Back to Scotland: Gourock to Killin

I awoke to a dim morning on the southern shores of the Firth of Clyde, with the sound of the lapping waves drifting through my open window. After the terrible storms of the past week, I was expecting a brighter start. This was a concern.

There wasn’t time for breakfast ahead of taking the 8.20am passenger ferry north across the Clyde to the village of Kilcreggan (other than a bacon sandwich carried aboard from Sainsbury’s Local in the high street). The ferry was quiet as my bike was bounced over the gangplank and its handlebars hooked over the railing. In the water below a large flotilla of Eider Ducks bobbed about. The day held promise, but it was chilly and breezy. And then I realised. The sun was yet to rise. In a sign of how far north I had travelled in this time zone, the first October rays only appeared over the eastern horizon as the boat pulled away from the pier. It made for some rather special light conditions.

This ferry route was one of the very few of Calmac’s services that I didn’t use in my UK cycling adventure in 2022 and today gets me closer to a full set. Kilcreggan sits at the bottom end of a peninsula flanked on both sides by large sea lochs. My route took me several miles up the west shore of Gare Loch, looking across at Faslane Nuclear Submarine Base, which is a massive complex that resembles part-shipyard and part-university from afar. It is an incongruous sight.

From the village of Garelochhead, whose location you can guess, it was up and over to the eastern shore of Loch Long, which is well named. It feels quite fjord-like and penetrates well into the higher mountains close to Loch Lomond. Near the top of the loch were magnificent views up to the distinctive sharp, rocky twin summits of The Cobbler, shining in the morning sun. Down in the valley, on the narrow, quiet road, I was just starting to warm up, too.

At the top of Loch Long is the is the village of Arrochar, which had a few large, handsome old hotels and not a lot else to detain me. In any case, I was on a timeline to catch a boat a couple of miles along the road in Tarbert, on the Bonny banks of Loch Lomond, at 10.30am. The road was quiet because this was the lower portion of the A83, a mountain pass known as Rest and Be Thankful, that remains closed to traffic because of the heavy rain and mudslides of the past few days.

When I got to Tarbet I could see three boats moored off-shore, but nothing by the pier. I ventured into a small building by the car park, which contained a coffee shop. Inside a number of German tourists were asking about the 10.30am ferry. It was almost 10.15am. The coffee lady was very helpful. She explained that the boat was running from a different pier today because the pier at Tarbet was currently underwater after all the rain. The boat would leave from Inveruglas, five miles up the loch, instead. She phoned the boat and they agreed to wait. I got a head start on the Germans and rode as fast as I could. When I arrived, the Germans were just boarding and I was last on with my bike. Phew!

It was calm out on the loch and the leisurely cruise took us over to the opposite shore at Inversnaid Hotel, where I got off. This manoeuvre saved me many miles of riding around the lake on main roads. On the boat I had time for a coffee and a Tunnocks Teacake – a Scottish speciality – while listening to the commentary from the captain. He was quite amusing and even attempted to convince the assembled tourists that the hydroelectric power station on the nearby mountainside was a haggis factory! The sun shone, the autumn colours displayed all around, and there were rainbows in the distance. It was all very pleasing.

A brisk climb took me away from Loch Lomond and along a remote lane to the shores of beautiful Loch Katrine. I arrived at Stronachalchar Pier just in time to see the historic Sir Walter Scott steam ship leaving on a tour of the lake. Lots of cyclists had arrived on her. Most of us had the same idea: to ride around the loch on the lovely traffic free cycle path to the opposite eastern end of the lake. But first, I, for one, wanted some brunch. And I got it! I was treated to the “Full Strony”, which I enjoyed right by the water in a glass extension to the pier cafe.

It was a relaxing hour, but it had to end. I left when the sun was at its brightest and the sky at its bluest and had a magnificent time cycling alone, up and down, on a tarmac surface around stunning lake scenery, with an ever changing mountain backdrop. When I finally reached the Trossachs pier, the Sir Walter Scott was tied up there, looking picturesque.

It was a very quiet ride into Callander through Brig O’Turk and alongside small, pretty lochs. I had time to see the flooded park in Callander, by the swollen River Teith, before successfully achieving a rendezvous with my wife, Jenni. She appeared on her bicycle from the east, having travelled from home to Dunblane by train today. We called in at a pub to recharge her battery and then set off north into the mountains along national cycle route 7. It was a pleasant ride, albeit with some unexpected steep hill climbs involving switch backs. The views, however, were excellent, and it beat cycling along the main road.

And so, eventually, we arrived in Killin, our home for the night, at the western end of Loch Tay. It was still light; but the nights are definitely drawing in. A good thing, then, that tomorrow is the final day of this cycling adventure. It began in early August on the pacific coast of America. I am 22 miles from Dull, at the other end of Loch Tay, and I am expected there at 11.30am.