Black Bridge to Ullapool

Fiona Johnson is a development officer with Cycling UK in Scotland, working on the Big Bike Revival in Highland and the Western Isles and on WheelNess, a programme to improve health and wellbeing through free access to bikes in Inverness. Fiona enjoys all kinds of journeying by bike, from commuting to multi-day off road adventures.

This ride can be completed in a day, but there are some fantastic wild camping spots on the route. As a family we made an expedition out of it. There are amazing views around every corner and keep your eyes open for eagles, red deer and adders. We saw them all on our trip!

The route starts at Black Bridge on the A835 – the main road from Inverness to Ullapool – and heads North along Strathvaich on a well maintained track. After about 10 miles you pass Deanich Lodge and head NE along the stunning Gleann Mor through Alladale Wilderness Reserve. After a few miles on tarmac after Glencalvie Lodge, you reach Croik Church. The Church figured prominently in the Highland Clearances in 1845, a tragic event that is recorded in messages scratched on its east window.

The route now continues NW along the remote and beautiful Strath Cuileanach and over a hill to Duag Bridge. There is an old schoolhouse here, which has been converted into a bothy and there are lovely pools in the river for a quick dip. From here the track is a bit rougher, following a path SW uphill to another bothy at Knockdamph. The final 12 miles of the route take you West along the Rhidorroch River and Loch Achall and eventually down into the coastal village of Ullapool. Once in Ullapool, there is a good choice of eateries, my favourite being The Ceilidh Place which has hotel and bunkhouse accommodation, great food and a wonderful book shop. The route can be done in a day, but with the family (10 and 12 year olds) we camped to make it into an expedition and to spend more time exploring the wild and remote scenery.