Hi all, thinking of ditching the plan of going to the alps as I’ve probably missed opportunity to get some good guiding booked, buying a new bike instead and doing a Scottish road trip. Have done extensive searching through posts on here but wondered what the must-do rides are. I have both Scotland Mountain Biking Wild Trails books so any recommended routes from there. Route-wise I’d probably looking for maybe three or so bases, maybe start Cairngorms then across to Torridon area then down the west from there, but that could change if needed. Have been to Glentress and done a few rides out of Aviemore in the past. What is the best riding people have done in Scotland?

Cheers.

Go and have a look at some of the members’ travelogues here:

https://www.cyclechat.net/forums/touring-and-adventure-cycling.8/

Cathkin braes, it’s wild.

Such a broad question, for a start i would throw the wild trails book away.

Kintail
The Great wilderness
Torridon

As good as it gets.

There’s some good rides in the Wild Trails books and some bad ones. Don’t bother with the Glen Garry Loop for example unless you like hike-a-bike across peat haggs!

If you’ve got a week then the Highland Trail will keep you occupied 😉

Thanks for the suggestions so far. That cycle chat link looks good cheers. Yes the question was deliberately broad – just to see people’s favourite riding. Looking for a mixture of great scenery and great descents. Thinking about it might forget Aviemore since I’ve been a couple of times and focus on the west – I’ll check your suggestions fergal cheers and maybe add in Kinlochleven and/or Nevis range.

Highland trail looks epic (in the true sense of the word) – might need more than a week though!

If anyone else wants to make this a Scotland top three list as fergal has, it might make an interesting thread for others’ future use.

+1 for Kintail (Beinn Fhada loop)
Amazing views and stunning final descent

Torridon there’s about a thread a week on here, I’m sure you’ve read them.

I really enjoyed Devil’s Staircase & Ciaran Path out of Kinlochleven – heading over to Glencoe then turning round and doing the DS in reverse before heading up to the dam for the Ciaran Path back to KLL.

The CP in a bit of a rollercoaster with plenty of short, energy sapping climbs – interspersed with fast, flowy tech.

I really enjoyed the Glen Avon loop in the cairngorms starting at Braemar. It’s a great day out that feels remote and not too much pushing. Torridon is a must. Found some nice xc loops in the Monadliath as well that you can work out using the guide books as a start. Glen Tilt feels like an epic ride too, definitely recommend that one.

I was (part) joking when I mentioned the Highland Trail – it does take in Fergal’s Great Wilderness and the steeper part of the Coire Lair descent in Torridon.

You are unlikely to find many loops in the Highlands that don’t require some Hike-a-Bike. It doesn’t help that the black dashed lines on the map can be anything from rough footpath to excellent stalker’s path to landrover track. You might be able to find just what is involved by looking on geograph.org.uk.

I like the Bealach Horn loop (it’s in vol2 of Wild Trails), it’s pretty remote – it makes Torridon look like Piccadilly Circus! The black dashed line from Gobernuisgach Lodge to the bealach includes all the above surfaces and more!

The Glen Tilt, Beinn a Ghlo circuit is worth doing – some estate tracks, some hike-a-bike (very little), moorland singletrack.

I don’t think it’s been mentioned so far – Ben Alder is good fun. You can either do the loop in the Wild Trails book or a bigger circuit: Dalwhinnie – Loch Garry – Loch Rannoch – Ben Alder Cottage, – Bealach Dubh – Culra – Dalwhinnie. There’s about 2Km of boggy HaB to get to Ben Alder Cottage.

One of the loops of the Cairngorms Loop would be a good day.

Lots to go at.

Starting at Glen Clova up to Bachnagairn, chuck in an easy Munro Broad Cairn, downhill to Loch Mick, a wee zip around then climb up the Capel Mounth and enjoy the downhill back to your car at Braedownie car park
I’d choose a dry day preferably clouds and sunny spells

Don’t bother with the Glen Garry Loop for example unless you like hike-a-bike across peat haggs!

Holy mother of God. That is an awful ride. A lot of the rides in that Wild Trails book are terrible.

Don’t come to the Tweed Valley, it’s awful, flat, barely any riding, the locals are unfriendly, and the cafes are terrible. 😉

Just in case anyone reads that and doesn’t understand…. come to the Tweed Valley if you want some spectacular forest trails, good banter and pretty decent coffee.

Applecross Coffin Road – out and back from Applecross tbpfh – you finish back at the Applecross Inn. Great ride, great food, camp on the beach 🙂

Mbr has an article on a Scottish road trip…destinations all sound good and it looks an OK trip. Glentress, Comrie,Torridon and Skye. All decent destinations and plenty of stuff in between as well.

Applecross Coffin Road – out and back from Applecross tbpfh – you finish back at the Applecross Inn. Great ride, great food, camp on the beach

No access on to the ‘beach’ with your motor now, it’s been mostly blocked off with a line of boulders, just a small square bit accessable, shame. Excellent ride though, one of my favourites anywhere.

Parked up at Shieldaig, rode the road up and over Bealach na Bà. Great descent down to Applecross Inn, lunch and then back off-road via the Kenmore track back to Shieldaig.

It’s really worth doing the Applecross Kenmore route as an out and back, it’s fun both ways.

Only a half day ride at best though.

Yeah I just think it’s a shame not to do the big road climb even though I’m not a road rider. It’s pretty impressive.

Mbr has an article on a Scottish road trip…destinations all sound good and it looks an OK trip. Glentress, Comrie,Torridon and Skye. All decent destinations and plenty of stuff in between as well.

Sounds great, wouldn’t bother with Skye though.

Yeah I just think it’s a shame not to do the big road climb even though I’m not a road rider. It’s pretty impressive.

Do the road climb and the coffin route out-and-back and everyone’s a winner.

Not heard good things about taking the coast road back round from Applecross.

We enjoyed the coast road, but it’s just a bit of coastal road really…not particularly special but pleasant enough and made a loop ride.

Mbr has an article on a Scottish road trip…destinations all sound good and it looks an OK trip. Glentress, Comrie,Torridon and Skye. All decent destinations and plenty of stuff in between as well.
Sounds great, wouldn’t bother with Skye though.

Funny as I’d have have said the same but replaced Skye with Glentress though…

The Applecross coast road is said to be harder than the Bealach na Ba! I’ve driven it a long while ago and seem to remember it’s just a roller coaster with lots of short ups and downs that kill any attempt at getting a pedalling rhythm going.

@rickon – I’ve had another look at the two Wild Trails books and can see where you are coming from. There’s a real mixture of stuff quality wise in there. Obviously a guidebook has to try and cater to as wide an audience as possible so while the easy routes (like Glen Einich) may not be everyone’s cup of tea they do act as an introduction to those who might be nervous about heading into the hills on a bike. None of this excuses the Glen Garry loop though!

That said there are some of the Scottish classic rides included, including some mentioned in this thread, like the Applecross coffin road and the Ciaran Path.

I’ve not done loads of riding in Scotland, but the Applecross Coffin Road that others have mentioned above is a cracker. We were very fortunate with the weather, which helps. I even got one of my photos from that trip in a magazine!

Dunno if I’d say it’s a cracker, aye, a good ride to do whilst in that area, but it’s not one I have to repeat or anything. Applecross Inn was a bit disappointing if I’m honest.

Ciaran Path is Scotland’s Nan Bield, some like it, some don’t, I’m no in a rush to repeat it again tbh. The descent from the top of the devils staircase down to the conduit is more enjoyable IMO.

I was planning to do that Beinn Fadda route this summer, haven’t made it yet…

The Applecross ride did make me wanted to buy a road bike just to ride it…but i didn’t.

The Applecross road loop is lovely. The scenery is generally stunning and the coast road should be savoured, not rushed. Look for the wee bits of track (now increasingly overgrown) that the postie used to use with his motorbike before the road was completed in 1975.

As for the other suggestions, why come to Scotland and ride round and round yet another man made forest trail?

The Glen Tilt, Beinn a Ghlo circuit is worth doing – some estate tracks, some hike-a-bike (very little), moorland singletrack.

No. Just no. It’s the most boring day I’ve had on my mtb ever. Remote? Yes. Stunning scenery? Yes. Endless estate roads with only about 1km of fun singletrack? Yes. Everyone I know who has ridden it says they wished they hadn’t.

andyr – Member

The Glen Tilt, Beinn a Ghlo circuit is worth doing – some estate tracks, some hike-a-bike (very little), moorland singletrack.

Remote? Yes. Stunning scenery?Yes.[/quote]Ticks my boxes.

I love the glen tilt circuit – yes its not full of gnarly singletrack but its a grand day out. Its about more than the trail.

IME scotttish out in the mountains riding comes in two forms – scenic estate roads that are all or almost all rideable or great singletrack with chunks of “drag your bike thru a swamp” if you want to do loops.

It liked it years ago too, looking at the map to see the big circle you have just made in Perthshire and a wee walk up to see the big Cairngorms not too far away in the distance and get some good photies. I get singletrack in the local woods or trail centres

tjagain – Member
I love the glen tilt circuit – yes its not full of gnarly singletrack but its a grand day out. Its about more than the trail.

IME scotttish out in the mountains riding comes in two forms – scenic estate roads that are all or almost all rideable of great singletrack with chunks of “drag your bike thru a swamp” if you want to do loops.You forgot – go up a big hill and come back down it.

I’m interested in this, planning a trip in September.

What I would be looking for is the more technical descents, as my plan is to do the Cairngorm Loop early in the trip, so estate roads into great scenery will have been done.

So for me the goal is amazing descents, both fast and slow.

Sorry for the highjack Gra.

No problem, also interested in a mixture of scenic and great descents. I know Scotland questions come up regularly and it’s good to have some recent opinions in one thread for other people interested in the same. Thanks for all the suggestions everyone, I’ve already checked out some of the routes mentioned and looking forward to trying them out in my upcoming trip and there is plenty for future visits.

Sounds similar to my rough plan, Tweedlove first this weekend then ticking off a few rides on the way to Torridon. After Torridon i don’t know.

@mbnutter – the Cairngorms Loop group start is on the 16th Sept.

There’s been a couple of threads about loops/rides in the far north: there’s one based on Loch a Bhroain near Dundonnell, there’s the Bealach Horn loop as well.

The stalking season will be getting going in mid-Sept :evil:, I don’t know how much this affects the classic loops like Torridon.

planning a couple of days biking next week, depending on weather, will either be in aviemore (many options, some of which ive done), or morvich (glomach falls, beinn fhada)

I’d second the Coire lair descent, it’s probably my favourite thing I’ve ridden in the UK.

Also a fan of the ‘ullapool road’, it’s used on the HT550 and takes you from Garve to Ullapool nearly entirely off tarmac, it is an estate track, but has a very remote feeling to it. can be made in to a loop by returning via the main road. So long as you time this to avoid ferry arrivals it’s not too busy in my experience.

Ian, the bit of singletrack above that gorge linking Strath Mulzie to Glen Achall was quite technical. You could avoid quite a bit of main road by following the HT550 to Dundonnell then taking the stalker’s track from Loch a Bhraoin to Loch Fannaich.

Would be a two day route for most though.