UKC

I am heading up into the Fisherfields sometime in July. Is it possible to take a MTB into Shenevall bothy - or indeed into the Fisherfields in general?

In reply to ochils ben:

Hi Ben,

I walked in here a few months ago and I think it would be possible but hard work. From the A832, the path is easy. However it then turns into a very wet, rocky mess and quite boggy in sections. Probably the best thing to do would be not to head along the direct path to Shenevall, but continue along the main track. It's a bit longer, but brings you out in the same valley as Shenevall, but a couple of miles south.

Nick

In reply to ochils ben:

I agree, possible (but not for me), but not worth it - too rough. I got a lift in a landrover once, not to the bothy but the house well upstream, and that was pretty exciting.

In reply to ochils ben:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/shenavall-circuit-dundonell-anyone-...

In reply to ochils ben:

Do you want to take the bike because cycling it is your main purpose or do you want to take the bike because it might be easier/quicker than walking? If the former, fine and good luck to you. If the latter don't bother 'cos it won't be any quicker and will be much, much harder.

In reply to ochils ben:

Since when was there a plural of Fisherfield? Something to do with the multiverse?

In reply to ochils ben:

Depending what you're planning to do when you get there, there are (at least) two alternatives to the standard route in to Shenavall:

There's a bike-able track up to the outflow of Loch na Sealga, from Gruinard Bay. Rough, but would be fine with a decent MTB. Walk from there.

Poolewe to Carnmore: you can get a long way in by bike (some folk go all the way though I understand it becomes a pain in the neck at some stage... plus there may be something about the estate requesting people don't bike all the way to the 'bothy')

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

Definitely signs from the Poolewe side from the estate specifically asking people not to cycle the tracks - once you get to the edge of the wooded bit - or certainly was the last time I was in there a couple of years back.

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:


I realise it depends how the sign is worded, but is this not against the access legislation in the Land Reform Act? If it is advisory and for good reason then OK but anyone know what the Estate rationale is?

Cheers
Davie

Just a note - I am sure I am not the only one whose activities have been curbed by injury. My walking range is short, so the ability to get to the foot of the hill by bike is rather useful, even if the cycling is harder than comfortable. Having said that, memories of walking in to Achneigie over the years suggest that cycling in to the foot of Beinn a Chlaidheimh looks rather like fun.

I have read of the downhill nutter brigade (respect!) going in there for the quartzite slabs above Loch an Nid.

In reply to DR:

I think it says that they would rather you don't cycle it - probably because the estate spent a fair amount of money on restoring it around 15-20 years ago. Not sure that bikes would necessarily trash it any faster than walkers (or ponies), but that's obviously what the estate thinks.

In reply to ochils ben:
We rode past Shenavall in May as part of a Ullapool - Kinlochewe 75 mile epic. If you take the double track from Corrie Hallie, as Nick B has said, it is rideable the whole way (and the section up the valley to Shenavall is really nice).
There are indeed some big signs on the Poolewe side telling you not to ride on anything other than the estate roads. They certainly aren't worded as "advisory" and so seemed to me to be entirely against the access rights legislation.
In any event, I wouldn't ride in from that way. It was a fun way out, particularly the descent to Fionn Loch, but too much hike a bike otherwise.

In reply to ochils ben:

Thanks for all the help - it looks like I'll walk!