# Cape Wrath



## Herbie (20 May 2011)

Is it possible to travel to Cape Wrath on a bike? I read somewhere that there are no roads to go there?
Its a part of Scotland i've always fancied seeing.Anyone ever been there and can give me any info? Ta


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## suze (20 May 2011)

Yep, I've been to Cape Wrath a couple of times. 

From Durness a short ride to the Kyle of Durness and there used to be a little ferry (check that the ferry still runs before you go) that took you over the Kyle. The road to the lighthouse is a "dual carridge-way", it has grass down the middle. the round trip from ferry to lighthouse and back is about 22 miles. I'm not sure of the state of the roads these days but when we visited a few years ago they were ok, passable on a touring bike with heavy road tyres.

But is a veryy do-able and a great detour, on a tour if you're staying in Durness


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## Globalti (20 May 2011)

Better than John 'o Groats anyway... what a dump.


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## Herbie (20 May 2011)

suze said:


> Yep, I've been to Cape Wrath a couple of times.
> 
> From Durness a short ride to the Kyle of Durness and there used to be a little ferry (check that the ferry still runs before you go) that took you over the Kyle. The road to the lighthouse is a "dual carridge-way", it has grass down the middle. the round trip from ferry to lighthouse and back is about 22 miles. I'm not sure of the state of the roads these days but when we visited a few years ago they were ok, passable on a touring bike with heavy road tyres.
> 
> But is a veryy do-able and a great detour, on a tour if you're staying in Durness



Thanks for that info. ta


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## Paladin - York (20 May 2011)

To Alan Herbertson - just done it, ie May 2011. I've "plopped" a few photos in the gallery under Tours & Expeditions.


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## Wardy (20 May 2011)

Well worth a visit. I did it in the early 80's on a Super Galaxy at the end of a memorable two-week trip up the west coast. The roads then were a bit pot-holed and I broke my rear spindle. Still managed to continue to Lairg to catch the train back to Edinburgh though. As I remember, the ferry didn't run when the Navy were conducting exercises, but that was 30 odd years ago...


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## theloafer (21 May 2011)

hi alan
you sure can ....and now there,s even a cafe there  some info .. http://www.capewrath.org.uk/ its a bloody great trip we tried to do it in 2005 but ferryman said no weather was getting worse and he could not get back over to pick us up ....so we did the west coast 2006 and got lucky..  

larry


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## HillSpecial (10 Oct 2011)

Hi Alan,

is the ferry cancelled a lot then ? The ferry web-site says cannot run at low tide either. If we go, possibly June 2012, we'll be on touring bikes - how bad is the track from the ferry to the cape ? Cannot be too bad as the mini bus uses it ?

Cheers.

Hill Special


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## HillSpecial (10 Oct 2011)

Alan Herbertson said:


> Thanks for that info. ta



Hi all,

we may be up the Top of Scotland in June {2012} and if so would like to cycle to Cape Wrath - - and back ! 

Do you know how many cyclists can take the boat at once and what the 'road' surface to Cape Wrath is like - we would be on touring bikes, not mountain bikes. 

I hear that cyclists used to be able get a *Cape Wrath Fellowship* *Certificate*, C-R-F, when they reached the lighthouse - but now it’s automated and there is no one there?

Has / will the cafe take over the C-R-F ? 

Cheers Hill Special.


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## Paladin - York (10 Oct 2011)

is the ferry cancelled a lot then ? The ferry web-site says cannot run at low tide either. If we go, possibly June 2012, we'll be on touring bikes - how bad is the track from the ferry to the cape ? Cannot be too bad as the mini bus uses it ?

Cheers.

HS - Give me little while and I'll put some photos of the Cape Wrath ferry & track in the "Rides & Events" section of the Gallery. 

Briefly the "ferry" can take maybe a couple of bikes depending on how many foot passengers there are. The track is ok but slow going. I did notice that the ferry set off from the Durness side just before the advertised time and as a result a family of three, who arrived dead on time, had to wait a few hours for the next ferry.


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## jay clock (10 Oct 2011)

> *Cape Wrath Fellowship* *Certificate*


anything connecting the words "fellowship" and "cycling"put me off as being nutty and religious


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## Paladin - York (10 Oct 2011)

HillSpecial said:


> Hi all,
> 
> we may be up the Top of Scotland in June {2012} and if so would like to cycle to Cape Wrath - - and back !
> 
> ...



HS - I've put a few photos in the Gallery - Rides & Events - Cape Wrath.


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## Gary Cummins (12 Oct 2011)

Alan, there are some pics on this link of a tour I led in 2004 to Cape Wrath from Inverness.

http://www.crispinbennett.freedomnames.co.uk/CapeWrath2004.htm

The ferry got all of our bike over there in three lifts, three or four bikes per crossing I think.

The Cape Wrath Fellowship Certificate (and nice embroidered badge) has for a very long time been called the Cape Wrath Challenge, and is administered by the CTC. Nothing odd at all, just a bit of fun if you want to apply for it. All you have to do is send them a pic of you in front of the lighthouse smiling, with your bike of course. I quite liked the quaint old expression 'Cape Wrath Fellowship', but times change, and so do the cloth badges.

Good luck

Gary


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## theloafer (29 Oct 2011)

hi alan
i have found my pics of our trip in 2006..hope these help


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## TwoTired (1 Nov 2011)

1) AFAIA the mini-bus(es) and ferry have common owners so priority may be given to minibus passengers on the ferry.
2) Cape Wrath is an active military range. When something's on, it may be closed to cyclists. Weekends and August always? OK but check at other times with range, TI, etc


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## Cape Wrath Webmaster (19 Dec 2011)

Hi, new member here, and as my 'handle' suggests, I'm the webmaster of the www.Capewrath.org.uk website. As such, I'd just like to clarify that the minibus and ferry owners are two separate people who don't have a common owner. The former, is James Mather (who took over late last year after the former owner, Iris MacKay passed on), whilst the latter is John Morrison.

With regards to the MoD range dates, I'm now (and have been for a number of months) receiving their advance notifications on when it's going to be active, and as such, I've been posting these on the Military Exercises page as soon as I get a chance.

If anyone has any specific questions about Cape Wrath, then please don't hesitate to get in contact with me (my e-mail address is on the bottom of each page) through the above mentioned website.


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## Amanda P (19 Dec 2011)

Just on the question of the road surface, Mrs Uncle Phil and I rode it in August this year. I was using a Moulton on narrow tyres (but with suspension) and had no problems, although it's not velodrome-smooth by any means. Take it steady, watch for loose gravel on downhill corners and you'll be fine. 

The minibuses run back and forth, so if you had mechanicals, they'd hardly leave you stranded there - in fact there was a couple of walkers we encountered; she'd fainted, but the next minibus passing picked them up. The day we went, besides John Morrison's boat, there were some folk being ferried across by some rather attractive young naval ladies in zodiacs. Presumably guests of the MOD?

We read the excellent Cape Wrath website, by the way, and that's partly what encouraged us to add it on to our trip to the north coast. We'll have a write-up on Crazy Guy when I get around to it.


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## tyred (20 Dec 2011)

Oh, I thought someone was angry with their cycle cape


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## Cape Wrath Webmaster (20 Dec 2011)

Thankyou Uncle Phil for those kind words about the website 

After only picking it up earlier on this year and working on it (albeit, part time, and from a distance of ~300 miles away (James is a relative of mine, who lives in Durness, whilst I live just outside of Glasgow)), I do have plans over the coming weeks/months to enhance it with a lot more information/photos etc. So, it's good to hear feedback that people are already finding it useful and easy to use (something that I don't wish to 'break').


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## snorri (20 Dec 2011)

tyred said:


> Oh, I thought someone was angry with their cycle cape


You can do better than that tyred.

This thread reminds me of a work visit to the Cape some 20 years ago. We had a hired Citroen car with canvas roof which we rolled open to enjoy the unseasonsble January weather. We discovered the car handbrake was ineffective when it rolled off the road driverless, the door jumping off its hinges as it bumped across the heather like something from the Flintstones. It was with great relief that we eventually manhandled it back on to the road as the lighthouse was unmanned at that time and there were no tourists around to assist us. Happy days, and I got paid for the trip!


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## lpretro1 (20 Dec 2011)

I'd have thought if you contact the ferry man before your trip you'd be able to come to an a arrangement with him to ensure he will ferry your bikes over - for an appropriate fee. He's not going to turn down extra dosh I'd have thought?


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## Amanda P (22 Dec 2011)

The ferryman expects bikes; it's no problem. If there are a lot of foot passengers, heading for the minibus tour to the lighthouse and back, he'll generally take them first, but as it's only a five-minute crossing, it's not a big problem to wait (unless there are midges!)

I think maybe there is a small extra charge for the bike, but it won't bankrupt you.


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## theloafer (25 Dec 2011)

Alan Herbertson said:


> Is it possible to travel to Cape Wrath on a bike? I read somewhere that there are no roads to go there?
> Its a part of Scotland i've always fancied seeing.Anyone ever been there and can give me any info? Ta



http://www.capewrath.org.uk/ all info here... see pic here post 14
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/cape-wrath.77374/post-1649564


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## Herbie (4 Apr 2012)

theloafer said:


> hi alan
> you sure can ....and now there,s even a cafe there  some info .. http://www.capewrath.org.uk/ its a bloody great trip we tried to do it in 2005 but ferryman said no weather was getting worse and he could not get back over to pick us up ....so we did the west coast 2006 and got lucky..
> 
> larry


 
Thanks Larry.
I thought 3 hours was a bit much...trip now only weeks away so looking forward to my first wee tour since 1988!


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