Glen Kinglass

Route: Tyndrum to Taynuilt via Glen Kinglass
Distance: 33m / 54km
Profile: View
Grade: Moderate
Fitness: High
Time: 7-8 Hours
OS MAP: 50
Route Data: GPX KML
Riders: Dave Banks, Brian Gray
Date: 14/06/2014


Summary

A mixture of tarmac road, landrover track and single track make this a rewarding mountain bike trek through interesting scenery.

This route is best run from Tyndrum to Taynuilt, as the route is actually downhill from Tyndrum. To make logistics easier, leave the car at Tyndrum and take the bikes by train from Taynuilt back to Tyndrum. This requires you to book bike space on the train in advance with Scot-Rail. The only draw back about getting the train at the end of the trip, is you have to make sure you have enough time to complete it in time to catch the train. The route takes longer than the distance suggests, especially along the shores of Loch Etive, so add at least an extra hour onto your calculated journey time.

High levels of fitness are required only due to the distance involved.


Details

Starting at the car park at the Green Welly, turn right as you leave the car park and cross the bridge. Take the first road on the right and join the West Highland Way. Follow the West Highland way to Bridge of Orchy. The track is rough in places and requires a little bike and hike, but progress is good and Bridge of Orchy can be reached in an hour.

At the railway station, head down Station Brae towards the A82. Cross the road onto the single track road and follow this round to Loch Tulla, the Inveronan Hotel and to Forest Lodge. At this point, turn left, off the West Highland Way, and follow the sign for the public footpath to Loch Etive and Glen Kinglass. This takes you onto a landrover track and out into open moorland. You will reach an open gate with a sign pointing to a path to the left of the fence/track. This route is very boggy in places, so it is easier to stick to the landrover track and continue to Clashgour farm. Continue through the farm and downhill back to the river. The only drawback with this route is the bikes have to be lifted over a high gate at the deer fence. Once over the gate, the first over several water crossings have to be negotiated. The first one is shallow and could be cycled across, but the stones are rounded and slippery, so it is easier to just walk across. The second crossing is much deeper and you will have no choice but to get your feet wet. The third crossing is shallow and can be cycled across with care. At this point you see a footbridge that allows you to cross the river and miss out the second and third water crossings. You will probably be every bit as wet choosing this option though, due to the boggy nature of the surrounding area.

The landrover track then climbs, steeply at times, up to Loch Dochard. It is easier to get off and push as the track is quite rough in places due to water errosion. At Loch Dochard, the track levels off before beginning a more gentle climb up to the watershed and the head of Glen Kinglass, approximately 2 Hours from Bridge of Orchy. The track also becomes grassier and boggier, but progress in general is good, only a few rocky and boggy sections requiring you to get off. Starting the descent of Glen Kinglass, you come across moab type rocks. This a good place to have some lunch and admire the scenery, as in wet weather, it will be one of the few dryer areas about to sit down. The natural way forward from here is to follow the faint landrover track down towards the River Kinglass, negotiating a small water crossing before navigating the wider river crossing itself. The track climbs from the river crossing, but is rocky and slippery when wet, so some pushing is required. Not shown on the map, there is a path that takes you down to a footbridge, unseen from the moab type rocks, which takes you across the River Kinglass a few hundred meters downstream from the wider river crossing. The first hint of the bridge is the reverse side of a sign pointing downhill from the track towards the river, which you see over your left shoulder as you face down Glen Kinglass. You then realise you could have had a much easier river crossing.

The landrover track continues its descent down Glen Kinglass, gradually losing height as it runs parallel to the river with its numerous waterfalls, as it too, decends Glen Kinglass. Progress is good, only hampered by slippery rocky sections, some moab type, others more like cobbles. In the dry, these won't be an issue. A rickety suspension bridge crossing allows an easy water crossing and before not too long, Glen Kinglass Lodge appears. At this point, the landrover track improves and climbs away from the river. It gently climbs and descends before ultimately descending back down to the River as you approach Loch Etive. From the moab type rocks, it takes about 1 Hour 30 Min to descend Glen Kinglass.

Nearing Loch Etive, you come to a T-junction, where you turn left to cross the River Kinglass and follow landrover track as it undulates along the side of Loch Etive. To say the track undulates is an understatement. This is where all the hard work really begins and where you lose all your time. The track climbs and descends steeply. The climbs are so steep in places, it is easier to get off and push. You also have to watch your speed on the descents due to the loose surface and sometimes twisty nature of the track. Strangely, some parts of the track are tarmac, but this doesn't make progress any easier. This part of the route seems never ending and you start to think you will never make it in time for the train. Eventually you head away from the Loch and head through some forestry before descending down towards Inverawe.

After what seems an eternity, but is actually just 1 Hour 30 Min, as you leave the forest you reach a road junction, where you turn right and head round to Inverawe Smokery. To the right of the Smokery Shop and to the right of the sign, take the hidden footpath down to the fields and head towards the footbridge over the River Awe. Choose your line carefully, as there are boggy sections in the field which can catch you out. Once over the bridge, take the track up the hill towards the trees and through the gate, where you turn right and follow the track past Bonawe Furnace and into Taynuilt. Turn left and head down the hill. At the junction, turn right and follow the road round, over the bridge before one final climb up towards the railway station. Cross the railway bridge and take the road on the right, as you double back on yourself and descend towards the station.

The train journey back to Tyndrum allows you to relax and enjoy the scenery as you follow the shores of Loch Awe, passing Kilchurn Castle before heading up Glen Lochy and back to Tyndrum Lower station. From there, it is a short bike ride to the main road, where you turn left and the Green Welly is only a few hundred meters ahead on the right.


Photo Gallery

Green Wellie car park		Bikes ready to go		Joining the West Highland Way		Tarmac road climbs out of Tyndrum
Dirt road continues to climb		En-route to Bridge of Orchy		Looking back to Tyndrum		Beinn Dorain ahead
Track turns to singletrack		Track steep in places		Rougher in others		Track improves as it descends
Rough descent to railway underpass		Railway underpass		Better track just ahead		Railway underpass
Good track along valley floor		Looking across to West Highland Line		Approaching Auch		Bridge at Auch
Crossing the West Highland Line		En-route to Bridge of Orchy		Bridge of Orchy not far now		Bridge of Orchy station
Path across West Highland Line		Railway underpass		Railway station car park		Straight ahead onto single track road
Crossing the River Orchy		River Orchy		Heading towards Loch Tulla		Approaching Loch Tulla
Loch Tulla		Looking west		Abhainn Shira Water		Crossing Abhainn Shira
Abhainn Shira Water		Abhainn Shira Water		Forest Lodge		Turn left for Loch Etive
Track to Glen Kinglass		Open moorland		Looking towards Loch Dochard		Looking back towards Loch Tulla
Continuing west		Keep to the landrover track		Track descend to Clashgour farm		Clashgour farm
Clashgour farm		Approaching deer fence		Locked gate		First water crossing
No stepping stones		Feet get wet		Second water crossing		Starting to cross Abhainn Shira Water
Getting deeper		Deepest point		Landrover track continues		Third water crossing
Footbridge over Abhainn Shira Water		Third water crossing continues		Wide but shallow		Looking back
Track climbs to Loch Dochard		Cuil Ghlas		Looking back		Outflow from Loch Dochard
Steep climb		Looking back		Looking back		Loch Dochard
Loch Dochard		Loch Dochard		Loch Dochard		Tin hut
Loch Dochard		Looking back		Looking towards the watershed		More steep climbs
Looking back		Boggy and rocky sections		Track grassy and boggy in places		The watershed
Looking back		Rocky section		Stepping stones		Descent into Glen Kinglass
Descent into Glen Kinglass		Rocky and wet		Looking back		Moab type rocks
Moab type rocks		River Kinglass		One of many cascades		Track down to crossing point
No sign of footbridge		Small water crossing		Easily managed		Larger crossing of the River Kinglass
Boggy section		Slippy rocks		Looking back		Sign for footbridge
Footbridge		Track continues		Another cascade		Looking down Glen Kinglass
Track meets up with the river		Moab type rocks slippy when wet		Moab type rocks slippy when wet		Looking back
Looking down Glen Kinglass		One of many waterfalls on the river		More moab type rocks		Rocks resemble cobbles
Rickety suspension bridge		Another waterfall		Another waterfall		Rickety suspension bridge
Glenkinglass Lodge		Track improves		Glenkinglass Lodge		Looking down Glen Kinglass
Looking back		Looking back		Track climbs		View from the track
Level track ahead		Looking back		Track climbs again		Another rickety suspension bridge
Rickety suspension bridge		Looking downstream		Looking upstream		Track climbs again
T-Junction at Loch Etive		Bridge over the River Kinglass		Bridge over the River Kinglass		Looking upstream
Looking downstream to Loch Etive		Heading to to Loch Etive		The first of many climbs		Loch Etive
Looking up Loch Etive		Looking up Loch Etive		Loch Etive		Looking down Loch Etive
Ben Cruachan		Ben Cruachan		Looking down Loch Etive		Steep descent
Ben Cruachan		Two possible routes		High road or low road		Track climbs again
Looking up Loch Etive		Looking back at the track		Looking up Loch Etive		Track still climbing
Looking down Loch Etive		Looking back at the track		Track descends again		Looking down Loch Etive
Tarmac section at Glen Noe		Glen Noe		Loch Etive shoreline		Glen Noe
Track climbs yet again		Looking back at steep climb		Quarry		Start of forestry section
Track still climbing		Turn right to Inverawe Smokery		Inverawe Smokery		Hidden footpath next to sign
Footpath to Taynuilt		Cross field for the footbridge		The footbridge		Beware of boggy ground
Bridge is narrow		Looking up stream of River Awe		Head up to woods to regain track		Turn right here
Track to Bonawe Furnace		Bonawe Furnace		Turn left into Taynuilt		Cross bridge for railway station
Station lower entrance		Turn right for Taynuilt station		Taynuilt station - almost there		Taynuilt station - looking east
Taynuilt station - looking west		Not so clean bikes		Not so clean bike		Relaxing in the sun
Cleaning the bikes		Our train approaches		Getting closer		On the right platform after all
Almost there		Really close now		Bikes hanging up to dry		Loch Awe
Loch Awe		Loch Awe and Glen Lochy		Kilchurn Castle		Kilchurn Castle
Glen Lochy