Crinan Canal: Coffee, Cake and the Towpath

Scotland · Argyll & Bute · Crinan Canal

A flat towpath ride along one of Scotland's most scenic canals — ridden both directions on the same day.

Ridden 12 June 2024, along the Crinan Canal towpath between Crinan and Ardrishaig — the 9-mile canal that lets boats cut across the Kintyre peninsula rather than sail all the way round the Mull. I rode it in both directions the same day: Crinan to Ardrishaig in the morning, back again after. Genuinely flat, genuinely scenic, and by my own account one of the best short rides on the whole site.

Route data (from Strava): 13.9km one way, 23m of climbing — as flat as anything on Gravel Health, ridden both directions the same day.

My own notes from the ride log: "What a beautiful cycle ride. Coffee & cake at Crinan, sun & sea. What more do you need." — and on the way back, "Take a look at the stunning scenery...."

The route, from my own GPS track

Real GPS route map showing the Crinan Canal towpath from Crinan to Ardrishaig — The actual recorded route, plotted from my own Strava GPX/FIT data onto a real OpenStreetMap base.

What it actually looks like

The Crinan Canal with lock gates and a bridge, seen from the towpath — The canal at Crinan, where it opens out into the sea loch.

A row of cottages beside the Crinan Canal basin, with boats moored alongside — The canal-side cottages at Crinan basin.

An ivy-covered passage beside the canal at Crinan village — One of Crinan's ivy-covered lanes, just back from the water.