Road · United Kingdom
Cycling in Argyll and Bute
Two road cycling routes from Dunoon and Tarbert offer 65-100 km rides with climbing up to 952 m on main and minor roads.
Argyll and Bute features two road routes starting from Dunoon and Tarbert. The longest route, from Dunoon to Lochgilphead, is 100 km with 952 m of climbing. The other route from Tarbert to Lamlash covers 65 km with 612 m of ascent.
The rides include a mix of main roads, minor roads, and some major roads. Both routes provide significant climbing with gradients above 5% on nearly 10 km and a maximum 500 m section at 12.8%. The surfaces are mostly paved, and riding takes place mainly between June and August when temperatures range from 16 to 17°C on average.
What the riding is like
The terrain is rolling with 19% of the distance climbing and 62% flat, including nearly 10 km above 5% gradient. Routes vary in length from 65 to 100 km, with the longest crossing from Dunoon to Lochgilphead. The rides mainly use main roads (70%) with some minor and major roads, little cycle path, and mostly paved surfaces. The steepest climb reaches a 12.8% gradient over 500 m.
Cycling infrastructure
Cycle path totals 2.7 km across the routes, with 123.8 km of main roads without cycle lanes; over 50 km of roads have speed limits of 80 km/h or more.
Best time to ride
June to August provide the best riding conditions with average highs of 16 to 17°C and recorded rides mostly in August.
Riding in Argyll and Bute in numbers
- 2
- 165 km
- 100 km
- 952 m
- Day trips out
- 1 route heads for bigger hills elsewhere (not counted in the numbers above)
Where to start in Argyll and Bute
Rides in Argyll and Bute
When to ride Argyll and Bute
Best months: Jun to Aug.
7°3°J20
7°4°F20
9°4°M18
11°5°A13
14°8°M16
16°11°J18
17°12°J20
17°12°A20
15°11°S17
13°9°O20
9°6°N18
8°4°D22
BestFineHard goingRain days per month under each bar · typical wind 25 km/h from the SW