Oban to Fort William Cycle Path ideas

Here are some sketches from Carol for the Oban to Fort William Cycle Path. More to follow.

Seating based on the Birlinn shape theme.

Seating based on the Birlinn shape theme.

Chicane based on the Birlinn shape theme.

Fencing based on the Birlinn shape theme.

Seating based on the Birlinn shape theme.

Seating using a sheep shelter design at its base.

Poetry rock.

Welcome to 'Flick of Paint', the creative and inspiring den of Felicity Nightingale

One of the artists enroute!
Welcome to 'Flick of Paint', the creative and inspiring den of Felicity Nightingale

Fired Art, Pottery Painting Cafe, Arts and crafts Gallery, picture framing, Fort William, Scotland

A community arts project enroute ... we will be talking to these guys for more ideas and input for the Oban to Fort william cycle path.

Fired Art, Pottery Painting Cafe, Arts and crafts Gallery, picture framing, Fort William, Scotland

Names and Gaelic options for Cycle Way

The Birlinn Way
....takes its name from the West Highland galley which sailed in these waters for 800 years and is also a play on the Scots word birl meaning to spin or revolve like the wheels of a bike. Castle Stalker was once exchanged for a birlinn and there is a drawing of a birlinn on an Appin rockface.

The Longshore Path or Longshore Trail
....depicts a route found along or moving along the shore and a long path or trail along the shore.
The Shoreline Trail depicts a route along the line of the shore.

The West Coast Trail
....describes what it is, like the West Highland Way

The Atlantic Way or Atlantic Trail
.....depicts a wider geographical connection with Scotland’s west coast and is an evocative name.

The Lorn(e) to Linnhe Trail
.....describes more specifically its route from the Firth of Lorn(e) to Loch Linnhe.

The Coastal Trail or Coastline Trail
.....describes the fact that the route goes along the coast.

Thanks again Norrie for this.

... And more from Norrie:

"I've been thinking about some text for the starting gates at both ends and come up with:

From the sands of Lorn
to the Nevis range
the journey begins!

(for the Ganavan or Oban end)

From the Nevis range
to the sands of Lorn
the journey begins!

(for the Fort William end)

If it was felt that something else was needed to take us as far as Ballachulish until the Fort William end came on stream later it could be:

From the sands of Lorn
to the mighty Beinns
the journey begins!

(Oban end)

and

From the mighty Beinns
to the sands of Lorn
the journey begins!

(Ballachulish end)" Thanks Norrie.

Comments from Sustrans:

The Dalriada Trail or the entire text in Gaelic - Rathad Dalriada/Rathad Dal Riata (at a guess the Dalriada Road)
The entire area and the lower part of Route 78 as far as Greenock was once part of Dalriada with Dunnad near Kilmartin the seat of power. I am sure you know this as well. This name also gives the option of extending the route name in a way to Northern Ireland as a part of Dalriada and enclosing the lower part of route 78.

GREAT IDEA - In effect you could have a new pocket mountain guide like we have already for NCN1/NCN7 for the Dalriada Trails of Ireland and Scotland.

Dal Riata is the birthplace of the Gaelic Language so it is fitting thata Gaelic name is used
Atlantic Trail - Rathad Mara (I don't know exactly how this should set out)

Cenel Loairne
This is the region of Dalriada that the trail runs through

Lorn - Linnhe - in gaeilicised version

Fionn mac Cumhaill Rathad (?) (Finn McCool Trail )

Staffa - the stone thrown by Fin McCool from Lough Neagh in Ireland sits within Dalriada

The route links to Oban and the ferry point to Mull and Staffa

The Giants Trail way of the giants

Columbas Trail/Way of the Saints in Gaelic Rathad Columcille (?)St.Columbas home on Iona falls within this region

The Appin Trail After the Appin Murder
Robert Louise Stevenson Trail Appin Murder, flight from Mull across the region etc
Kidnapped Trail etc

The poets way /The Bards way/Rathad BardIain Crichton Smith/Sorley Maclean etc all spent time in the area aswriters/poets

MacAlpine Trail/Trail of the Kings/Rathad Righ
After the first unified King of the Scots - Kenneth MacAlpine

Rathad or road has to be used with care as it refers to roads. I guess there were not that many roads more like seaways historically in Dalriada.

... thanks Paul

More names for the Oban to Fort William Cycle Path

The Red Fox Cycleway
(in reference to Colin Campbell and the Appin Murder)

The Sea Dog Cycleway
(in reference to the Gaelic for Otter)

Islands to Highlands Cycleway
(in reference to Oban to Fort William, Gateway to the Islands and Gateway to the Highlands)

Lorn to Linhe Cycleway
(geographical reference)

The Longshore Path
(description of the path)

Scoping trip to Oban - 25th June to 28th June 2008

Another taxi to Oban - £140 this time paid for by Virgin Trains! Not their fault though as the connecting train was stuck behind a freight train and therefore delayed. So when I go to Glasgow Central I had 5 minutes to get across town to Glasgow Queen Street. This clearly was tight so I was put into a taxi with another guy (another Geordie as it happens who know loads of people I know!) and my bike and taken to Oban. Kind of not the way I wanted to arrive!

Once in Oban I cycled the 18 miles to Luing where I was staying. On Thursday, Carol and I cycled parts of the path we could to just short of Port Appin. Most of the path is still under negotiation but some of it is open and is already looking like a promising new route to add to the stable of Sustrans NCN paths.

We saw places along the way that were suitable and even perfect for interpretation, including seating and artworks.

On Friday Norrie and I visited the other sites including Port Appin and beyond to Ballachulish.
Here are some comments from Norrie:

"What a creative day Friday was and the ideas keep coming! Further possible titles I've thought of for the zones within the main title are from Ballachulish Bridge south: The Rail Way/Railway Line (or Glenachulish Way), The Shoreline Way (from Kentallen north), the Birlinn Way around Port Appin if it's not used for the general title, and the Woodland Way where the path cuts away from the road into woods at Benderloch.

At the clearing near the Ballachulish station platform the following poem or some such could be on inscribed on the sides of big slates approaching the clearing and in a big slate circle on the ground.

wind blows
burn flows
wind whispers
larch shivers
wind calls
leaf falls

At the Kentallen coastal stretch an alternative ending instead of 'the mooring' could be:

on rock
lichen circles
birch grows
thrift quivers
wave rushes
we sit (alternative a mooring)

The next stage is to start writing the management plan. We now have a wealth of information to put in it including the possible locations and types of interpretationn/artworks. Our aim is to create a sort of wish list of interpretation so that local artists/contractors can be employed in the creation of the works based on an agreed plan and format.

We have met enough people for us to be encouraged that the Path can take on a life of its own and that there will be interest and ideas flowing once the path is starting to be completed. Already the Dunbeg bit is popular with walkers and cyclists alike.

But the name is still under discussion but so far the following are popular:

The Longshore Path
The Shoreline Way
Shore to Sky
Sea to Sky
Sea to Slate

Other names are welcome - please see my website to access the contact form.