Ride.
Applecross pass.
- Miles: 11
- Start: Tornapress
- End: Applecross
- Time: 35 minutes, allow up to 1 hour
- Suitability: all bikes and riders
This single-track road rewards brave drivers with stunning Scottish scenery.
A peninsula in Wester Ross, in the Scottish Highlands. It is bounded by Loch Kishorn to the south, Loch Torridon to the north, and Glen Shieldaig to the east.
On its western side is Applecross Bay and the Inner Sound. The peninsula is mountainous, sparsely populated, and linked to the mainland by two small roads.
This road became part of the scenic North Coast 500 route when it was launched in 2015, which has greatly increased the traffic levels on the pass. However, this single winding track has been around a lot longer.
It has the steepest ascent of any road in the United Kingdom, starting from sea level and rising to 2,054 feet (626 meters). Its challenging hairpin bends are a magnet for bikers and its outstanding views over to the Isle of Skye and magnificent topography delight tourists and locals alike. However, it is not for the faint-hearted.
It was originally a droveway, a track used to move livestock from one place to another. Its Gaelic name is Bealach na Bà, (pronounced byee-alluch nuh bah), which means “pass of the cattle”. It was the only access in and out of Applecross until 1975.
