I took a group of Americans here a few years ago. They were experienced cyclists who had ridden widely in the USA, Canada and Europe. At the end they said it had been the best bike ride ever. Fortunately the weather had been kind as there are often long spells of settled weather in the early summer.
The area falls into two parts as far as cycling is concerned: Coigach to the south is not dreadfully hilly. Cycling this is inevitably out and back. A rough track is shown on some maps leading from the road end east of Achiltibuie to the A835 near Strath Kanaird. This is difficult scrambling and taking a bike is out of the question.
All the same you should go to Altandhu, Achiltibuie etc. There are some lovely beaches combined with distant views of the mountains to the north. There are also interesting places to visit.
Further north in Assynt it's sort of hilly. A B&B owner in Lochinver once told me that she was expecting a family from Surrey one evening. They planned to cycle from Kylesku via Drumbeg. They knew it was hilly but it was only 25 miles after all. She got a phone call at 3pm in the afternoon, they weren't even half way round - she drove round and collected them.
Route Description
Cycling to Achiltibuie you should go the longer way via Altandhu. There is a wonderful panorama of the Summer Isles a mile before Altandhu making the extra distance well worth while. There's a pub the Fuaran Bar at Altandhu. Just south of Atlandhu is Old Dornie harbour, opposite Isle Ristol, a pleasant place to stop. Further on you'll pass a craft and coffee shop at Polbain.
Continuing south again you run into Achiltibuie. The village lies within 4 different areas of special landscape and marine designation or conservation including the Wester Ross National Scenic Area, the North West Highlands Geopark, the Wester Ross Biosphere Reserve and the Wester Ross Marine Protected Area.
Other local attractions include a new geology trail which covers a series of walks close to the village and provides a fascinating insight into the landscape and the history of the Earth.
For other parts of this route, see the Related items below.
