A Week in Scotland – where ‘must’ I ride? – pics please

I fancy a long weekend in that area. Cycle in, camp and do the various trails.

Came down this one..

This one across the valley would be a cracker ..

druidh, when…

Dunno Ton. It’s on my “to do” list 🙂

i think kennyp, stuartiec and druidh should get their heads together and organise a stw scotish week or long weekend in september.

Great idea Tony. Being a teacher I can’t do September, but April, October or long weekends in May/June are all possibilities.

Get in touch, anyone who is interested (email in profile)

Same for Spring ride in Glen Clova (both probably worth their own threads soon).

Depends on dates, but I’d be up for something like what Ton was suggesting. For me you struggle to beat the Cairngorms for rideable tracks, stunning scenery and things you can link into bigger loops. Oh, and what everyone else said about Strath Nethy being a bog is true.

And James (who raised this in the first place), don’t rule out using trains to create some good A to B type routes eg start at Dalwhinnie (or Aviemore to make it longer) and you can ride pretty much all the way off road down past Ben Alder towards Loch Rannoch, then south again to Loch Lyon then the WHW then through Glen Kinglass to pick up the Oban train line. Not done all of it myself, but thinking about it this spring.

Wahay, my Cape Wrath route for May passes through Glen Elchaig, might be worth downing rucsac and having a wee explore!

Please count me in for any big rides being planned, we could form a singletrack ‘dirty weekenders’ type thing 😀

Ian – mates of mine used Glen Elchaig on a CWT (walking). You might also be looking at Gleann Gaorsaic? If so, be warned. It’s a trackless, peaty mess.

Cheers Druidh, Gleann Gaorsaic doesn’t show any trails, so i avoided it by taking the potentially more stupid trail up and over the Falls of Glomach 😕

Even if its unrideable, i want to take in as many sights as possible on my way up, so if i have to walk bits i will!

For the OP, if you’re thinking trains and you’re in the Ft William area, a short and beautiful train journey would take you to Corrour station, from whence to head NW to loch treig, then SW to Blackwater reservoir, then take one of the many trails mentioned above down to kinlochleven, and back up to loch eilde mor, then on to Abhain Rath. From there you could go up and over to Lairig Leacach, before descending to Spean Bridge Train station to get you back into town. 50-60k of amazing mountain trails, with a cake stop in the middle at kinlochleven. I’m just waiting for spring to do this!

(you could also use trains from edinburgh or glasgow, if you’re prepared to get up early enough!)

13thfloormonk – i’ve only ever ridden from the Dorusduain side up the Bealach na Sroine towards the Falls of Glomach (ran out of daylight so had to turn back) and the trail was superb, and what we could see into the distance looked pretty pucka too, so would be a great descent if you’re coming over from the falls.

😀

Up Elchaig way, Google said something about a contentious landrover track having been started around Pait Lodge, and one linking it to Bendronaig Lodge! 😕

Dammit I’m going to have to move to Scotland one day! It’s not quite the highlands but my dad owns my granny’s old house near Drymen just north of Glasgow. Hmm…

Stuartie C, and Druidh(or anyone else knows the area).

In view of your comments regarding Strath Nethy, what would your views on me resurecting my original idea, of going round the north of Loch Avon, and climbing – bikes on back style – up Cairngorm? I know this would be tough, but we did plenty of carrying on the English C2C last year. The route is actually shorter than the one I had planned.

When I first posted this idea on here, I got much hostility from Tandem Jeremy. I really don’t get his point though – we’d be walking up with bikes on our back doing no more damage than a walker, and the top of Cairngorm seems the most devoloped mountain in Scotland, having roads, lifts etc.

I’m asking if you think it’s doable, and if you think it’s acceptable. That picture of Loch Avon has done me, and I don’t want to miss it. We could take a 1 mile each way detour from Fords of Avon, but I know, come the time, I’ll never get everyone(14 of us) to agree to that.

Stuartie c

I’m well up for a ride in the Spring. As long as you don’t mind my poor glaswegian banter…………….

Shortbread

I’m up in Aviemore at Easter. Fancy hooking up for a big day out? Braeriach is on my radar. Really liked your ride report from your Scottish trips with Team Fanylion. Are you still in weegieland?

All

Has anyone ridden out to Corrour bothy from Braemar? I’m planning a trip for GMBC in March and want to find a good bike friendly bothy and was wondering if doing a loop returning via Glen Dee is worthwhile. Don’t want an epic. Just 10 – 15 miles of riding in for newbies so advice appreciated.

Stevethebarbarian

Bikes on backs is the way forward. It’s not a proper mountain bike ride unless there is some carrying involved. My friend Luke suggested to me in Verbier last year as we hiked for the best part of an hour that I have top five carrys! Cheeky git!…..although he’s probably right!

Cheers

Sanny

Stevethebarbarian – coming at it slightly differently, so not sure whether this is any use to your trip, but we carried/rode from the ski centre up to Cairn Gorm, then rode over to Ben Macdui, then down to Glen Derry via Loch Etchacan. The descent was well worth the slog up. Mind you, we set off at stupid early o’clock to avoid feather ruffling of rangers etc 🙂

Granted, it’s a sensitive area, but given the low volume of mtb traffic that’re ever going to traverse these routes, by comparison to the volume of foot-traffic these hills see – I think it’s all there for the exploring.

😆

Steve: If you’re prepared to carry the bikes up to the summit, you’ll find a big, well-made (cobbled) path all the way down to the restaurant, then a fast landie track all the way down to the car park. I cycled up and down this last summer, and was talking to one of the rangers en route. She was a bit worried when she saw me going up until I told her I was just going to the summit and back. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a day like I had…

Andy – I read all about the Elchaig-Pait landie track, but found no evidence of it 😕

Slight hijack…anyone linked Carn Bhan Mor route with a descent to either side of Loch Einich, or, Moine Mhor over to Braeriach with a descent down to Lairig Ghru? Haven’t linked either yet, so would be good to have some first hand info 🙂

I really don’t get his point though – we’d be walking up with bikes on our back doing no more damage than a walker, and the top of Cairngorm seems the most devoloped mountain in Scotland, having roads, lifts etc.

Well access in Scotland is about ‘responsibility’, which applies to ALL countryside users. If its considered reponsible for thousands of walkers then dozens of bikes are equally responsible. If it were thousands of bikers, that would be a different matter!

I wouldn’t worry about it, personally.

Druidh – I know from what I read there was tons of resistance to the landie track going in, so maybe they were forced to reinstate the footpath?

Cheers Druidh. That’s pretty much made my mind up, I’ll inform the others ;). I know the first bit of the climb from Loch Avon is steep, but it’s only 1/3 of a mile.

We planned to meet the support crew for lunch at the Loch Morlich Watersports centre. What is the restaurant you mention, and would this be a better place do you think?

Bit more of this for us then:

That’s climbing over the Lake District last year :).

‘North side of Loch Avon up to Cairngorm’ is Coire Raibeirt – a scramble for 1km and low grade rock climb in places – very, very rough going down never mind up. Sure you can do it but to what end?** Strath Nethy is doable after the Col but you’ll chew it to bits.

**The descent Druidh is talking about is not a Landy track at all it’s a very wide and almost billiard smooth ski piste / piste basher route aka: traverse, 105, Coire Cas, Zig Zags. Far better routes – stick to the Lairig Laiogh for example…

The top of Cairngorm isn’t developed (that’d be the Ptarmigan cafe 200m below)and its the summit / plateau area they are trying to protect. Whilst I’m not in the TJ camp I think that hauling 14 folk on bikes in that direction and have them hoon down Coire Cas is not good for the perceived image of mtb use on the most fragile and environmentally sensitive site in Scotland.

>All
>
>Has anyone ridden out to Corrour bothy from Braemar? I’m planning a trip for >GMBC in March and want to find a good bike friendly bothy and was wondering >if doing a loop returning via Glen Dee is worthwhile. Don’t want an epic. >Just 10 – 15 miles of riding in for newbies so advice appreciated.

I did this with my wife who is very much a beginner on the bike. We got a good way towards Corrour, until the trail started getting rocky and good. This is after crossing the Lubeg burn. In a fit of enthusiasm I took off for a bit, turned round and cycled back to the wife and she threw down a huge moody strop for me leaving her. Which is why I remember it 🙂 We ditched the bikes there and hiked on to the Devils peak, Angel’s peak etc. From what I recall newbie’s would struggle with this bit as it is v rocky and when it starts descending towards Corrour, it might be bit testing.

The ride as a whole would be an awesome introduction to the highlands though.

Cheers andy,

I’ll be climbing the same way you did, then descending into Glen Elchaig beside the falls.

Thats the potentially stupid bit as i’ve read (in my 1980-something Wainwright book) that the path is exposed, steep and eroded.

Nothing I shouldn’t be able to cope with in my hiking shoes at the very worst!

Garry_Lager

I should have said that it will be newbies to bothying and not newbie riders so it sounds like we may have a winner!

Andy

Dave in Bothy Bikes pointed out the Loch Einich – Braeriach option to me as a good day out. There is apparently some hikey bikey to the summit of Braeriach and indistinct track but it could be an option of heading over from Carn Ban Mor. I’m planning on being in Aviemore at Easter so let me know if you want to hook up and try it as a ride?

Cheers

Sanny

PS Re responsible access. Hikey bike epics and missions to the top of munros aren’t everyones cup of tea. I suspect very few folk on this forum would be all that keen on the kind of rides we are talking about here let alone actually do them. When it comes to the Cairngorms, I find it difficult to reconcile any argument that lots of walkers is acceptable with the notion that a few bikers aren’t. I also find it difficult to see how a ski area, funicular and mountain cafe development represent responsible access to the mountains in any shape, manner or form. As Kit says, thousands of walkers v dozens of bikers – the numbers don’t really stack up in favour of walkers on this one in my opinion.

Corrour bothy’s quite wee so could get ‘cosy’. Superb ride in from Glen Derry (Bob Scott’s bothy’s another option, and pretty roomy) via Luibeg, and the descent down to White Bridge is a topper.

Bob Scott’s been totally rebuilt after it was burned down – and would be a perfect intro to bothying, but your timing will be crucial as it gets v.busy up there at weekends in the good weather. 😀

Sanny – good to hear from you, depending on bookings etc would love to give that route a go; initial thoughts were along lines of a ride from Auchlean up and over and down into either Loch Einich via Phocaid (no idea how safe/feasible) or Coire Dondhail, or carry over to Braeriach for the descent into Larry Grayson 😆

These routes all seem totally doable from the comforts of my desk, cofee in hand, Anquet at the ready – these days, I’d probably be like a burst balloon at the first carry!!! 😳

Andy

Let’s face it, if it’s gash, that’s part of the fun!You won’t get complaints from me if it turns out to be more hikey than bikey.

I was also thinking of Bob Scott’s after it burnt down for the second time. Doh!

Cheers

Sanny

Well not so long ago it was ‘just dozens of walkers…’ The mountain is very accessible so go figure.

We are where we are with the skiing infrastructure (and this was my point) but that doesn’t make it sensible for us as mountain bikers to openly promote large groups riding over the CG plateau – particularly in that direction. It’s the plateau that is the big environmental hot potato – not a fight worth picking imo.

As for the choo choo – they operate the ‘closed system.’ A highly contentious planning stipulation which is central to CML’s Visitor Management Plan. It may well be in cotravention of the access legislation but it’s a condition of carriage on the funicular that those who pay to use it remain within the patrolled area (which ends 200m below the summit)ergo they can’t access the plateau via the train whilst those on bikes or on foot can. I gather leakage is less than 1%

Oh, Corrour sleeps about 6 btw – best not to p1ss folk off by turning up in a large group with nae tents 😉

I’m sorry, but I really can’t accept that the track down from Ptarmigan to the car park should be “out of bounds” for cyclists. The rangers have been doing some re-instatement work on the fringes of it, the better to blend it in to the environment, but you’ve still got a ****-off big track down. As I said, I got absolutely no resistance from the rangers when I was there last summer.
I do have concerns about riders going across the plateau, although the few bikers / many walkers argument has some validity.

Steve – Your meeting place options are: the cafe/bar at the funicular base station, the bar at Glenmore Lodge, the Loch Morlich water sports centre, the cafe beside the Glenmore campsite and the cafe at the Forestry Commission visitor centre at Glenmore. Your “best” option will depend on the time of day as some of them close reasonably sharp. Glenmore Lodge is most likely to be open.

Not sure if we are promoting large groups – I’d say three or four judging by this post at the most.

If we discourage bikers, I expect exactly the same approach be taken to discourage walkers. That’s not really likely to happen though in my opinion. Can you imagine the outcry in TGO and similar publications were walkers to be actively discouraged from going onto the plateau? Walkers can be a pretty reactionary lot and to a certain extent good on them for if they weren’t, I’m not sure just how much access anyone would have to the countryside.

From my perspective, I have a concern that mountain bikers are singled out as the bad boys of the mountain and de facto irresponsible by their very presence yet walkers who greatly outnumber us when it comes to accessing the mountains somehow aren’t. I’d point to the great big scar up the side of Ben Lomond that was at some points 40 to 50 feet wide before path repairs were effected. That wasn’t bikers who caused it but the walkers and that should always be borne in mind. It’s not just mode of transport but number that are important here. More users equals more damage no matter how good intentioned they may be.

Cheers

Sanny

PS Is it not time for Tandem Jeremy to reply? Unusual for him not to say hello to the discussion.

Err, read the posts. I was responding to Steve the Barbarians suggested choice of route, the numbers (14 iirc)and the advice given.

Same observation really on the intended route down – wasn’t advocating that it be ‘out of bounds.’

Guess you can’t please everyone all the time. Effectively, we’ll be walkers on the way up, and lighter than some walkers even with bikes on our backs, so simply can’t see an argument against us, unless you have an argument against ‘heavy’ walkers.

The way down sounds like a maintained route. I’m going to put it to the others, and if they’re up for it, we’ll give it a go.

Cheers for the info on Cafe’s Druidh. I’ll look where they are later. Cafe up Cairgorm may be interesting for our support crew if it’s open. It’s hard to know what time we’d get there, but guess we’d be leaving Braemar around 9, so maybe 11:30? 😉

Sanny – yep, I’d be up for meeting up at Easter, I’ve not done anything big or silly for a while!

Not in Glasgow now, just moved to….fife! Blame the girlfriend! Email is in my profile.