Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
  • Anyone help me with some Scottish knowledge?
  • Milky
    Free Member

    So I’m leaving the south coast of England today and driving north. I have a couple of months to spend riding around in Scotland and as it’s somewhere I haven’t been since my family holidays as I child I was hoping some of you would be able to give me some insight into where’s bestest. I’m looking for recommendations for towns and villages to use as hubs that offer lots of great riding in the surrounding area or perhaps rides that I shouldn’t be visiting Scotland without trying.
    Oh yeah, what’s the deal with these midges?
    Cheers.

    TheSouthernYeti
    Free Member

    I was up there last week…

    If you’re going to be there for a month you might as well visit all the trail centres… definitely those up around Golspie / Kyle of Sutherland.

    Might as well stop off at Aviemore for a bit and ride the natural stuff in the Cairngorms… wasn’t there an article in the mag about a ride across the pleateau up there.

    I’d definitely reccomend doing the gondola uplift at the Nevis range too.

    TandemJeremy
    Free Member

    Midges – all you need to know about them. DEET works
    http://2010.midgeforecast.co.uk/

    Avimore makes a good hub - bothy bikes for spares and advice and trail maps

    I love the far north west but don’t know the riding – Durness is a favourite campsite

    Bein a ghlo circuit gives a nice “out in the wilds” feeling and is a good ride but not the gnarliest of trails.

    Ullapool to Bonar bridge coast to coast is a good route as well mainly double rack but very scenic and remote

    Ben alder area has some good riding and a favourite spot of mine.

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    bigjim
    Full Member

    Apparently midges are three times higher density this year than usual 🙂

    TheSouthernYeti
    Free Member

    Oh yeah… the midges are absolute ********!

    After being eaten alive at Ft Bill it was almost a pleasure just being nibbled on by the ones in the Lake District.

    Milky
    Free Member

    Yup, I plan to hit all the trail centres. I know trail preferences are subjective but are there any that really aren’t worth seeking out?
    I’m going to be travelling and riding alone so ‘out in the wilds’ will truly feel like wilderness riding, especially for being so far from home!
    What tyres for a gondola?

    TheSouthernYeti
    Free Member

    I thought Carbisdale was boring, but it’s so close to Balblair that you might as well and only takes 30mins to get round.

    If you’re riding in proper wilderness on your own… make sure you’re properly prepared with plenty of kit! South Coast riding, it ain’t!

    montylikesbeer
    Full Member

    fisherfield forest for me every time, big hills and good riding.

    Also using bothys is a good way of getting into the hills with minimum kit.

    MBA bothy maps

    stevious
    Full Member

    It would be worth getting a copy of the ‘Scotland Wild Trails’ book from vertebrate publishing – the all the rides I’ve done from that book have been great, and I’ve used them as inspiration for other routes.

    The trail centres I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit are Carron Valley, Learnie Red Rocks and the Moray Monster trails. They’re all OK, but would only bother if you’re already nearby. Golspie is definitely worth a detour though, as are most of the 7stanes.

    CaptainMainwaring
    Free Member

    Firstly, if you like trail centres that’s fine, but they won’t be much different to the English ones. To really get to grips with Scotland and the real wilderness experience you need to do the natural stuff.

    Completely agree with TJ that Aviemore is a great place to base yourself for up to a couple of weeks. Some of the best riding in the UK on the doorstep. Talk to the Bothy Bikes guys about routes. 30 mins to Laggan, an hour to Ft William. An hour to Golspie?

    You definitely need a couple of days in Torridon – awe inspiring scenery and incredible riding.

    Definitely get a couple of books and ping people nearer the time to get people to show you round.

    The midges get worse the further west you go, and are forecast to be pretty bad this year. Get plenty of Avon Skin So Soft. If you’re spending that much time up there you can avoid the worst midge days when there is no wind

    SurroundedByZulus
    Free Member

    Couple of months you say. I would go for a couple of weeks around Peebles, a couple of weeks around Aviemore, a couple of weeks around Torridon, a couple of weeks around Fort William. That is what I would do anyway.

    bigG
    Free Member

    Midges? Buy some Avon skin so soft, smear it on regularly and you won’t be bothered by them.

    Riding? flipping loads of it. Don’t worry about rights of way / bridleways etc. Just see a path and follow it.

    Finally, don’t tell the english how good it is when you get back or they’ll all want to come and start asking stupid questions about what tyres,,,

    cupra
    Free Member

    Midgies – use smidge, way better than DEET or SSS.

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