Whoosh 2025, Day 4: Lochearnhead to Oban

58.9 miles, 2,051ft of climbing
By Robert Wright

An old joke by the Scottish comedian Billy Connolly has it that Scotland has two seasons – winter and June. During Monday’s fourth full day of riding, the Whoosh team experienced both, waking up in temperatures only just above freezing but completing the day’s riding in glorious sunshine.

However, teamwork meant that, despite the chilly start and the vagaries of riding on busy roads, the group reached Oban, on Scotland’s west coast, tired but excited by a bracing day’s riding.

Most people riding – a group sadly depleted by the continued effects of food poisoning – set off shortly after 9am. The group was led by Alex, Whoosh’s most experienced club cyclist, who drilled us in the disciplines of riding fast and close together down the busy A82 and A85 roads.

Alex’s leadership meant we reached first Crianlarich, to drop off some riders who preferred to take the train, and then Dalmally for lunch at an average of around 13mph. Everyone rode with a slickness rare for Whoosh.

The scenery was by now majestic. The human-built settlement of Crianlarich felt puny in the shadow of the vastness of Ben More, the 1,174-metre peak that dominates Strath Fillan, where we were riding.

Alex’s tight organisation, meanwhile, meant it was only shortly after 2pm that riders started arriving at the house, by Airds Bay, of one of the Whoosh riders for tea and cake.

Worried about checking on our ferry bookings for Tuesday, however, I rode straight on, cakeless, for Oban, accompanied by Neil, another of the team.

The experience could not have been more different from that on the busy roads. Our route climbed steeply into the hills before the road abruptly turned into a stony, unrideable track. Undeterred, Neil and I pushed through the untarmacked area. We were surrounded by sheep, hills and a Golden Eagle circling above.

Back on a paved surface, we enjoyed sublime riding conditions, riding through sharp undulations on a nearly deserted, single-track road.

As we rode, we discussed the landscape we had seen. We remarked how much had been denuded of trees by the introduction of deer for deer-stalking. We passed several planting projects aimed at re-establishing the mixed, deciduous forests that were originally a feature of this landscape.

The charity for which we are riding, Tree Aid, aims to support such projects in places where they are even more vital – in the drylands of Africa.

Yet, whatever the weighty, wider concerns, it was hard to feel anxious. In the glorious sunshine, the biggest problem we encountered was a herd of Highland Cattle so unused to interruption that one was reluctant to leave the road to let us through. Woolly calves looked on, so implausibly cute they looked more like cuddly toys than future steaks.

We sped downhill into Oban reminded of the breathtaking beauty of even our flawed, fallen natural world – and what a privilege it is to ride bicycles in the midst of it.

2025 Charity

This year we are supporting just one charity - Tree Aid, who are backed by our very own Eamonn and Adjoa and who work with people in Africa to plant trees which can provide food and incomes.

Tree Aid. Grow Trees; Grow Hope