January 12, 2011 -

I love this road particularly the section from Callander to Strathyre up along the banks of Loch Lubnaig... You can never tire of riding it ..lots of testing fast bends (some can be quite tight as the road is forced to follow the terrain round the lochside. Be wary of two things though. Fistly the police are regularly in the villages of Strathyre and Lochearnhead with a speed gun ..so as mentioned above, take it steady in the villages (which you should do anyway). Secondly this road has had a fair amount of serious / fatal bike accidents. The first time you ride it do not go alls out fast. In particular there is an accident black spot a couple of miles north of Callander soon after the road enters the woods (heading north) there is a blind crest where the road bends to the left JUST OVER THE CREST. If you go flying over it you will find yourself head-on into the oncoming traffic! I have personally had the misfortune to sit with a biker whilst he died as we waited for the ambulance who this happened to. I have seen it happen another time although the biker survived after hitting three cars in succession coming the other way (the police said he was the luckiest bloke they had ever seen). The bend is now better marked with big chevrons ..but it still catches folk out.

The road can be busy at weekends.. best enjoyed on week-day evenings when it is quiet. A favourite bikers stopping place is The Bistro and Inn in Strathyre were you can sit outside raodside and enjoy a drink watching all the bikes passing. The owners are bike friendly (barmaid rides a Ducati) and we park our bikes right next to our table.

This road is an absolute treat once you start to get to know it. Never ceases to thrill. The views of Loch Lubnaig can be awesome often with the water being mirror smooth reflecting the view.

July 3, 2008 -

I love this road and have travelled it for most of my life, it always seems better when heading North (from Doune to Lochearnhead) the best bends are to found between Kilmahog and Strathyre, loads of bends some sharp/some sweepers, the road surface at Leny Falls (4km North of Callander) has just been re-surfaced which has made a huge difference. Due to the amount of accidents which have happened on this road the road repair department have laid Maxigrip (yellow shell grip) on the sharp corners off the fast straights, which gives awesome grip, even in the wet!! As for the police in this area, if you adhere to the 30mph speed limit in the villages you should be ok! But there is 1 unmarked car which operates in the area (dark blue Volvo S60 SN-05-EEJ) there is also the local cops and a marked motorbike which patrol the area. Sundays in Lochearnhead are their favourite time!!! Anyway thats enough of the bad stuff.
Two places to look out for speed wobbles for those with no steering dampners, 1st is 4 miles West of Doune, as you exit Landrick bends the road dips down on a right hander, as you apply the throttle to exit the dip, there is a change of road surface which can cause the steering to bounce a little bit. The other bit which can catch people out is on Loch Luibnaig side (4.5miles from Callander), heading from Callander 3/4 mile before Ardchulerie bend near the lay-by there is a quick rise on the road which can also catch people out.
This road is a must for all bikers, please enjoy.

April 14, 2005 -

Strathyre has more than its share of biker accidents

January 4, 2005 -

Nice selection of sweepers from Doune, Doune is quite a nice place in itself.