Looking for recommendations for natural rides around that area please 😀

I’m staying in Southerness next week to tick off a few of the 7Stanes I haven’t done and would like to mix it up with 2-3 rides with big views and epic-ish miles. Not anything super-tough, red grade level that is enjoyable. Really struggling to find anything online in the area but that’s probably my google-fu failing miserably. Happy to travel up to 2 hrs in any direction for a stone-cold must-do if that opens up options!

GPX files or maps I can convert would be helpful, plus any recommendations for bike shops if I do have any bike issues! Also is the Glentrool Big Ride worth doing? Not really interested in the other loops there but that looks good for the final day as a wind down.

Trekster will be along in a minute, hes the Oracle of DnG….

As he always says, OS78 Is your friend.

Google wanlockhead gold rush loop, it’s a braw day in a pretty wild area, I may have a GPX of that if you want it.

Drumlanrig, obviously.

I could give you a GPX of a nice loop that starts at stinchar bridge, mibbe 20 mins drive from newton Stewart. Takes in Cornish hill, loch doon and loch bradan.

Never done glentrool, no idea if it’s good.

There’s the southern upland way on either direction from st John’s town of Dalry. No idea if it’s Good, but worth exploring.

Did a good loop years back, parked at clatteringshaws loch, along the old edinburgh road (it’s not a road, a path) that brings you out at top of the black at kirro, do that, then back along OER to car.

Somafunk is a local, as is terrahawk now, I’d hope they’ll offer up stuff too.

If you want GPX of any of those, PM me.

Glentrool Blue route is nice, but the Big Country Loop (the long one) is 100% fire and actual road. Not my idea of a fun day’s mountain biking, certainly!

There’s a nice loop from Durisdeer (could easily incorporate some or all of the Red/Black at Drumlanrig into this), also the Wanlockhead & Mennock hills as mentioned above.

I’m convinced there must be some good rising up in the Moffat Hills, but have yet to go hunting for it.

Somafunk to the forum please!

Glentrool Blue route is nice, but the Big Country Loop (the long one) is 100% fire and actual road. Not my idea of a fun day’s mountain biking, certainly!

I love that big 50 miler. Good feeling of isolation.

Also is the Glentrool Big Ride worth doing?

It is yes, but it’s not really mountain biking, as above it’s all fire road/road. I really enjoyed it, some great views.

Bookmarking for future ideas 🙂

Interested in this too. Staying up there in October, be rude not to take the bike!

I liked the glentrool big country route. Feels very remote. Nothing technical but it’s a big day out miles wise though not massive climbing. Apart from the quiet road section to Newton Stewart you’ll be very lucky if you see another person all day.

Seems like the Big Country route would be a good option for the last day when I’m tired. I do like a good ‘out there’ non technical route to go with the hard rides, sometimes just spinning along with big views to clear the mind is just as good as an exhilarating edge-of-the-seat descent.

If you want GPX of any of those, PM me.

You have PM 🙂

Still no soma or trekster!?

From Southerness you can head down the coastal path all the way to Kippford. Can also go through the woods behind Kippford and into Dalbeattie Forest if you want to do a big loop from home. Not sure exactly where the best place to start is (Sandyhills, Portling etc). Locals will advise 🙂

I like it up round Big Water of Fleet viaduct. Various options to make that into some kind of loop involving the cycle routes and gravel roads / back roads.

From Southerness you can head down the coastal path all the way to Kippford.

What coastal path is there from Southerness to Kippford? I’ve walked Kippford to Sandhills and back but as far as I’m aware there’s no path after Sandyhills.

Woods behind Kippford are great so I guess you could park at Sandyhills, ride to kippford, mess about in the woods, do Dalbeattie 7 stanes plus community woods stuff and that would give you a long and varied day out.

That is kind of what meant by saying not sure where to start (Sandyhills or if there is anything before that). I don’t tend to stray as far as Southerness very much.

I’ll be going for a wander along the coast path at some point if the weather’s decent, see if I can catch a sunset.

Still no soma or trekster!?

Guessing asking on a BH weekend isn’t the best time to catch them!

That is kind of what meant by saying not sure where to start (Sandyhills or if there is anything before that). I don’t tend to stray as far as Southerness very much.

Think there might be a track Southerness to Mearsehead possibly but not 100% sure. There’s no coastal path at Sandyhills heading East though, well not that I’ve ever found.

Well I survived the week in one piece 😀

Which was surprising as it was very, very wet for most of it and those Scottish rocks are slippery! Well, some are like glass and others are grippy. It’s just annoying that they’re all a dark grey colour when wet.
The weather didn’t stop me getting out though, just limited the photo opportunities.

Thanks to nobeerinthefridge for the GPX files of the Wanlockhead Gold Rush loop and the loop past Loch Doon. The Gold Rush loop was tough and properly bleak at times, going past the Radar station was a bit eery. The rain also meant getting over the multiple stream crossings at the bottom of the next descent was proper adventure biking!! Definitely a loop best saved for a drier day. The Loch Doon loop was great apart, again, from the weather. The views that I did see were great and the ride was lovely and varied. The exposed section between Lock Finlas and Loch Braden was tough but great at the same time. Felt like I was going nowhere a lot of the time as I kept on finding big, deep puddles to get stuck in or having to remove lumps of heather out of the drivetrain. Was a bit surprised when Strava said I’d got a top 8 time on it!

Didn’t do the Glentrool Big Country Loop on the last day as I was knackered, pity as it was the only day that was dry. One for next time maybe. Rode Dalbeattie, Kirroughtree and Mabie too so had a good week of varied riding. Loved Mabie, lots of fun!

No pictures worth posting as it was that wet and misty most of the week, might have to go back and get some in better weather. I’ve now got to regrease all my bike’s bearings as I’ll be amazed if there’s any left in there after the amount of times they got submerged!

Sorry we couldn’t organise some nice weather for you, but you know ‘Scottish summer’..it didn’t snow so think yourself lucky.

Interesting out of those 7stanes you gave special mention to mabie, I think from that list most would have place that last. Maybe I need to ride it again.

You can ‘spice’ the big country loop up a bit by dropping down to the Kirroughtree trails, do the length of the black, and then rejoin the big country fireroads…(map needed).

It hailed for a minute on the Thursday!

Mabie isn’t that great, it was just the only one I got to ride in the dry so there was a decent amount of grip!! It’s definitely got an old-style trail centre feel to it, plenty of pedally bits and fireroad joins but I kinda like that sometimes. Dalbeattie would be great to do again in better weather, didn’t like Kirroughtree though. Too many steep and slippery rock formations to try and clear on the climbs right after a sharp corner, you need momentum to get up and over but you arrive with none! One section is just a big lump of rock at 30 degrees the wrong way on an uphill corner, seeing as it was covered in green slime from lack of use and there was a push-up line round the left of it I don’t think it gets much use! Sad to say McMoab was also a bit of a letdown too, didn’t seem to have any rhythm to it so felt boring. Still, out of the 6 7stanes I’ve ridden it’s the only one I didn’t gel with and it’s only some of the the Black bits I didn’t like. The red was fine, can’t fault that really. It’s really good that they’ve given each one a different feel, means there’s something for everyone.

Now just to plan the next Scotland adventure 8)

Good to here you enjoyed your wet’ wild holiday.
I was away in sunnier climes riding with Swichbacks, Bubion in Spain 😀

Yeah the rocky bits of kirroghtree black can be a bit sketchy in the wet – I used to be a local and still got caught out a few times.

Shame you didn’t enjoy it though – it’s definitely one that gets better once you’ve done it a couple of times (and when it’s dry).

Was a bit surprised when Strava said I’d got a top 8 time on it!

It’s not a very well used route tbh!, it’s a pity you had such poor weather as well. Both the routes I gave you have the same trait of being glorious in the right weather, or marches of doom in bad…