A 72km road cycling route from Shieldaig, with 1,615m of climbing.
- Distance
- 72 km
- Elevation
- 1,615 m
- Terrain
- Challenging Climbing, Steep Ramps
- Type
- Road loop
Start and finish: Shieldaig, Wester Ross
About this route
This route was designed by the organisers of the Bealach na Bà Cycle Sportive, run by the Shieldaig Community Association, not by London Dynamo.
Sportive routes change from year to year, and this page follows the route as saved in 2025. The event is run by the Bealach na Bà Cycle Sportive.
London Dynamo rode this sportive as its club trip in May 2026. See our Club Sportives page.
On the route
The Bealach na Bà Cycle Sportive starts and finishes in Shieldaig, a coastal village in Wester Ross. Riders head east to the foot of the Bealach, cross the pass to Applecross, loop around the Applecross peninsula and return to Shieldaig.
The pass is the heart of the day. The organisers describe it as 626m high and 9km long, and it is closed to traffic for the event. Everything else on the route is there to get you to it or back from it, so it suits members who want a short, serious day of climbing.
At 72km with 1,615m of climbing, it is a Challenging route on the numbers. The Strava route measures 72km. The file has 4 short ramps of 13% or steeper, 1 of them 15% or steeper. This page is for riding the route outside the sportive, on your own or with friends. There are no organised feed stops outside the event, so plan your food and water for the day.
Event names and logos belong to their owners and are shown for identification only. London Dynamo is not affiliated with these events.
Notable climbs
- Bealach na Bà: 10.9km at 5.7% average.
- Climb near 59.6km: 2.5km at 4.6% average.
Route map and GPX
To download the GPX or TCX file, open the route on Strava with View on Strava below the map, choose the three dots menu, then Export GPX or Export TCX. A free Strava account is needed. Route checked against Strava on 25 October 2026.