Well OK not route advice as such, unless I'm very much mistaken the only way to do a circular road ride is a fairly big loop round Tomintoul/Dufftown/Cabrach/Strathdon etc, but which way round is best? And how much climbing overall are we talking about for that route? (I know the details of the Lecht itself from here)

not a route i've ridden. but try http://www.bikehike.co.uk or http://www.bikely.com both of them allow you to plot routes and check elevation profiles.

Sounds about right. IF you like monster epic you must be **** mental rides then you should look up the snow roads 300k audax route. That is without doubt the best way to include the lecht in a ride.

I've done the loop above from Craigellachie, near Dufftown. I went to Dufftown then up to Tomintoul, quite a gradual climb for about 20 miles. This meant I climbed over the Lecht from the west side which is the easier climb in my opinion and gives a better descent as the wind is usually behind you….60 mph is attainable if you belt it from the top and get a good tuck 🙂 Watch the corners near the bottom of climb as it's pretty steep and you'll be up around 50mph before you know it. It's then a gradual descent for ages down towards Lumsden/Rhynie I think and then quite a nasty climb up onto the Cabrach. Once at the high point there's some nice gradual descending and climbing with maybe 8 miles or so descending to Dufftown then back down to Craigellachie with one wee climb. Lovely ride though, nice and quiet and the road surfaces are decent in the main.

Cheers for the quick replies, that bikehike site is terrific. From a quick fiddle the anti-clockwise definitely looks the way to do it, should be a nice gradual descent down Strathdon – not sure how to paste the profile but click hereand tick the box for elevation data.

shortbread, what kind of time did it take you? (And are you some 9 stone racing snake or a lesser mortal like myself?)

go to mapmyride and type in snowroads 300k

Its kirriemuir – cairn o mount – banchory – oyne – cabrach-dufftown-the lecht – braemar – cairnwell

thats 13 hours worth of riding at a fair like (28kph ave)

my prefered option for a viable day trip would be start in banchory – ride up and over the cabrach and the lecht – continue back onto deeside (2 or 3 long climbs) then its downhill back to banchory pretty much !

I honestly can't remember – I did it when I was up at my mum's in the summer during uni holidays. Going by usual average speeds it wouldnt have been less than 4 hrs but not more than 5!