Loch Pattack Loop
Distance: 25.4m / 40.8km
Profile: View
Grade: Moderate
Fitness: Moderate
Time: 4.5 - 5.5 Hours
OS MAP: 42
Route Data: GPX KML
Riders: Dave Banks, Brian Gray
Date: 01/12/2013
Summary
A mixture of landrover track, single track, and some boggy sections make this a rewarding mountain bike trek through interesting scenery.
Details
Starting at the railway bridge on the road just after the 40mph speed limit signs and before the petrol station, head under the bridge, around the barrier and follow the landrover track along the head of Loch Ericht where it joins onto the other access road to Ben Alder Lodge. The track is smooth with the occasional pothole and progress is easy, allowing you to enjoy the views down Loch Ericht. There are 2 other building en route to Ben Alder Lodge, The Sheiling which you have to take a walkers path around as the road goes through a gatehouse and is blocked by locked gates. Next is An Tochailt which sits next to the road, so no detours are necessary. The road is undulating with a steeper climb then descent through some trees nearer Ben Alder Lodge. As you approach Ben Alder Lodge, the track swings to the right and uphill between the forest and the grounds of the lodge itself before going through a gate and out into open moorland.
The track continues to climb at a moderate gradient before flattening off then gently heading downhill to Loch Pattack. There are 2 tracks to Culra Bothy, ignore the first one and head further downhill and take the second track at the passing place as it is less boggy. This single track is narrow and is made of firm gravel, but this widens as it joins onto the first track. The track has a stony surface and easily managed but narrows in sections where it is over grown with grass. The views of the hills behind Culra Bothy make the ride in quite enjoyable. The track becomes grassier as it heads towards the river. At one part of the river, large lumps of peat sit there like black icebergs that have been washed downstream. The bothy is quite close when a sign for a bridge points to the right to take you across the river. Once across the bridge, turn left and across the small ford and the bothy is just a couple of minutes away.
On leaving the bothy, retrace your tracks back to the bridge, but stay on the landrover track and head uphill towards Loch Pattack. The track is stony and firm, so when it heads downhill to meet the shores of Loch Pattack, you can get some speed up, just watch out for the occasional loose stone and slightly rougher sections. A bridge takes you across a river that feeds into Loch Pattack and onto the shore of the loch. The shore is a mixture of firm gravel track and softer peaty sections, all of which is easily managed. The track fords another river, but there is a shaky suspension bridge that allows you to keep your feet dry. Once over the bridge, there is a grassy, boggy section that can be by-passed before you join back onto the landrover track again. The track heads uphill where it comes to a junction. Turning right will take you back to Ben Alder Lodge again, but we wanted to recce the route to the left as part of a future run, so we headed out 3m/5km as far as some waterfalls.
The track is a landrover track, but in some sections it was grassy and quite wet and boggy, but was reasonably level so progress on the whole was good. This detour also allowed us to get photographs of Loch Pattack from a different viewpoint. We retraced our tracks back to the Loch Pattack junction and continued uphill past both Culra bothy turn offs before heading downhill where we met some friendly ponies. We continued to retrace our tracks past Ben Alder Lodge and along the shores of Loch Ericht back to the car.
Photo Gallery
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Car parking area |
Railway bridge |
View down Loch Ericht |
Access road to Ben Alder |
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View down Loch Ericht |
The Sheiling |
Walkers path to side |
An Tochailt |
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Road climbs through trees |
View from top |
Approaching Ben Alder Lodge |
Ben Alder Lodge |
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Track skirts lodge grounds |
Ben Alder Lodge |
Enterering open moorland |
Track climbs |
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Ponies |
Track continues to climb |
Mountains behind Culra Bothy |
First glimps of Culra Bothy |
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Second turn off |
Second track to bothy |
Track easy going |
Track varies |
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Peatbergs |
Track grassier and a bit softer |
Loch Pattack |
Looking back to landrover track |
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Turn right for bridge crossing |
Track soft here |
Culra Bothy |
Bridge |
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Ford |
Culra Bothy |
Inside Culra Bothy |
Inside Culra Bothy |
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Inside Culra Bothy |
Culra Bothy |
Track heads uphill to Loch Pattack |
Downhill to Loch Pattack |
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Loch Pattack |
Bridge and Loch Pattack |
Loch Pattack |
Shoreline track |
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Loch Pattack |
Shoreline track |
Peat beach on Loch Pattack |
Shoreline track |
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Shoreline track |
Shaky suspension bridge |
Brian negotiating the shaky bridge |
Holding on |
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Safely across |
Bridge from opposite bank |
Boggy section to landrover track |
Ford and suspension bridge |
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Track heads up to trees |
Loch Pattack |
Grassy track |
Stone pillars |
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Loch Pattack |
Track wet in places |
Track wet in places |
Boggy sections |
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View from old bridge |
Newer bridge |
Approaching waterfalls |
Waterfalls |
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Waterfalls |
The way back |
Heading back into moorland again |
Heading back into moorland again |
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View towards Culra Bothy |
Old bridge again |
River Pattack |
River Pattack |
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River Pattack |
Loch Pattack |
Stone pillars and Loch Pattack |
Downhill back to Loch Ericht |
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Ponies |
Ponies |
Pony |
Brian getting eaten by pony |
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Bridge at Ben Alder Lodge |
Dam at head of loch |