it had stopped raining again and I regretted not having extended my ride but the moment had past, and I was rapidly running out of daylight. There wasn’t much else to do but to get food and then return to base.

I was going home again on the following day as this was only ever going to be a weekend trip. The Sunday dawned much brighter and nicer than the previous day. I didn’t want to spend a whole day as I wanted to be home as I had other plans on Sunday evening. As the day was so nice, I decided to do something. I drove to Oldbridge House, which as well as being the visitors’ centre for the Battle of the Boyne, has a magnificent house, grounds and garden to explore. I wouldn’t be going into the house or the visitors’ centre today; I just wanted a bit of time to enjoy a bright spring morning in nature without any real plans. This was purely for relaxation.

When I got there, I couldn’t resist taking the Brompton out of the boot for a little ride around. You can join the Boyne Valley Greenway (not to be confused with the Boyne Valley to Lakeland Greenway I did the previous day) and ride alongside a short section of a canal that runs mostly alongside the River Boyne from Oldbridge to Navan know as the Boyne Navigation, before continuing alongside the River Boyne to the town of Drogheda. The River Boyne is tidal as far inland as Oldbridge.

Work began on the Oldbridge to Slane section of the canal as far back as 1748 and the Slane to Navan section was completed in 1800. I believe the plan was to continue it on to Trim to join the Royal Canal but that was not to be. The main cargo on the canal was grain and flour from the various mills which were located along the river Boyne in one direction and coal going in the other direction. The canal is now long out of use and derelict although there are plans to renovate it. When completed, the towpath will make an excellent walking and cycling route and I look forward to seeing it happen.

My ride terminated in Drogheda town centre. Drogheda (Droichead Átha – bridge at the ford) is a large town and port with a long history and many interesting buildings. I wouldn’t be taking the time to explore them today, as I all I was really doing was following the Greenway/Boyne Trail to its conclusion. I admired the many bridges of Drogheda including a relatively recent shared use bridge and, in the distance, the beautiful railway viaduct. I admired the many old stone buildings that line the river in places. Drogheda has been a busy port for probably all of its history and I often came here with my father in his lorry when I was much younger. It was a nice place to sit and watch the river flow by while eating my lunch.

The other reason the Boyne is famous (apart from the 1690 battle) is that is the river in which the salmon of knowledge was caught in Irish folklore. I have often eaten salmon but don’t believe I have ever gained any additional knowledge from doing so! Perhaps I should have prepared salmon sandwiches for my Boyne-side lunch!

After eating my lunch, I made my way back along the short journey to Oldbridge House again, put the bike back in the car and made my way home. I really enjoyed my first “tour” of the 2025 (and I hope it is the first of many). I only really had a day and half, but they were enjoyable and despite taking things at a very relaxing pace, I still managed to fit a lot in. Maybe it’s time I did a more involved tour of this area at some point in the future…

As an aside, as I write and prepare this, WordPress has reminded me that this is the tenth anniversary of me starting my blogging career. I had no idea it was that long! It all started out as bit of fun and I have never taken it too seriously. I have enjoyed the trips and projects that I have written about. With lockdowns, accident and my recovery, I have not cycled as much in the past few years as I would have liked but I have still enjoyed what I have done. I’ve found cycling great for mental health as well as well as physical health. For the people who have read my posts over the years, thank you for taking the time and I hope you have gained something from doing so.

Here’s to the next ten years…

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Islay revisited

27 Friday Sep 2024

Posted by theoldbikeshome in Cycle touring, Islay, Jura, Port Charlotte, Port Ellen, Scotland, Viscount Aerospace

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

cycle touring, Islay, Jura, Port Charlotte, Port Ellen, scotch, Scotland, travel, Viscount Aerospace, whisky

I enjoyed my trip to the Isle of Islay a lot last year and had hoped to go back to see a little more of it and learn more about it. It’s an easy boat trip from Ballycastle (probably easier for me to get there than for many on the Scottish mainland) and sensibly priced accommodation is available in the Port Charlotte Youth Hostel. I’ve found the cost of accommodation has become a real problem nowadays and the type of short cycling breaks I like are harder to book and plan as it can easily cost way too much money.

I had booked it a few weeks in advance to ensure I would get a place in both the hostel and on the ferry (the ferry only seats twelve people). As the time drew closer, the weather forecast wasn’t particularly promising.

There is only one sailing on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays in September do going Friday to Monday made the most sense. The boat sails at 9:30 AM and meant quite an early start for me to drive to Ballycastle without being rushed last year. I decided to make it easy for myself and on a whim, I booked a night at the White Park Bay Youth Hostel and went the night before. This meant I could have a nice relaxing walk on the beach and relax and watch the sun set at one of my favourite parts of the Antrim coast and I would have a leisurely start to my day and a short drive in to Ballycastle in the morning. I’ve come to the belief that life is more enjoyable if you slow it down and take the time to enjoy things.

The Friday morning dawned bright and clear and looked promising as I took my early morning walk along the beach before breakfast. It was slightly breezy though and was actually very cold which made me revise my choice of shorts and I changed into long leggings when I got back to the hostel.

I made my way to Ballycastle and parked in the harbour carpark near where the Kintyre Express sails from. This is another good thing about sailing in this way as this is a free long-term carpark so leaving a car whilst going away on a boat for a weekend isn’t an issue. I was in good time for the ferry and as it’s such a small boat departing from the marina, it is not like the anonymity of a larger sailing like a P&O ferry or a busy airport. The passengers usually chat to each other. There was one other touring cyclist, an American who was in the midst of an epic three-month trip taking him from Heathrow to Wales and around a lot of the south and west of Ireland and was now Caledonia-bound by a less obvious route. This was all done on a Dahon folding bike. It confirms my views that small wheeled bikes make perfectly good touring bikes. What interested me was he seemed to have less luggage for a three-month trip than I had for a weekend trip! I was never any good at travelling light as I like to be prepared for anything.

Previously, I had used my Brompton on my last trip to Islay but on this occasion, I would use my Viscount Aerospace. I enjoyed riding it in Connemara last month. It was good to have got it back into service again, even if it just is with a temporary replacement front wheel due to issues with the Shimano Dynohub, which I hope to be able to resolve. I opted for a road bike this trip rather than the Brompton as I had hoped to be faster and do a more targeted tour with going to specific places and riding faster in between now that I had some experience of the island. The forecast for a lot of wind also made a drop bar bike seem like a good idea. I love my Brompton, but it’s upright riding position can be demoralising into strong headwinds.

With the two bikes secured on the ferry’s open deck but our luggage removed and placed in the hold we were ready to depart. The sea was quite choppy even as we were leaving the harbour and it was only ever going to get worse as the seas around Rathlin Island are notorious. So, it proved; but fortunately, I seem to have been born with good sea legs and have never experienced seasickness no matter what. It was rough but it definitely wasn’t the worst boat trip I have experienced. Thankfully everyone else on board survived the experience without issue as well. The crossing took longer than usual.

We disembarked at Port Ellen which is a quaint little seaside town with the docks, and some beaches in the vicinity. With my bike washed down to remove the salt spray and my panniers re-attached and the goodbyes and good lucks exchanged with the other passengers, I was on my way. For about fifty feet at least until the rear wheel pulled forward in the dropout and locked against the chainstay. Clearly the quick release lever had caught on something and partially opened while the bike was being lifted on and off the ferry. It just shows that it is prudent to check the bike over when it has been manhandled. It was a minor inconvenience as all I had to do was re-align the wheel in the dropouts but the front wheel being loose could have caused an injury.

I decided to eat in the café in Port Ellen before continuing on my way as it would save having to stop later. I then proceeded along the south-east side of the island. This of course took me on to the rather nice cycle path that leads past three of the many whisky distilleries for which the island is internationally renowned, and probably the three best known ones – Laphraoig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg. There is so much history attached to these places, although I hadn’t planned to do any tours it’s nice to stop for a quick look around and enjoy the sweet aroma of the malt that lingers in the air, even on a breezy day like today.

I had done all this last year but I wanted to see how far up this side of the island I could continue as I remembered the road continued past Ardbeg and had signposts but it didn’t seem to show up on any maps. I wondered if I could make my way all the way to Port Askaig like this.

I couldn’t. The road rapidly deteriorates in terms of surface quality but I was able to continue for quite some distance (about ten miles from memory) on a traffic free haven as there is very little out here apart from the odd stray tourist like myself who insists on taking the road less travelled. The road was quite steep in places (one climb was signposted 14%) and offered some beautiful coastal views but eventually I came to a gate so turned around and re-traced my steps back to Port Ellen. I always prefer if I can do a looped ride in some way rather than ride up dead ends, but I’m still pleased I did this as it’s nice ride. You also get to see an interesting old Church and Cross at Kildalton.

From Port Ellen, I took the other road out of the town heading in a westerly direction which would take me to Port Charlotte eventually where I would spend the night. I could have made my way directly to Port Charlotte (actually an option of two different roads here) but I had planned on a detour to a part of the island I hadn’t managed to get to at all last year. I would go to the Mull of Oa. I did stop briefly at the Port Ellen distillery before leaving town.

I found this one of the more challenging routes I’ve done on Islay with a lot of rolling hills combined with the inevitable sea breeze. It was worth it though. Again, the road was largely traffic free and the route is scenic. I stopped at the Carraig Fhada Lighthouse, famous for being a very unusual square lighthouse. It is the work of David Hamilton and Son, and it dates from 1832 so will soon be celebrating its bi-centenary. It serves two purposes, as a lighthouse and guiding light for sailors on the approach to Port Ellen, but it was also built as a memorial Lady Ellinor Campbell, the wife of Walter Frederick Campbell, Laird of Islay. Lady Campbell died at the young age of 32, and it is to her that the town of Port Ellen is named after.

The road terminates at the car park for the American Monument. The American Monument was built by the American Red Cross as a tribute to the Americans who lost their lives the waters around Islay during the Great War, those who perished on board the American troop carrier S.S. Tuscania. The Tuscania was hit a German torpedo, seven nautical miles north of Rathlin Island as it entered the North Channel on its way to Liverpool in February 1918. Two hundred and thirty US servicemen lost their lives. Many of the survivors and the bodies of the dead ended up ashore on Islay. Only eight months later, tragedy was to strike again when the H.M.S. Ontario, enroute to Glasgow, went down in heavy seas with the loss of four hundred British and American servicemen. The remains of the dead are mostly buried at Kilchoman Cemetery.

The carpark is as far as one can travel on wheels. It still looked quite a distance to the monument. I asked two hikers who had returned to their car who advised me it took them over fifty minutes to reach the monument. I looked at my watch and reluctantly decided I didn’t have a spare two hours if I was to reach the Port Charlotte hostel at the agreed time. I would also probably be running short on daylight if I had done it and then continued on to Port Charlotte. I retraced my steps back to the main road. A visit to the American Monument would have to wait to another occasion.

I stopped briefly in Bowmore for some groceries as I knew the shop in Port Charlotte would be closed. It was drizzling rain for the ride between Bowmore and Port Charlotte. I reached Port Charlotte shortly after seven with just over sixty miles covered since I landed in Port Ellen earlier in the day. It had been an interesting day and I had seen and learned some new things. After a shower and change of clothes, I was able to prepare my evening meal in the kitchen of the hostel. I did take a walk around the town later and called into the Port Charlotte Hotel public bar for a nightcap.

The forecast for the next day wasn’t great but it looked fine first thing. I would aim to visit Jura today. There really is only one road on the Isle of Jura which runs along the south side of the island. I did a lot of it last year on the Brompton but I wanted to reach the end of the line to see what was there; it was for this reason that I brought a road bike this time as I wanted something that could cover the distance a little quicker than the Brompton. I made my way back towards Bowmore as I needed to go back to Bridgend to join the road to Port Askaig.

I also wanted to look at some of the outlying distilleries along this road. I had seen most of them last year but I hadn’t seen Bunnahabhain or Ardnahoe. I wouldn’t be doing tours but it’s nice to browse around the shops and take a wander around the ground. These distilleries all have a lot of history. I took the turn for Ardnahoe and Bunnahabhain which are both located on a road that leads off the main road to Port Askaig.

As I approached Ardnahoe, it began to rain quite heavily so I was forced to don waterproofs. I never like doing this if I can help it due to the boil-in-the-bag effect but it was far from warm today. It appeared that summer had finished for another year.

It’s only a few miles off the main road to reach Ardnahoe but involves quite a bit of climbing. The road surface was also absolutely atrocious with crumbling surface and really deep potholes. Ardnahoe is the youngest distillery on the island, opening in 2018. It was nice to see it and have a look around the gift shop but as always, all the whiskies are out of my price range. In some places, it is possible to get samples to try but I have always declined when I am cycling. I don’t think spirits mid bicycle ride are really a good idea. As a new distillery, the buildings are all nice and new but lack the character of the older distilleries.

I continued on my way to Bunnahabhain Distillery, which dates from the 1880s and the beauty of its location could not be dulled by the somewhat inclement weather I was experiencing. It’s quite remote though, and I believe the road was only built in the 1960s and previously it was only accessed by boat. It is the only Islay distillery to use natural spring water and is also noteworthy as being the non-peaty Islay whisky.

I carefully made my way down the steep and very poorly surfaced road to the join the main road again and continued on my way to Port Askaig. The weather had really deteriorated now as I sought shelter at the ferry terminal whilst I waited for the next crossing to Jura. There were very few people around and I was the only passenger on board the open decked ferry. It was only a short crossing across the Sound of Jura but it was very rough at times and the iconic Paps of Jura were hidden under a veil of mist.

I began the Jura part of my day trip into strong winds and often torrential rain. The weather did not take anything away from the beauty of the Island though and there were a few short spells where the rain stopped and the mist lifted when I could get a few photos. I continued to the Jura distillery. I stopped at the café which is adjacent to the Jura distillery and bought my lunch there while I looked out the window at the rain and mist as well as the pool of water at my feet on the café floor. Water had even pooled on top of my mostly empty pannier while I had been riding! A fine advertisement for Carradice products that the water remained on the outside.

I made the decision that would go no further. There was little point. The rain was very heavy, the wind was mostly behind me at this point but that meant I would have a headwind on the return leg, Port Charlotte is quite a long way away and I would be adding another thirty odd miles to my ride. I decided to turn and go back. I enjoyed the ten or so miles I had covered on the island as it’s beauty is undimmed by the rain. One day, I hope I will complete the whole length of the island’s road but with the wind, it was just going to be too slow today and still get back to Port Charlotte before dark.

Again, I was the only passenger on board the ferry as we crossed the Sound of Jura with waves washing over the deck. I was disappointed that I wouldn’t reach the other side of the Isle of Jura but I felt I was making the right decision. Apart from anything else, the possibility of them stopping the ferries for the evening if conditions got worse would have left me stranded on Jura, and I didn’t want to risk that happened.

Typically, once I reached Port Askaig again, the rain began to ease off as I began the long 15% climb away from sea level. As the weather was improving, I decided to make the minor detour to Caol Ila distillery which I had visited last year. I remember the stunning location and nice views. Getting there involves some more climbing but nothing too serious. Caol Isla is the largest of the Islay distilleries and dates from 1846. Most of their output goes to Johnny Walker. They once had their own Clyde Puffer steamship to deliver their wares to Glasgow until the car ferries and road transport took over. The Clyde Puffers were small steamships with a design based on canal barges. They developed on the Forth and Clyde Canal were then made seaworthy and fitted with condensing boilers to service the Hebrides and other islands. They managed to be competitive against the railways as they could deliver goods from the industrialised Scottish Central belt canal system to the islands with less goods handling but the use of lorries and car ferries took away their advantage in the 1960s. Only a handful remain in existence today.

I did see a group of cyclists at Caol Ila also braving the weather and I had seen the same bikes at the other distilleries I had been to as well so they were clearly doing some sort of distillery tour. I would be making my way back to Port Charlotte via Bowmore to buy some things in the shop. The rain had mostly cleared away now but it remained very dreich. It also remained very windy which ate into my cruising speed.

After get wet earlier in the day, I had almost dried out again by the time I arrived back at the hostel at nearly eight o’ clock. I had covered nearly eighty miles, mostly quite slowly due to the wind. I always find cycling into wind much more tiring and demoralising than hills. It also works up an appetite and I attached my simple evening meal with relish! I sampled a dram of Ardbeg in the bar latter to help me warm up again as it had been cold at times. I could complain about the weather but I still enjoyed my day and felt pleased with myself, as I feel I demonstrated good mental and physical stamina to complete today’s ride at all. It’s on days like this that you build fitness and stamina in my opinion. If you commit to a tour (especially in the west of Scotland or Ireland), you will always experience days like this. You can complain, but I prefer to just get on with it. The perfect day doesn’t exist.

Sunday morning seemed much more promising and looked dry and sunny. It felt a lot warmer too and I decided to risk shorts. I didn’t have too much of a plan for today. I had decided to make Saturday my long day to visit Jura as there are less ferry options on a Sunday. I had always planned to make Sunday a leisurely day.

After breakfast I made my way to Portnahaven along the coast road. Last year I had taken a slightly longer, inland route to Portnahaven from Port Charlotte which involved quite a bit of climbing from what I remember. The coast road isn’t flat either but no serious climbing involved. I had fond memories of Portnahaven as it is a really beautiful little seaside town. I was in no hurry. I took the time to explore the village and coastal paths properly and to speak to some random people. In many ways, this is proper cycle touring, rather than just clocking up high mileage rides but not taking the time to interact with the people and places you come across. Both have their place and their enjoyment, but it’s the slow tours that create the memories. I took the time to stop at a rural graveyard where the McDonalds, Lord of the Isles are buried. You can see the decorative grave stones, now protected from the elements under glass.

I made my way back to Port Charlotte but would be going further afield in the opposite direction. I decided to go to Saligo Bay, for no particular reason other than deciding it would be a nice place to go! The route would take me past Kilchoman Distillery, one of the other newer distilleries on the island and related to a farm. You can see the gates to the fields of barley I saw had signs saying they were for Kilchoman distillery. It had been a very dry but windy morning so far and I could see some activity with trailer loads of barley making their way along the road. It has been a terrible year for agriculture with so much poor weather over the summer and most of the barley should probably have been cut by now in a normal year.

The roads to Saligo Bay are sparsely populated and quite exposed so the wind was very much in evidence. It started to rain too and I took shelter in a remote barn for a bit. As the rain showed no sign of stopping, I put on my waterproof jacket and continued on my way. It had stopped raining by the time I got to Saligo Bay and I went for a walk along the sand dunes. It was cold and windy but I have always found something enjoyable about walking along coastal areas in windy conditions and watching the power of nature as waves crash on the shore.

I rode around the area a bit and around Loch Gorm and the surrounding areas. These roads take you through a nature reserve too and are very quiet and pleasant to cycle. This was a very leisurely and enjoyable afternoon’s cycling despite the less-than-ideal weather. I made the detour into Bowmore again on the way back as I decided to eat out since it was Sunday and it was all about relaxing. I arrived back at the hostel in Port Charlotte having completed over fifty miles.

There was to be a traditional music session in the bar of the Port Charlotte hotel so I went to see that. I love traditional music. It rounded of an enjoyable day and created a nice grand finale for my final night on the island.

The Monday morning was brighter, sunnier and warmer than any of the previous days. One of those things where weather seems to improve just as you are about to go home! It was still pretty windy. I packed up my panniers and loaded up the bike. Before leaving, I cleaned and oiled my chain as it had suffered over the past few days with being washed by the sea on board ferries, soaked in heavy rain and coated in sand being blown from the beaches when it wasn’t raining. Ride in these conditions all the time and I suspect chain life would be very short. I always carry a small bottle of oil and rag when touring.

I began my return trip to Port Ellen. I decided to stop at Bruichladdich Distillery which is located near Port Charlotte. This distillery dates from 1831 and I enjoyed walking around the visitors’ centre and shop, as I had done at all the distilleries I had visited. A group of tourists were getting ready to commence their tour of the distillery and I was tempted to see if they could fit me on it too but I decided against it as I didn’t want to be rushing to get back to the ferry. Yet again, headwinds were the order of the day as I made my way at a sedate speed towards Port Ellen. The ride took me much longer than I thought it would. I had bought something to eat in Port Ellen. I had hoped to take a ride along the lovely distillery shared use path to Ardbeg again and maybe have eaten in the highly regarded café there but I decided against it as I only really had an hour before I was supposed to be ready to board the Kintyre Express. I found a sheltered spot down by the harbour and watched the comings and goings there until it was time to leave.

The crossing back to Ballycastle was pretty rough again but it didn’t cause me any problems and thankfully the other passengers seemed to be okay with it too. Riding the short distance between the Ballycastle Marina and where I had left my car in bright, warming sunshine, I reflected on the feeling that I had had an adventure. I had been out and about in less-than-ideal weather but loved every minute of it and was taking away fond memories of my experiences of the island itself, the friendly people, both local and tourist that I had encountered on and the knowledge than Islay is a very special and enjoyable place to visit. I hope to return some day again.

Two days in Connemara

08 Sunday Sep 2024

Posted by theoldbikeshome in connemara, Cycle touring, Galway, killary, Uncategorized, Viscount Aerospace, wild atlantic way

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Tags

Ben Lettery, clifden, connemara, cycle touring, Ireland, killary fjord, kylemore abbey, leenaun, sky road, Viscount Aerospace, wild atlantic way

As the last days of August approached, I realised that summer (if you could call it that as I can remember very few, if any, which were wetter) was drawing to a close and I had done very little cycling compared to a normal summer. A combination of being busy with work and other things, poor weather, occasional back pain and a few other issues going on that haven’t helped my motivation has meant that my summer mileage is well down on other years. Apart from the Galloway trip in June, I didn’t even have any tours or weekends away on the bike like I might normally do. I would have to do something before the summer was over.

I booked a few days off work in the end of August. I had other plans to spend time in the Boyne Valley to explore the new Navan to Kingscourt greenway and a few other things but I then had to attend an appointment in Sligo so changed my plans to go west. I booked a few days in a hostel in Connemara. The weather forecast wasn’t particularly promising but I decided to go with it anyway.

Having the Sligo appointment really wasted one of my days leave so I would only have two full days on the bike. I wasn’t even sure how my fitness would be as I hadn’t done that many long rides. I decided to take my Viscount Aerospace and aim for two long day rides to see how I would get on.

I checked into the Ben Lettery hostel on the Wednesday night. The weather had cleared up by now and it was a nice evening after torrential rain that morning. I went for a little walk. The hostel is located in a beautiful settings at the foot of a mountain and overlooking lake water to the front.

After an early breakfast, I removed the bike from the car and was ready to set off. I had only the vaguest of plans really. The hostel is located on the N59, the main road between Clifden and Galway and I had been concerned this road would be uncomfortably busy for cycling but it wasn’t too bad. I’ve always found drivers further south lack the aggression that is all too common in the north of the country too and this makes for a more relaxing cycling experience.

One of my favourite places in the entire country is Killary Fjord so I was determined to fit it in. Normally, I have ridden around coming from Westport or Cong direction. Today, I was starting from a point that was new to me. I would follow the N59 to Maam Cross. I don’t ride many main roads. I tend to avoid them where possible. My observations of the N59 is that it isn’t particularly heavily trafficked, even in the 8 – 9 am period when you would expect it to be busy with people going to work. People also tend to drive fast but seem willing to slow down and wait for a safe place to overtake if necessary.

It also must be one of the most scenic national primary routes in the country. Bogland, lakes, some stone walls and the panorama of mountains meeting the horizon. I enjoyed the ride to Maam Cross. I had never been on this road before in my life. The huge advantage to cycling on main roads in comparison to my normal quiet bóithríní is the nice smooth road surfaces rather than the chip seal nightmare that Irish county councils like to inflict on users of minor roads. At best it drastically increases drag (in an era where reducing fossil fuel use is high on the political agenda across the world, one wonders how much fuel is wasted driving vehicles over this surface) and at worst is downright dangerous to people on two wheels in particular as chips can gather at corners or junctions to catch the unwary. There is also the risk of stones being flung up by passing traffic and injuring a cyclist. I surprised myself by flying along at an effortless 18 or 20 M.P.H. without really trying. I haven’t got fitter (quite the opposite unfortunately), the road surface creates much less drag.

At Maam Cross, I turned left towards Maam on the R336 which would link with a road I had ridden before. At Maam Cross, you can see the remains of what once was Maam Cross station and the old level crossing gate. There is also quite a lot of rolling stock. I don’t know if this is part of an attempt to re-open the line at some point or just because it was left there. I must research this at some point.

At Maam, I would be turning left again to continue on the R336 which would take me to Leenaun. A right turn would have taken me (eventually) to Cong on the R335. I have done this road before. If I had been feeling fitter and more confident, I probably would have made a longer trip of this and taken in Lough Na Fooey, one of my other favourite views in Ireland.

As it was, I was taking the “low” road to Leenaun which reduced the distance somewhat and certainly reduced the amount of climbing required. It may not be quite as scenic as the longer, hillier version but it is still a nice bike route, and today at least, was remarkedly free from traffic. I would be wary of coming here in peak tourist season as it is most likely very busy, but on a weekday at the end of August, it is all very serene. There had been moments of cloud and occasional light showers but for the most part, the weather was pretty good.

Then Leenaun comes into view and the magnificent sight of Killary Fjord. Killary Fjord is one of just three fjords in Ireland (Lough Swilly and Carlingford Lough being others; both beautiful in their own way but lacking the visual drama of Killary). It was in this area that the film “The Field” was made. Based on the 1965 play John B. Keane, it is one of my favourite films and I would definitely recommend it.

I stopped for a while to just admire the view of the Fjord and eat my sandwiches before continuing on my way. This area is also famous for its wool production and there are a few businesses in Leenaun dedicated to this. I made another scenery stop at Killary harbour. This is where King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra visited in 1903 from the Royal Yacht that was moored here. The tourist information board tells the rather humorous story about the security which was provided by Royal Irish Constabulary officers disguised as cycle-tourists but because they all wore the same clothes; they were not very convincing security.

Without any Royal personages to protect, I was free to continue on with my cycle-tour as I seen fit. I was back on the N59 for a bit before taking a series of minor coast roads towards Tully Cross, Rinvyle and eventually back to the N59 at Letterfrack. I couldn’t resist the short detour to the beautiful Kylemore Abbey, another one of those views I never grow tired of; a beautiful old house with the lakeside setting in the shadows of the mountains. I’ve written a lot about it in the past but it was originally built c1870 by Mitchell Henry MP and featured many modern features for its time and I believe he even had a small hydro-electricity station set up at one point. It eventually ended up in the hands of the Benedictine Nuns in 1920 and it became their base following their evacuation from the destruction of their old abbey in Ypres during the Great War. Kylemore became a school, a monastery and a centre of learning. It is still a working Abbey but it is also open to the public. Today, it makes a wonderful escape from the pace of the modern world where one can see the Abbey in its Victorian splendour, see the beautiful private chapel which is almost like a mini-cathedral and enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of many acres of beautiful gardens and parkland. I would not have time to take a tour today.

From Kylemore, I would retrace my steps on the N59 towards Letterfrack and on towards Clifden but again I would detour down minor roads where possible. Doing so gave me the chance to ride the wonderful Sky Road into Clifden, something I did during one stretch of my Wild Atlantic Way odyssey in 2017. I had always wanted to do cycle it again but the opportunity had never arisen, as although I had cycled in Connemara, I was always staying in places too far away. The moment I had waited for since 2017 had finally arrived and it was worth the wait. Any early morning rain and mist that may have been hanging around in the early part of the day had long since burnt off to leave a clear sunny day to enable me to enjoy the views of one of the most fabled coast roads in Ireland. It was steeper than I remembered and I am surprised I rode this on a 3 speed Brompton in 2017; a measure of how much I have lost fitness since shattering my ankle as I did need my lowest gear in places. I really must motivate myself to lose weight and get back to where I once was.

It was then a short ride into the town of Clifden where one can see the monument to Alcock and Brown to commemorate their historic crossing of the Atlantic by plane in 1919. It’s amazing how much progress has been made in the field of aviation since those pioneering days. I took the opportunity to have dinner in Clifden before riding the final eight miles or so to the hostel. There is a decent standard cycle path alongside part of the N59 here and it is all the better for enjoying the views of the many lakes. Back at the hostel, I found I had covered almost eighty miles, my longest ride in quite some time and one I enjoyed very much.

Friday morning dawned bright and sunny with clear blue skies. Perhaps summer had finally arrived a few months too late. The dining hall at Ben Lettery overlooks Ballynahinch Lough, a magnificent view to enjoy whilst eating the morning Corn Flakes. This is part of the attraction of coming to somewhere like Connemara to spend time; to just slow down, admire the beauty and feel inspired. Nobel prize winning poet William Butler Yeats, and his painter brother Jack both loved Connemara, as have many other artists over the years. I can see why.

I had fitted a lot in yesterday and cycled eighty miles, not at a fast pace by any means but it was still a lot when factoring in all the many photo and scenery stops. I was determined to make today much more leisurely. I ventured back on the N59 heading east again but would not be going as far as Maam Cross today. I would turn right on to the R341 at Ballinafad. Here I would discover the Connemara Greenway. I was aware of this project but knew it wasn’t completed yet so had not really gave it any thought. I found it accidentally and joined it even though the road was very quiet anyway. It follows the former railway line and I think the plan is to connect Clifden to Galway city whenever it is completed. What is done so far is hugely impressive. I look forward to its completion, but believe there is a land dispute delaying progress. As it was, I rode until I met with a gate where you could see the former railway embankment continuing on. I had to retrace my steps back to the road. Quite a lot of railway infrastructure seems to have survived too.

I continued on the R341. The road was remarkably quiet. This is real Connemara, a small single-track bóithrín lined with bogs, bog cotton, trout rivers and the panorama of the mountains on the horizon. I could easily picture Yeats’ Connemara fly-fisherman here in his grey Connemara cloth.

I also took a detour through the grounds of Ballynahinch Castle. The three-storey country house was built on the grounds of an earlier castle in 1756. It’s had a few famous residents over the years such as Richard Martin, MP for Galway County and founder of the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals. The Martins were the original owners and one of the fourteen tribes of Galway. Colonel Kumar Sri Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II of India (a famous cricketeer) purchased the castle in 1924. After his death, it became a hotel and has remained one ever since.

This road would take me to Roundstone but I made a detour to Cashel before going to Roundstone. I did ride this road in 2017 on my Brompton too but the weather that day was atrocious with pouring rain and very poor visibility. Today was so much better.

Roundstone town and harbour were created by the Scottish civil engineer Alexnder Nimmo, who did a lot of the civil engineering in the area in the early nineteenth century and laid most of the roads I would be riding on during this trip. There had been no proper roads in Connemara before he was sent here to improve things. He was clearly a gifted engineer who managed to find routes through a very mountainous area which are pretty flat compared to what they could have been.

From Roundstone, I continued along the coast road to Ballyconneely and further out the peninsula to where the Connemara Golf Links are before making my way back to Ballyconneely again continuing on my way towards Clifden. I detoured to Errislannon and found another monument to Alcock and Brown. I also went to Derrigimlagh which is a fine example of a blanket bog.

It is also where Alcock and Brown made their crash landing in 1919 and from where Guglielmo Marconi experimented with radio and made the first Transatlantic wireless transmission in 1907. The advances in air transport in little over a hundred years are amazing but the advances in communications are arguably even greater. In the tourist information board, there is a photograph of Marconi’s station with its huge longwave aerials. I couldn’t help thinking if he was trying to do it today, people would probably object and deny him planning permission. It I really is very interesting and a I really should learn more about the type of equipment he used and created. If they had have stopped him from his experiments back then, our whole world today could have been very different!

From there, it’s a relatively short ride into Clifden. As this was my last day, I stopped in Clifden and treated myself to dinner and a nice pint of Guinness before returning to the hostel. I had covered nearly seventy miles but it felt much easier than the day before. It was less hilly and it was also very calm whereas there was ever-present wind the day before. It seemed a more leisurely day with more stops and more exploring which is why I was surprised when it came in not much less in terms of distance. Both rides were enjoyable, just in different ways.

I really enjoyed my few days in Connemara. Ideally it would have been longer but I have ideas now for other routes I could do and I live in hope that the Connemara Greenway will be completed some day! The Ben Lettery Hostel is also an excellent base for cycling or hiking. I shall return!