Route · cycling
The Caledonia Way
Sustrans's flagship Scottish cycle route — NCR 78. 234 miles from Inverness south through the Great Glen to Fort William, west through Glencoe to Oban, then on through Argyll and Kintyre to Campbeltown. Tarmac throughout, on cycle path and quiet roads.
By mode
Cycling
- Distance
- 376 km
- Elevation
- 2800 m
- Duration
- 8 days
- Surface
- tarmac
- Waymarked
- Yes
NCR 78. Waymarked with the standard blue-and-red Sustrans roundels. Most riders take the route north-to-south (Inverness → Campbeltown) for the wind, but the marked direction is bidirectional. 8-day typical split below; faster touring riders compress to 6 days, casual touring extends to 10–12.
The Caledonia Way is Sustrans’s flagship Scottish cycle route — National Cycle Route 78 — running 234 miles from Inverness south through the Great Glen to Fort William, west through Glencoe to Oban, and on through Argyll and Kintyre to Campbeltown. It is the longest waymarked cycle route in Scotland that runs predominantly on tarmac (as opposed to the gravel-heavy long-distance options like the Highland 550 or the Cape Wrath Trail’s rideable variants), and it threads together more of mainland west-coast Scotland’s iconic landscape than any other single ride.
The standard direction is north-to-south — Inverness to Campbeltown — for two reasons. First, the prevailing south-westerly wind is generally less of a head-wind on this direction (the route bends west and south through Argyll, so the wind hits diagonally rather than directly). Second, the finish at Campbeltown harbour is more cathartic than the finish at Inverness Castle: arriving at the southern tip of a peninsula on a long west-coast cycle has the right ending-of-something feeling. The route is bidirectional in waymarking; ride it either way.
The route is marketed as moderate difficulty; a fit recreational rider on a touring bike with light luggage will find it well within reach over 8 days. The single hardest day is Stage 8 (Tarbert to Campbeltown) for the cumulative climbing-by-rolling-hills against often a head-wind on the west coast of Kintyre. The single most weather-exposed day is Stage 4 if the Glencoe stretches are wet and windy. The single most-traffic-exposed sections are the short A82 stretches between Drumnadrochit and Invermoriston, and the A828 / A83 sections in Argyll where the cycle path is not yet continuous.
Practicalities
- Bike choice. A touring bike with reasonable gearing is the right tool. Road bikes work fine; gravel bikes are unnecessarily robust for a tarmac route. Front and rear panniers are the standard luggage shape; bikepacking bags work but are tighter on the multi-day food carry between resupply points.
- Resupply. Inverness, Drumnadrochit, Fort Augustus, Fort William, Oban, Lochgilphead, Tarbert, Campbeltown all have full supermarket-and-bike-shop infrastructure. The villages between (Spean Bridge, Onich, Ballachulish, Connel, Crinan, Tayinloan) have small shops and pubs but limited bike support. Carry a basic spares kit.
- Accommodation. The route is well-served by B&Bs and small hotels in summer. Tarbert and Inveraray are the tightest in July and August; book ahead. Outside peak season, walk-up availability is reasonable.
- The Corran Ferry detour. On Stage 4 (Fort William to Glencoe), an optional detour via the Corran Ferry across Loch Linnhe lets you ride the quieter A861 down to Strontian and Salen, returning by the Glenfinnan circuit. Adds a day and 50 km but takes you through Ardgour and Sunart on roads that see almost no traffic. The Corran Ferry runs continuously in daylight hours and is free to cyclists at the time of writing.
- The Tarbert–Portavadie ferry shortcut. A small Calmac vehicle ferry crosses Loch Fyne from Tarbert to Portavadie in about 25 minutes. For cyclists wanting to extend the route into Cowal (Tighnabruaich, Dunoon, the Bute peninsula), this is the entry point.
- Returning from Campbeltown. Three options: (1) the daily Loganair flight to Glasgow (40 minutes; bikes carry as oversize baggage with prior arrangement); (2) the summer-only Calmac ferry to Ardrossan via Brodick on Arran (3 hours total from Campbeltown to mainland — saves the long peninsula retrace); (3) ride back via the A83 — adds 100+ km and a second weather day.
Source
- Canonical route: Sustrans Caledonia Way page — official GPX downloads (Caledonia Way North = Oban–Inverness, Caledonia Way South = Oban–Campbeltown).
- Cycle.travel summary: cycle.travel/route/467 — community-rated stage notes.
- Sustrans Caledonia Way North and South printed maps available from Sustrans Shop.
The route
Start
Inverness Castle
57.4761, -4.2255
Northern terminus of NCR 78. The route picks up the Great Glen Way's tow-path along the Caledonian Canal almost immediately and follows the canal-side cycle path south.
End
Campbeltown harbour
55.4250, -5.6050
Southern terminus, on the Kintyre peninsula's east coast. The harbour-front esplanade is the official end-of-route photo spot. Common return options — summer-only Calmac ferry to Ardrossan via Brodick, the daily Loganair flight to Glasgow, or the long retrace by road.
Stages
- Stage 1 — Inverness to Drumnadrochit — Inverness Castle → Drumnadrochit (35 km
, 250 m climb)
Out of Inverness on the canal-side path to Dochgarroch, then the A82 cycle path south along the north shore of Loch Ness. Drumnadrochit (Urquhart Castle, the Loch Ness Centre) is the standard first overnight.
- Stage 2 — Drumnadrochit to Fort Augustus — Drumnadrochit → Fort Augustus (35 km
, 250 m climb)
Continues south along Loch Ness's north shore on the A82 cycle path, with viewpoints at Invermoriston (waterfall) and the open-water stretches that produce the "monster" sightings. Fort Augustus marks the canal's central locks and the head of Loch Ness.
- Stage 3 — Fort Augustus to Fort William — Fort Augustus → Fort William (50 km
, 300 m climb)
The southern Great Glen — alongside Loch Oich, then Loch Lochy, on a mix of canal towpath and quiet roads, into Fort William past Neptune's Staircase (the eight-lock canal staircase at Banavie). Easier ground than the Loch Ness stages.
- Stage 4 — Fort William to Glencoe — Fort William → Glencoe village (30 km
, 200 m climb)
South on the A82 cycle path to North Ballachulish; the Corran Ferry detour adds a quieter scenic option west of Loch Linnhe but adds 15–25 km depending on the route taken from Ardgour. Glencoe village at the end is the editorial highlight of the day.
- Stage 5 — Glencoe to Oban — Glencoe village → Oban Bay (65 km
, 500 m climb)
South on the A828 along Loch Linnhe via Castle Stalker viewpoint, Port Appin (small foot ferry to Lismore), Connel Bridge, and into Oban — the inner Hebrides ferry hub and the longest day of the standard split.
- Stage 6 — Oban to Lochgilphead — Oban Bay → Lochgilphead (65 km
, 450 m climb)
South on quiet roads to Kilninver, then around the head of Loch Awe via Kilmartin Glen (densest concentration of prehistoric monuments anywhere in mainland Scotland — Temple Wood, Nether Largie, Dunadd hillfort), past the Crinan Canal sea lock at Crinan, and along the canal towpath to Lochgilphead.
- Stage 7 — Lochgilphead to Tarbert — Lochgilphead → Tarbert (Loch Fyne) (38 km
, 250 m climb)
South down the west side of Loch Fyne on the B8024 (the long way) or the A83 (the direct way) to Tarbert at the head of the Kintyre peninsula. Tarbert harbour is the overnight; the village's small marina has good seafood and a pub-and-pub culture.
- Stage 8 — Tarbert to Campbeltown — Tarbert (Loch Fyne) → Campbeltown harbour (60 km
, 600 m climb)
South on the A83 down the Kintyre peninsula's west coast — Tayinloan (Gigha ferry), Glenbarr, Bellochantuy, Westport surfing beach, Machrihanish — and into Campbeltown. The longest day of climbing-by-rolling-hills; the prevailing south-westerly is rarely a tailwind.
Along the way
-
Urquhart Castle
The 13th-century castle ruin on the north shore of Loch Ness — a Historic Environment Scotland visitor site with the most-photographed view of the loch from its battlements. Standard Stage 1 stop.
57.3242, -4.4422
-
Neptune's Staircase, Banavie
The eight-lock canal staircase at the western end of the Caledonian Canal at Banavie, north of Fort William — the longest staircase lock in Britain, designed by Telford and opened 1822. The cycle route runs past on the towpath; allow 30 minutes to watch a boat work through.
56.8511, -5.1042
-
Castle Stalker viewpoint
The 14th-century tower house on a tidal islet in Loch Laich — small, photogenic, famous from Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) as the Castle Aaaaarrrrrggghhh. The A828 viewpoint is the iconic shot; the castle is open by guided tour in summer (small numbers, advance booking).
56.5670, -5.3825
-
Oban Bay
Crescent harbour of Oban — Caledonian Macbrayne ferries to Mull, Coll, Tiree, Barra, South Uist, Lismore, Colonsay, and the Small Isles all leave here. The waterfront restaurants (seafood shack, Oban Inn, McCaig's Tower on the hillside) are the standard Stage-5 reward.
56.4132, -5.4735
-
Crinan Canal sea lock
The Atlantic-side end of the nine-mile sea-to-sea Crinan Canal at Crinan harbour. The canal lets fishing boats avoid the Mull of Kintyre detour; the towpath here is one of the prettier short cycle stretches on the whole route.
56.0556, -5.5589
-
Inveraray Castle
The white-walled castellated seat of the Dukes of Argyll, on the lawn above Loch Fyne. Open April–October; gardens, armoury, state rooms, café. Standard mid-Stage-7 stop on the Lochgilphead → Tarbert leg via the A83.
56.2350, -5.0731
-
Tarbert harbour, Loch Fyne
Fishing-and-marina village at the head of the Kintyre peninsula's east side — distinct from Tarbet on Loch Lomond. Harbour-front pubs and seafood spots make it the standard Stage 7 overnight; the small Calmac ferry to Portavadie crosses Loch Fyne to avoid retracing.
55.8694, -5.4044