When packing up I had my first proper encounter with midges; no serious biting but very irritating. Used my snood to cover my face and head. I knew from the midge forecast website that both Glencoe and Fort William were bad at that time so I guessed I'd come across more in the next few days. I wasn't sure whether I'd get as far as Glencoe or stop somewhere on Loch Lomond. 
Weather was looking okay: highish clouds, and a fair bit of blue. Immediately I got on thebike it started to rain! Didn't last long though. I set off towards Glasgow (I'd sussed out the best route to leave the campsite 
last night). It worked well, at least it did early in the morning, possibly not quite the same in a couple of hours. Got onto my planned route: the A724, then the B768, thr
ough Rutherglen. Two road closures due to roadworks: ignored the first as there was no one about and the deviation looked a bit circuitous; at the second the road gang was directing traffic to the deviation, but they waved me straight through. Started to drizzle, then very wet for about 20 minutes. After 10K arrived at the Clyde and crossed it. Found the cycle path, which I'd planned to take all the way to Loch Lomond, but after the first few hundred yards or so it started to go round the houses so I went back on the road. I kept crossing the cycle route but it was appalling in places, often on the (badly cracked) pavement. At one point I took the A814 for a short section because it seemed more straightforward. I did rejoin the cycle track just before Dumbarton where it was well surfaced and a very pleasant ride; it was even signposted "Loch Lomond". Stopped in Dumbarton for a coffee and a bun. Picked up stuff for breakfast, too. In Dumbarton the cy
cle track went on to roads but it then went beside the River Leven. A plea
sant enough track though not very wide (there were a couple of irritable dog walkers and a few fishermen) but I quite liked it.
cle track went on to roads but it then went beside the River Leven. A plea
sant enough track though not very wide (there were a couple of irritable dog walkers and a few fishermen) but I quite liked it. Found what a
t first sight appeared to be a nice looking picnic area and went in. Several wooden tables with very thick wooden tops. Unfortunately, someone thought it would be fun to light fires on top of the tables and several had holes right through. I found one which was just 
singed.
t first sight appeared to be a nice looking picnic area and went in. Several wooden tables with very thick wooden tops. Unfortunately, someone thought it would be fun to light fires on top of the tables and several had holes right through. I found one which was just 
singed. Of course, it started to rain, but it was 
warm and the wind had dropped. The River Leven is apparently the second fastest flowing river in Scotland. That (I learnt from illustrated information panels beside the track) 'together with the clean air and available cheap labour', was the reason for the textile bleaching industry becoming established in the 18th century.
I reached Loch Lomond at Balloch which was very touristy with loads of people boarding boats. There were cycle route signs pointing to Luss but they seemed to be going the wrong way. A guy asked if I was lost and directed me the opposite way on quiet roads which he said would pick up the cycle track. They did.
warm and the wind had dropped. The River Leven is apparently the second fastest flowing river in Scotland. That (I learnt from illustrated information panels beside the track) 'together with the clean air and available cheap labour', was the reason for the textile bleaching industry becoming established in the 18th century.
I reached Loch Lomond at Balloch which was very touristy with loads of people boarding boats. There were cycle route signs pointing to Luss but they seemed to be going the wrong way. A guy asked if I was lost and directed me the opposite way on quiet roads which he said would pick up the cycle track. They did. 
The track sometimes went beside the road, which was fairly busy, and sometimes detoured away through the woods down to the Loch. It was good and kept my interest up.
From Luss
signposted to Tarbet, more of the same. I kept stopping to take photos and I stopped at some more picnic tables for the remains of breakfast. At Tarbet the track ended so it was now the A82 right through to Fort William. I had not been looking forward to the A82; LEJOG websites often cite it as the reason for taking the eastern A9 rou
te. It was not as busy as I had expected and cars were very 
well behaved, often waiting patiently for ages to pass me. Of course, being Saturday there were very few trucks.
signposted to Tarbet, more of the same. I kept stopping to take photos and I stopped at some more picnic tables for the remains of breakfast. At Tarbet the track ended so it was now the A82 right through to Fort William. I had not been looking forward to the A82; LEJOG websites often cite it as the reason for taking the eastern A9 rou
te. It was not as busy as I had expected and cars were very 
well behaved, often waiting patiently for ages to pass me. Of course, being Saturday there were very few trucks. At about 4 pm I pulled into the campsite at Ardlui. The main caravan park 
was on the east of the road and went down to the Loch; there was a tent field on the other side of the road. It was just a field so campers had to cross the road to use the facilities. There was an adjoining hotel and shop. Basic facilities but I liked it. There was only one other tent in the field with about seven lad
s. The warden told me he didn't normally accept large single sex groups but these had shown him their police warrant badges! Quite a large area of the field was quite wet so I put the tent on slightly higher ground quite close to the other one. (And soon after, another tent was pitched right next to mine). The place was plagued with midges and I had to wear my mosquito head net while I cooked. I must have looked a bit of a prat but I was a lot more comfortable than any of my neighbours who were hopping about quite a bit and didn't look so cool themselves!
was on the east of the road and went down to the Loch; there was a tent field on the other side of the road. It was just a field so campers had to cross the road to use the facilities. There was an adjoining hotel and shop. Basic facilities but I liked it. There was only one other tent in the field with about seven lad
s. The warden told me he didn't normally accept large single sex groups but these had shown him their police warrant badges! Quite a large area of the field was quite wet so I put the tent on slightly higher ground quite close to the other one. (And soon after, another tent was pitched right next to mine). The place was plagued with midges and I had to wear my mosquito head net while I cooked. I must have looked a bit of a prat but I was a lot more comfortable than any of my neighbours who were hopping about quite a bit and didn't look so cool themselves! The shop was okay to put together stuff for an evening meal but there wasn't much for breakfast and I'd probably be leaving early so I bought an energy drink, bananas, a galaxy and a
packet of nuts and I still had some malt loaf and cheese so I knew I'd be okay. Cooked kidney beans, tomatoes, chilli, onions with pasta. I kept trying to taste it forgetting I had the damned mosquito net on my head! Had to eat it inside the tent with the zips closed.Then it was down to the hotel for a drink. Nice place; mainly meals, though. No hand pulled beer so drank several halves of Kronenberg 1664.
It had been a very flat ride and in fact very easy cycling. Nevertheless, my legs felt tired and I really felt the slightest incline. A fairly slow average speed partly because I was taking it easy and I kept stop-starting through Glasgow and after that to take photographs. The cycle tracks had been fairly pleasant but were not fast. Tomorrow would be the A82 all day and I had to go up and over Glencoe. I would try and make an early start.
When I got back to the campsite there were several more tents all crowded together at the same end as me. There were three motorbikes inches away from my tent, though they weren't around and hadn't yet put up their tent. I turned in at 9 p.m. just as the police were starting a barbecue.
Campsite: Ardlui Marina & Holiday Park, Ardlui, Argyll £7.00. Fairly basic for tents but perfect for me. Handy shop and hotel bar.
Statistics
Distance 97.5 km (60.6 miles)
Time 6 hours: 16 minutes: 35 seconds
Average Speed 15.1 km/hour
Maximum Speed 34.6 km/hour
Distance from Lands End 1171.5 km
Total Time cycling 74:41
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