On a high around The Aird
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Loch Laide and Carn na Leitire at Abriachan.
BIKING ROUTE
THE AIRD — FOXHOLE & ABRIACHAN
Distance — 27 miles
Maps — OS Landranger 26
A fantastic trip across The Aird with some tough climbs that reward with breathtaking views
THIS wonderful road ride crosses that stretch of land between the Beauly Firth and Drumnadrochit known as The Aird.
I find it an enchanting place, just a stone’s throw away from the Highland Capital but a world away from the city in terms of atmosphere.
Out here you are in glorious countryside following delightful single-track roads, with houses, crofts and farms dotted here and there.
A brief word of warning though before we set off, as this ride does involve some busy stretches of road in order to make it a good circuitous route, including a couple of miles on the A82 trunk road towards the end.
It begins at the Muirtown swing bridge at the end of Telford Street in Inverness, heading through Clachnaharry and along the B862 towards Beauly. This road can get quite busy itself at times but is popular with cyclists too.
As you escape from Inverness you get magnificent views down the Beauly Firth, particularly just beyond Clachnaharry and then again at Bunchrew, from where Ben Wyvis is a dominant feature north of the firth.
After skirting under the railway then through the village at Inchmore, you continue towards Moniack, following signs to the wineries which point you left off the main road beside the old police house.
The roads are quiet now until that last stretch, and this one heads dead straight along a magnificent line of trees, with a view to the forested Phoineas Hill off to your right.
Go right where the road swings past Reelig Glen, passing the Moniack Wineries then taking the next left towards Knockbain. There’s a real climb for a good stretch now and it’s pretty steep in parts. It was a hot, sunny day when I was out here and I really felt it on this gruelling ascent.
Where the road forks beside a small parking area, head right and continue up the hill, albeit less strenuously from now on.
There are great views to your left now overlooking Clunes as the route takes you through crofts and forests. The inquisitive cows in the fields were curious when I stopped to take a picture, and they decided to run alongside me when I set off again — thankfully the other side of a good fence!
Spectacular views to my right included Beinn a’ Bha’ach Ard and the Strathfarrar Munros bathed in sunlight across a foreground of lush green fields.
It wasn’t long before I reached the crossroads at Foxhole, where I took a short break and replenished the suncream — it was a true scorcher.
Turning left, there’s another serious hill to test the stamina, but the view from the top is one of the best in the area. At a junction at the top, I turned right towards Loch Ness and Abriachan — but not before stopping to admire the beautiful scenery.
The view from here is panoramic, with rolling countryside and mountains to see in almost every direction. I stopped and chatted to a couple of visiting cyclists (after we’d all caught our breath from the climb); they were riding to Inverness from Fort Augustus, and what a weekend they’d chosen to do it!
I got back in the saddle and enjoyed the easy ride along to Abriachan, which cuts over the shoulder of a wee hill and provides a great little downhill stretch before passing the Abriachan Forest Trust trails.
The heathery hill of Carn na Leitire comes into view above the beautiful Loch Laide, which was like a shimmering mirror today in the bright sunshine. The road drops down to the water level and hugs the shore briefly before rising to a junction, where you turn left (almost back on yourself) to follow the sign back to Inverness.
This road passes through a largely forested section at first before the views to Ben Wyvis open up again ahead of you. It is part of the Great Glen Way and is a magnificent stretch of single-track road — better on the bike than on foot, mind you.
At Blackfold, you re-enter the forest and prepare for a mammoth descent. You really need to make sure your brakes are in good working order for this hill as it drops incredibly steeply and for a long, long way, with hidden twists and turns adding to the need to control your speed.
It’s also very dark, especially when you go from bright sunshine into deep forest, still wearing your sunglasses!
In what seems like no time, the gradient levels and you meet the A82 just up the hill from Dochgarroch. Take a left and follow the trunk road past Dunain Park and Kilvean Cemetery.
As you enter the 30mph limit, turn left along General Booth Road and follow it through the traffic lights before turning right down Canal Road.
Keep going past the locks and turn right at the traffic lights beside the bridge to reach your starting point.
