Living in Switzerland is very nice (10yrs now), and we are lucky in that it means coming back to the UK is a holiday and adventure. This year we decided rather than fly/hire a car, we would pack the 5 of us, all bikes etc into the van and drive via Rotterdam-Hull ferry (which was fantastic BTW) to see family & friends.

What a brilliant holiday it was, with lots of mini-adventures squeezed in.

It started off Harrogate, great to catch up with my best mate and beautiful HOT riding. Sweat was pouring off me!

Then the Pentlands (my wife comes fae from Roslin). Didn’t meant to ride up a hill, was just out for an early morning ride before the rest got up, but once I was close I thought: bugger it, why not. Path somewhat blocked by these scary buggers near the top, but a great view and awesome trails back down – pick a line!

And then to Aviemore! And, my goodness, there is so much bloody riding around there. Tons. Not even just the big hill stuff, there are wonderful single track trails everywhere! Some of my faves for a blast were in the hills just behind Aviemore, where I’d been taken a few years ago by the Bothy Bikes Wednesday night ride. This is the view when riding up to the fun stuff

The cheeky wee dirt jumps/pump track was also huge fun every evening (did a little digging to erase the fat bike impact!)

And, with some help of a pair of packrafts from the good Andy Toop at backcountrybiking.co.uk (thanks again Andy), my and my mate Carol had our first bikerafting adventure – not a huge one for our first go, but down the Spey to BoG, then riding back. What a blast!

We were quite releived to make it to BoG without taking a swim or losing the bikes 🙂

Thanks Scotland, love you loads! 🙂

Ah deck, Google photos links not working! Any tips? (First time trying to use google photos and not photobucket)

Images or albums not shared with public?

but agreed on your choices – soft soft for the Pentlands (formative MTB area) and Aviemore, oh my. Such a playground for all abilities 🙂

Ahh, FFS, Google tells me that the images are shared, but it just doesn’t like them in the forum – so, now that this post is nicely FUBARed, here they are somewhat in order from photobucket… 🙂

Can’t beat knee protectors and no gloves, guess you’re aiming for him to be a pro footballer not a concert pianist then 🙂

Why do the biggest, scariest hairiest cows and bulls always sit exactly on the track? Was riding in the dales recently and the same happened. A large bull with his harem chose to completely block the track despite a large open field in which to roam. The woman-in-charge wouldn’t go past them so we had to make a huge detour to avoid them. Until recently I would have sniffed at this but a bloke in a local running club was killed by cattle last year so all for caution now.

You’re not even safe from the cattle while packrafting.

This is the carnivorous Highland Bearcow, disguising itself as a fallen tree and awaiting the passing of an unsuspecting salmon.

Great pics that panorama pic is stunning!!!

You must have been staying just round the corner from us 😆

OP – do you by chance have a link to the Aviemore house rental – we have a couple of weeks in Dalfaber every year and keen to see what other rentals are available. Email in profile, cheers.

Pistonbroke – aye, fair comment, he was clearly going for the euro enduro look 🙂

Scotroutes – if you were there last week in July, I apologize for the noise of my kids doing ‘races’ in the garden every evening

FOG – killed by cattle? Bloody hell. And yes, I made a huge detour to avoid any goring, even accidental

ianc – will do. We have either been dalfaber of coylumbridge-ites over the years, but we wanted a bigger hoose (more space for kids + for friends who visited for a few days), and it has to be said, with so many things to do in Aviemore and the rental house being right on the cycle path, we missed the ‘resorts’ not a jot.

I live there. It’s pants, eh?

Tell me more on the inflatable dinghy please..

The packrafts?

http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2013/06/another-one-off-bucket-list.html

Goldigger – scot routes has it. They are light, tough, fold up small but paddle nicely. check out http://www.alpackaraft.com as the kinda original and best makers, and http://www.backcountrybiking.co.uk PM me if you want more info

Scotroutes, I’ve been coming to Aviemore for winter and summer hols since i was a tot, and I bloody love the place. Currently trying to plan an exit from corporate life that involves moving there, maintaining some kind of income, and keeping the kids education progressing. A few years away yet, but we’ll make it. I am so happy for you that you live there.

Bad misquote but appropriate: “My God! It’s full of trails!” 🙂

I’ve been going to Aviemore once/twice a year since the late 80’s (used to race motocross as a teenager/adult on the opposite side of the spey from the town, was my favourite track in scotland as the hills were bloody steep) and yeah…the area is full of bloody trails wherever you end up 😀 , we’ve always stayed in the chalets on the banks of the spey at Aviemore Holiday Park. Just home yesterday from a week up there but this time the weather was not up to it’s usual high standard so i’ll have to pop back up before the end of the year 😉

Woah, hold on. Back up there a minute. Pack rafts? Are you telling me that, on your bike, you can carry a raft that can carry your bike? Consider my flabber well and truly ghasted (and my interest piqued).

+1 on more info about pack rafts! That looks so much fun, rafting and biking all in one day.

There are quite a few videos on YouTube if you want to see more packrafting (and you don’t actually need a fatbike).

Also useful for hiking or even padding downstream, going to the pub and getting the bus home 🙂

Oh – and sometimes you don’t even have to paddle

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAUqKHB-9IQ[/video]

I assumed that everyone knew about packrafting 🙂 cool, glad to bring it to your attention. It is a complete hoot.

Cool Scotroutes! As you say, not just for bike-rafting, but having a small 2-3kg ish boat (mine is an explorer 42 so on the larger side) and 4 piece paddle in your backpack, opens up a heck of a lot of options.

We rented 2 boats/paddles/pfds earlier this year for a fishing/hiking/camping trip across the highlands from backcountrybiking, and it was just a wonderfully terrain opening experience.

Led to me buying a Explorer 42 so I can include the kids, and give my huge bulk some leg room.

[video]https://youtu.be/dB7i2T0JBIE[/video] for something beautiful, featuring the aforementioned Mr. Toop, purveyor of fine outdoor tuition and kit

That Cape Wrath video is just beautiful. thanks.

The sail looks pretty cool too 🙂