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My GF has decided she wants to do a multi day ride in scotland, she's a reasonable biker but never done more than 1day at a time so not sure how she will fair.
After a multi day ride (2- 3days ish), not to far north, as im coming from the peak district. We would like to wildcamp or stay inboothies.
Anybody got any suggestions?
tour de cairngorms is good:
http://www.offroadadventures-online.com/rr014.html
How gnarly? Hove you ridden "natural" in scotland before? Nice gnarly singletrack always involve a fair amount of hikabike / swamp dragging IME. I have a nice non gnarly almost no hikabike route if you want it - virtually all on doubletrack but right into the scenic wild bits.
The furthest south multi-dayer that I've done was from Arrochar (convenient train station) to the Ardgartan Peninsula for some wild camping, then down to Lochgoilhead and through Hell's Glen to Inveraray (longish section of tarmac unfortunately). There's apparently a hostel in Inveraray, although some rough wet miles in the forest above Auchindrain will lead you to a bothy. The trail from Auchindrain to Ford is very rough and wet but a classic that i've returned to since.
From Ford there's some more tarmac alongside Loch Awe until you reach Dalavich where you can branch off to meet the southern end of the 'String of Lorne' which takes you to the head of Loch Scammadale. From there I took the Balinoe coffin route (which involved a little bit of pushing) further north and finished on the back road to Oban, where you can get back on the train 😀
There's far better riding (and more bothys) further north, but I really enjoyed this trip because it was a bit different and an area you don't often hear about. Argyll can be wet though and the midgies and tics are as bad as anywhere...
I think to start with I need to keep it realativly rideable.
My misses has ridden lots of stuff in the Peaks, and ridden the lakes and wales. However she will struggle with large sections of hikeabike, previous lakeland rides with long carries have led to some right bollockings!
Tour the Cairngorms sounds ace, but maybe one to do with the mates.
TandemJeremy: Nice ridable double track sounds good if you got route info?
Stu - give me an email - in profile
from the Peaks get the train up to Sanquhar then bike over to Moffat for overnight or stay in Brattleburn bothy.
Then on up to Peebles via Southern Upland Way. Stay in Pawhope bothy in between. Stay overnight at Gt in the Pods(modern bothy?)
Then peddle up to Edin and train back to Peaks.
Nice place Peaks, was down in Hathersage/Hope last weekend
Cheers for your help. Once im home I will have to check these out on the map and see what looks best. Like the idea of getting the train, but need to get a bargin ticket.
Trekster; yep the peaks ok, especially round Hope...
Train is good as you don't have to do a circuit - you can go point to point.
You could get a train to Corrour, ride to Fort William via Kinlochleven and wild camp in glen nevis, then up the great glen way towards Fort Augustus and over the Corrieyairack pass to a bothy there, then back to Corrour passing the cafe at Laggan. Or train to Fort William, then do the same route again using the bothy and camping at Loch Ossian or staying in the youth hostel.