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After last night’s glorious evening
the temperature dropped and the views went. It got quite windy
during the night and by morning the cloud was quite low and the wind
was coming from the south, so I would be heading in to it. I was
packed up and away before 7am and enjoyed the section of cycle track
which was only made last year and still smooth tarmac. Approaching
Duror the track reached a minor road where last time I’d turned
right to rejoin the main road. |
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The 78cycle route pointed left but
the road was turning back on itself. I gave it ago and soon found
myself back on the railway route and heading past Duror to re-join
the road at the bottom if the hill. At the road the sign warned that
I’d be on the road for a couple of miles but as it was still early
on Sunday morning I knew there would be hardly any traffic. I was
right and didn’t get overtaken by any vehicles to the Salachan Burn
where I crossed the road to the next section of cycle track. It runs
just above the shore line and with the tide being high the water was
lapping by the grass. At the site of the old Appin Railway Station I
stopped to look at the information board. It gave a
brief history of
the line. |
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The
station in previous years |
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The line was opened in 1903. It was an extension of the
Oban line but only went as far a Ballachulish. It brought slate from
the Ballachulish quarries but they closed in 1955 and the railway
line in 1966. I followed the cycle track to the Strath of Appin
where I rejoined the road for a while. Before Benderloch I was on
the road when I stopped to photograph some works going on to build
the cycle track adjacent to the road. |
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Road
widening for the cycle track |
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Connel
Bridge in monochrome |
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I was by a church and a
considerable amount of rock had been cut nearby top widen the route.
I chatted to a man there who said that this stretch of track was
costing £750,000. At Benderloch the cycle track sign was confusing
and I wend down the wrong road for a while. I found the cycle track
which went past the old station. After some road I followed the
minor road by the airfield and then over Connel Bridge. |
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I was then
on the busy A85 but at Dunbeg I left the main road to follow the
cycle track signs through the housing estate and across open ground
to re-join the road at Ganavan Bay. It was then a pleasant and easy
ride to the outskirts of Oban. At the main roundabout I turned left
up the hill and then right and back to the car park and my car. I’d
packed the bike in my car shortly after 11am and set off home. |
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Whittle Wanderer
