Following the eastern shore of Loch FyneI love Scotland in autumn. The landscape sheds its summer green and wraps itself in a tartan shawl of russet, burnt orange and chestnut. The golden light accentuates every magical detail and the sky frequently bursts in a blaze of colour from hot pink to cinnabar as the sun rises and sets. It is by far my favourite season to go exploring and luckily I have some stunning locations like Loch Fyne on my doorstep. Last weekend brought perfect autumn weather, with blue skies and enough warmth to feel like summer had returned and to temporarily forget that winter is waiting in the wings. On days like this it would be criminal not to get outdoors and absorb some extra Vitamin D before the sun disappears on its annual vacation, so I decided it was a great excuse to embark on a spontaneous Scottish road-trip. Living on the Isle of Bute means that making last minute plans usually limits the possibilities of where I can go in a day and I'm often forced into finding new ways to explore already familiar places. This is the kind of travel challenge I thrive on and from my experience, when the only new option left is to seek out the road less travelled, you often reap the best rewards. Loch Fyne is a well frequented sea loch on the west coast of Scotland, with many a tourist stopping off for a refreshment at the historic town of Inveraray as they follow the road along its western shore, usually on their way from Glasgow to Oban. While this route can be a bustling one, especially in the summer, the eastern shore of Loch Fyne attracts far fewer visitors. Due to the geography of Bute, this is the side of the loch I find myself travelling along on a regular basis when I'm heading north. In many ways the peaceful A886 from Colintraive to Cairndow could already be considered the road less travelled, however although it is quiet and pretty enough, it is not particularly memorable in my opinion. If you are travelling between these locations this well maintained road is definitely the quickest and most direct way to get from A to B but I decided this was the perfect time to explore an alternative route, the even less travelled parallel 16 mile single track road (B8000) from Otter Ferry to Strachur. It is definitely not the normal tourist route, yet it skirts along the fringes of Loch Fyne revealing not only superior opportunities to enjoy the scenery but also a few hidden historical gems and a couple of well regarded destination restaurants which makes the longer detour justifiably worthwhile.
My journey to the eastern shore of Loch Fyne started with the steep drive over Glendaruel to Otter Ferry. This is definitely the more challenging route to reach the loch as the single track road twists and turns on itself while heading upwards at a severe incline. Not for the faint-hearted and I couldn't help but admire the cyclist embarking on what must be a hellish leg burning uphill struggle but then again whether you reach the top on four wheels or two, the view over Loch Fyne at the summit is worth it. |
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