Cycling Helmsdale to Strathy Point

Cycling near Forsinard, Sutherland

Highlights of this route

• a ride on the scenic Far North Railway
• exploring Helmsdale, a Highland coastal village
• 45 miles on mainly quiet roads 
• variety of landscapes, including river valleys, sheep farms and forests
• climbing the lookout tower for a view of the Flow Country
• ending the journey at the Strathy Point lighthouse

Getting here. The Far North Railway

Helmsdale train station

It takes around 2 hours and 45 minutes to travel from Inverness to Helmsdale on the Far North Line. Bikes are carried free on the train, but you need to book a space.

It's always special to travel on this line. Each time I do the journey I notice something new. On the approach to Invergordon there were seagulls nesting all over the place, even on top of railway control boxes. I had never seen that many gulls in one place.

The station garden at Fearn was pretty with lots of flower pots. The platform at Ardgay had a waiting shelter made of logs with lots of nobbly bits on them. From Culrain to Ardgay I looked into a valley forest with a great variety of trees of different sizes and colours.

10 things to see and do in Helmsdale

Helmsdale

Helmsdale is a village on the east coast of Scotland. It has a 10 foot tall bronze statue called The Emigrants, telling the story of the Highland Clearances. It's a powerful piece of art, capturing the emotion of people forced to leave their homes and make a new life overseas. The statue features in my blog 10 things to see and do in Helmsdale.

10 things to see and do in Helmsdale

The Emigrants statue in Helmsdale

Single track road

You leave Helmsdale on the A897. Despite this being an 'A' road there's a blue sign that states three magical words- Single. Track. Road. These words mean a quieter road, adventure and great cycling ahead. 

Single track road sign on the A897, leaving Helmsdale

If you want to ride for miles and miles through highland scenery and mostly be on your own you've come to the right place.

After a few minutes I stopped at a rowing boat, tied up by the river bank. It's black, green and white paint scheme was fresh. Someone's pride and joy. The water was smooth as glass. Ahead, the river meandered by fields and hills. To be on a boat right now, in this place, felt like a good way to live life. 

A boat on the River Helmsdale

Bridge at Kilphedir

Around 3.5 miles from Helmsdale there's a stone bridge crossing a stream. I noticed the fence next to the bridge had a style so that I could cross over to get down to the stream. It was wonderful down here. The sound of the water, the way it flowed over the moss and lichen covered rocks was hypnotic. I sat here for ages, just listening and watching.  ​

I loved the variety of landscapes that I experienced on this route. I cycled a forested section where sheep roamed and grazed between the trees.  Then minutes later I was looking down on a valley with fields, the twisting river and a backdrop of hills.

A woodland section of the A897

A valley with the River Helmsdale

Gold panning, fishing and sheep

There's a lot of sheep activity on this route. They were all over the place reacting to me in different ways. Some ignored me and could not care less. Others stood their ground and stared me out. Then there were the sprinters who ran at top speed to get away from me, regarding me as a major threat.

Human activity is less noticeable. At one point I could hear a conversation coming from fishermen far away on the riverbank. I was amazed that their voices carried over such a distance. There's nothing here to stop voices travelling- no objects in the way or loud noises to drown them out.

​Further on I saw people panning for gold in the Kildonan Burn. This area is called Baile-An-Or, Gaelic for town of gold. It's where prospectors had camped during the Kildonan Gold Rush of 1869.

The Kidonan Burn where you can pan for gold

Sheep in Kildonan

Kildonan station

Around 10 miles from Helmsdale there's another station. You could use Kildonan station to shorten or vary this route. This is also one of the most special railway experiences in Scotland. The station is one of the least used in the country, full of charm  and sits right next to the River Helmsdale. 

My blog about Kildonan station

An engineering marvel

Parts of this route get you close to the railway. Until now I had not appreciated the effort it must have taken to drive this ribbon of steel northwards. Seeing the tracks cross moorland and huge areas of wilderness was eye opening.

Scotland's better-known West Highland Line is often praised for the engineering effort required in places like Rannoch Moor. I had no idea the Far North Line was equally as impressive.

Tracks of the Far North Railway line

​Loch an Ruathair

Around 19 miles from Helmsdale you'll come to this loch. In a landscape that delights at every turn it was, I suppose, predictable that there would be a loch involved. The view across the water to the mountain peaks of Ben Graim Beg and Ben Graim is  impressive.

​Loch an Ruathair

The Flow Country

Around 5 miles more and you'll reach Forsinard station. The station building is the visitor centre for the Flow Country. This is an area of peat bogs that is incredibly important for its biodiversity. It's a rare place as only 3% of the planet is covered in peat bog. In the visitor centre I read that there are 619 species in the Flow Country and they are still being counted. 

Forsinard train station

If you rushed through here in a vehicle or on a train this place could be written off as desolate. But, if you stop, take a look around and learn about the wildlife you'll soon change your mind. 

Forsinard Flows

The lookout tower is the highlight of a visit. It's reached by a wooden walkway. All you can hear are your foot steps on the planks and bird song. You climb the spiral staircase of the tower to get a great sense of how large the bog is. It stretches as far as you can see and it's mosaic of pools and lochans is beautiful. The peaks of  Ben Graim Beg and Ben Graim make an attractive horizon. 

The wooden walkway and lookout tower of Forsinard Flows

Tea time

Around 5 minutes from Forsinard Station is the Forsinard Lodge Team Room​. It's the only place along the route to get something to eat and drink. They have pasties, paninis, soup, cakes, scones and barista coffee. You can also book afternoon tea. Having a cappuccino in this part of the world feels extra special, especially after putting in the effort to cycle here.

Halladale River

Halladale River

It's around 13 miles to get to the end of the A897. This stretch has little to distract you from the simple pleasure of using your body to propel a bicycle. There are no massive hills to push up, it's mostly flat. There are enough twists and turns to keep it interesting, but it's easy to let your mind drift. The most memorable features are the endless blue skies and riding alongside the Halladale River. As you get to the end of the A897 you can see the river end its journey, emptying into the North Sea. It's a dramatic sight to mark your arrival to Scotland's northern coast. 

Strathy Point

Leaving the A897 means the end of the single-track road and onto a 'proper' A-road. You turn left onto the A836 and although it is a bigger road it is not busy and feels safe for cycling. You will be on this for around 5 miles until you reach the turn-off for Strathy Point.

Then you are back on a single-track road, for about 2.7 miles to get to the lighthouse. It's a lovely road of ups and downs, twists and turns and superb views of the coast.

The road to Strathy Point

It's an interesting lighthouse. It was the last to be built, in 1958, for manned operation. It was also the first to run on electricity. Ending a long journey at these iconic white buildings feels special. A place on the edge of the land with cliffs, rocks and waves.​

Strathy Point lighthouse

Coastal views of Strathy Point

Portskerra

It does not need to end here. I've got one last thing to show you. On the A836 there's a turn-off for Portskerra. The final stretch of road down to the harbour is bumpy with lots of loose gravel and pot holes. The strip of grass down the middle a sign of how infrequently used this road is. It's quite steep so it's really enjoyable to let the bike roll and control yourself with the brakes.

Look out for the memorial to the local fishermen who lost their lives at sea in the storms of 1848, 1890 and 1918. The 1918 incident was particularly tragic as the men were elderly, many with no experience of fishing. Most of the younger men were away fighting in the Great War, so the older men were the only ones left to do the fishing.

Portskerra memorial to fishermen who lost their lives at sea

How to get home

One option is to head to the train station in Thurso. It's 23 miles along the A836. I did this and found the road to be good for cycling, with a very low volume of traffic. Alternatively you could return to Forsinard train station.

More cycle routes in Sutherland