The Ardnamurchan Peninsula - Glencoe to Tobermory

Craig Marshall is a member of Cycling UK.

The Ardnamurchan Peninsula; wild, remote yet stunning with wonderful scenery and even more wonderful roads. The route out to Kilchoan from Salen along the B8007 is, for almost its entire length, a single track road that hugs the coast and contours of this remarkable place. And it's the remote nature that makes this such an attraction to cycle.

Leaving from the YHA at Glencoe, which is itself a truly stunning location, a few miles on the A82 takes you to North Ballachulish and on to the Ferry slipway crossing to Corran. From here the route follows the A861 though Glen Tarbert and on to Strontian where it hugs the shores of Loch Sunart - it might be an A road but you'll be lucky to see many cars using it.

At Salen you join the B8007 and the scenery gets more wild and remote with every turn of the pedal. Beyond Glenborrodale the road starts to climb offering views South and West across the sound to Mull (the final destination). Crossing the back of Beinn nan Losgann the route descends to Kilchoan - there's a local shop here and a mile south, the ferry to Tobermory. However the detour out to Ardnamurchan Point Lighthouse, the most westerly part of the Scottish Mainland, is worth it for the coffee alone, served in the Lighthouse cafe.

Take some time to enjoy this truly remarkable wild and windswept part of the British Isles before returning to Kilchoan to catch the ferry to Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. For a great second days riding you can do a fantastic tour of the island and finish at Craignure to get the ferry to Oban and return by train.