I'm currently thinking of spending a week in Scotland sometime next month for a spot of riding. However I've never been to Scotland so was hoping people could give me a bit of advice!
After doing a bit of reading this morning I started forming a rough plan that went something like:
Sunday & Monday - Ride Glentress
Tuesday - Drive to Fort William, afternoon blast around the Witches Trail
Wednesday - Laggan Wolftrax
Thursday - Golspie
Friday & Saturday - Two day natural ride with a spot of wild camping enroute.
Now I write that down it looks like A LOT of riding. And a lot of driving. Not sure if I'm looking to do too much. I really want to do some natural riding, ideally with the aforementioned overnight stop in somewhere picturesque and it seems silly while in Scotland not to ride some of the trail centres.
So... any suggestions / recommendations? I'm probably going to be travelling alone as well if that influences your ideas.
looks really good. stick in a ride at Innerleithen at the beginning of the trip.
On thursday, you could come out with us in the evening. Ride golspie during the day, head through to Strathpeffer for 6 o'clock, bring lights and come and get shown the best trails. I wouldnt have said that laggan is a full day's riding... but then again you could ride somewhere else in the aviemore area that day aswell...
be good to get someone else on the thursday night ride 🙂
Now I write that down it looks like A LOT of riding. And a lot of driving. Not sure if I'm looking to do too much. I really want to do some natural riding, ideally with the aforementioned overnight stop in somewhere picturesque and it seems silly while in Scotland not to ride some of the trail centres.
None of Witches, Laggan or Golspie are especially long routes - you could do as little or as much riding as you feel like these days.
Fort William across to Wolftrax isn't much of a drive (about an hour I think?)
The good bits on the Witch's are very good, but there's not very much of it. Lots of fireroad. Personally I'd be disappointed if I made the trip there just for that. Though you can shortcut it a bit and do less of the endless fire roads, and it's possible to divert and do Nessie off the 10 Under the Ben course as well to draw it out a bit. I'd far sooner spend a day at Innerleithen or Drumlanrig than Fort William now that the lifts are shut.
For the latter part of the trip I would recommend getting to Golspie early on the Thursday and doing a couple of runs (one to get your eye in) and then head over and ride the black trail at Balblair (techy XC). You could then head over to Torridon and camp/bunkhouse/hotel for the night.
For the Friday do the big Torridon circuit in Kenny Wilson's book (Coulags, Bealach na Lice, Torridon and Coire Lair).
For Saturday there are a few shorter rides in the area that would take a morning, giving you plenty of time to head south.
If you search this forum for Torridon and StuartieC you will find plenty of info and pics of the riding around Torridon.
If this was me I would be doing Innerleithen on the Sunday to avoid the Glentress weekend crowds, and then on the Monday do Glentress Black around to half way up Redemption, where there is a signposted shortcut which takes you to all the great jumpy bermy bits of the Blue and Red. However, not too sure if you are more a jump orientated rider or XC, so take that into account.
Here's an idea...forget the idea of "doing" Scotland in a week. Your plan has as much driving as riding time. Choose an area (or 2) and just do what's there. There are trail centres dotted liberally around and more "natural" riding than you could ever hope to do.
I would take the Fort William part and move it to the end of the week, and take it in as part of your two day ride, for which I suggest a loop of Ben Nevis, the Mamores and Grey Corries.
Loads of great input, thanks!
[b]cullen-bay[/b] On thursday, you could come out with us in the evening.
That sounds awesome. If I end up in the area on a Thursday and have sufficient lighting I'll drop you a line to sort something out. Would be great to have people to ride with 🙂
[b]druidh[/b]Here's an idea...forget the idea of "doing" Scotland in a week. Your plan has as much driving as riding time. Choose an area (or 2) and just do what's there. There are trail centres dotted liberally around and more "natural" riding than you could ever hope to do.
Thanks, that's just what I was worried about. The amount of driving is made worse by the fact that I live about half an hour from the most southerly point in the UK! This plan was made by reading a couple of books and picking out the bits that appealed, but I do think that it all seems a little spread out. Certainly people saying that Golspie is a fairly short run makes me wonder if it's really worth venturing that far North on such a tight schedule.
[b]Goan[/b] I would take the Fort William part and move it to the end of the week, and take it in as part of your two day ride, for which I suggest a loop of Ben Nevis, the Mamores and Grey Corries.
That sounds good. I really have no idea where to go for such a ride, so this is definitely one to look into.
On the subject of a 2 day ride: I'm really keen to hear any other suggestions for this. I'm not amazingly fit, but a fairly capable rider. However, I am pretty inexperienced in the whole wild camping thing so ideally I'd like that whole empty world feel but not in the most remote area. You know, just in case.
I've just ordered Phil McKane's book on Scotland's "Wild Trails" as a point of reference, but personal recommendation always helps 😀
Suggestion for a 2 day over nighter is the Sligachan loop on Skye 44 miles.
Route was in MBR a few months ago.
You could spend the night in the Camasunary bothy, which is roughly 1/2 way. Bothy http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosskevin756/2361580545/
Might just want to do it as an out and back from Sligachan if its been really wet as the Strath Mor section is very boggy.
Laggan Wolf track is great. The Red run at Fort Bill looks good.
Thanks Gus, an overnight in a bothy would certainly tick more boxes on the "doing Scotland" check sheet.
Base yourself in Dumfries and do 7 stanes + drumlanrig OR
Base yourself in Aviemore and do Laggan, Golspie, Balblair, Fort William + natural stuff.
Actually, the Fort William gondola is now closed to bikes for the season, so you wont be able to do the red downhill.
geoffj's second idea regarding basing yourself in Aviemore is 100% better than his first suggestion! The riding, including trail centres, is far better.
Druidh has a point, Aviemore as a base, round the cairngorms, Ft Bill as a option. Torridon, Coulags etc if you can manage it is awesome. Trail Centres if its not so good. (if you were a climber, would you tour indoor climbing walls....)
Read Kenny Wilsons book.
Just to add to the mix, here's a route which fits Goan's bill:
[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3375/3450519863_ebcf74a127_o.jp g" target="_blank">
It could easily be split into a 2-dayer by staying in Fort William, Spean Bridge (my home village!) or Kinlochleven if you want a proper bed, or in one of the two bothies en-route. Good riding, but best to go clockwise rather than the way we did it (better descents that way).
It's 74km so easy-ish two days or a tough single day.
Lots of Torridon info as well if you want it, though if you go that way, you'll be spending a lot of time in the car, as previously noted.
Don't under-estimate the amount of time it will take you to get around Scotland once you get here. I think Clareymorris got caught out by this recently when a wee drive turned into 2hrs or so.
Lots of natural stuff and scenery from Aviemore incl Feshiebridge, Rothiemurchus, An Sluggan, Cairngorms, Glenmore, Ryvoan and [url= http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=170115 ]Loch Einich[/url] [page also has links to other related trips]
Sorry - couldn't resist this from [url=
UK Mountain Bike Championships - Rothiemurchus Estate, Aviemore, Scotland[/url]
[druidh][Don't under-estimate the amount of time it will take you to get around Scotland once you get here. I think Clareymorris got caught out by this recently when a wee drive turned into 2hrs or so]
The BBC Weather map make s Scotland look tiny. Its almost as long as England.
I would second druidh's idea of basing yourself somewhere.
Aviemore or Fort William will be good.
Aviemore more likely to have drier weather.
Next time leave yourself at least 2 weeks to 'do' Scotland ;o)