Advise on route to Wemyss Bay

[stuartm]

Looking for some advice on a route from Paisley to the bay. My regular solo route usually takes me from Paisley to Kilmacolm on the track, then down to the port - I've never ventured further than Tesco, and I always head back up the clune and home.

 

What's the best way to get to Wemyss Bay? Preferably quiet roads, or cycle track. Last year I did ride towards Greenock, and found the A8 a bit hairy in places, so would like to avoid this if at all possible, particularly as i'll probably be riding solo. and I don't know the area at all. I noticed Google gives a route through the Muirshiel park - anyone recommend this?

 

Plan is to get the ferry to Rothesay and have lunch with the gf before riding home. She's taking the easy option on the Waverley

[Jannza]

It's a fair few miles from Paisley to Wemyss Bay and back.

If you want to stay off the A8 there are few options - stay on cycle track into Greenock, Gourock, Inverkip, Wemyss Bay. From Gourock can be quite busy.

 

Do the usual route to Port then jump on train to Wemyss Bay?

 

Or leave track at Kilmacolm, high Greenock rd, Loch Thom, Inverkip, then you just have main road to Wemyss Bay.

 

Muirsheil is an off road mtb type route, wouldnt recommend on your own.

[Guest EPCC]

There is another sort of road that takes you to loch thom but it's not great

[DavieB]

Get to Dalry and you can get to West Kilbride over rolling quiet(ish) roads or take the Moors road to Fairlie - longish climb out of Dalry but not too steep.

 

From there it is along the coast.

 

May add some miles but perhaps more pleasant than dodging traffic.

 

Davie

[Alan McLean]

+1 jann

 

First get an OS map or follow this online!

 

For MTb then follow minor roads from kilmacolm to loch Thom. (At the Gryffe Reservoir the minor road becomes a track through to Loch Thom, ok for hybrid and just passable with road bike).

 

The road from to A78 has subsided and is currently impassable but that's ok because you can get off the road and follow the path by the Kelly Cut aqueduct to the Kelly reservoir and then freewheel down to the ferry. But this route is definitely MTb only.

 

For road bike, once you get to greenock, the A78 is horrible solo but can be avoided by taking the small unclassified (yellow) roads above Inverkip which would avoid the worst sections.

 

If this is your longest ride to date then you deserve to get the train back! Or make a day of it, get the ferry at colintraive to the cowal and have lovely quiet trip back to Dunoon.

 

Alan