Left home at 07:45am and cycled to Preston Railway Station. I was on my touring bike with panniers loaded up for a cycle round some of the Scottish Highlands. I reached Preston sooner than expected and found the 08:15am Glasgow train waiting in the station. (Preston-Fort William return = £60.65). I was booked on the 08:53am to Glasgow but it would’ve been nice to get there a bit earlier. There bike spaces were occupied so I had to wait for the train I’d originally booked on. The 08:53am Glasgow train arrived on time. Another cyclist was also catching it so we headed for the front carriage ‘A’ which is where the bike storage is on the Voyager trains.

My train is on time at Preston

Glasgow Central Railway Station

Glasgow Queen Street Railway Station

Bike storage on the Scotrail train to Spean Bridge

As he was only going as far as Lancaster we agreed I’d put by bike in first. The method of storage is to hang the bike up by the rear wheel from a hook fixed at high level. This meant I had to take all the panniers off. The journey to Glasgow was uneventful and I whiled the time away reading and watching the passing scenery. We arrived on time at 11:16 and I found the station very busy and interesting. It’s the first time I’ve been here. My next train was from Queen St Station so I half walked and half cycled the short way across town. Queen St Station is much smaller and seemed a newer design. My next train was at 12:21 and I had to hang by bike in the last carriage as this train splits at Crianlarich. The first 4 carriages go to Oban and my rear 2 goes to Fort William and on to Mallaig.

We left on time and the weather deteriorated as we travelled north. The rain hammered down and all the mountains were hidden in cloud. We stopped for a while at Crianlarich to divide the train and I looked dejectedly at the rain bouncing off the platform. Continuing north we came to the incredibly bleak Rannoch Moor and the rail station in the middle of nowhere. Around here the rain stopped and then some of the mountains began to appear. I got off the train at Spean Bridge where I was the only person around. (OS grid ref NN 2201 8145) This is where my bike ride will start.

Spean Bridge Railway Station

The Commando memorial at Spean Bridge

I was thankful that I started in dry weather but the wet roads indicated earlier rain. The roads were deserted as I set off just after 4pm but that soon changed when I reached the A82. I turned right to head for Invergarry but the cycling wasn’t too enjoyable because of the narrow road and fast traffic. After a short way I stopped to investigate the Commando memorial at the B8004 turn off then continued along the shore of Loch Lochy to the bridge over the lock at Laggan. I’d done around 16miles when I reached Invergarry and turned left on the A87 which is sign-posted ‘Iske of Sky’.

Thankfully the traffic was much less and I was able to enjoy the ride. The road soon started to climb and I was then looking down on Loch Garry. The climb through pine forest was relentless and continued for about 5miles until I came to a summit lay-bye and view point. I stopped briefly but it didn’t turn out to be the true summit. I decided to ride till about 6pm then look for somewhere to camp. About 6:20pm I found some flat, and wet, land and a swollen stream running under the road. I pitched my tent in a bit of wind but overnight the wind dropped.

Dramatic view across Loch Loyne
as seen from the tent