A9 – Cycle Path Pitclochry to Dalwhinnie

Anyone ridden the cycle path that runs alongside the A9 to/from Pitlochry to/from Dalwhinnie? There’s a big sign just at the turn off to Lagan at Dalwhinnie. I’ve eyed it up a few times while making the drive up the A9 – it looks as though it sweeps up and down the hills and could be good fun.

Is it fun, easy, hard, how long did it take etc..?

I did it as part of this route: http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/a-ride-report-warning-roadtourerlongphoto-content

Dead easy as it’s either quite road, old (closed) road or purpose-built cycle track. I was using Conti GP 4Seasons – 700x28c and they were fine. I believe one of the Cairngorm Sportives uses the route too and they run on 23c. Just be aware that you do climb quite a lot. To get the most of it,try continuing on to Aviemore as that’s almost all downhill 🙂

The route is currently closed at a short section near Newtonmore. I believe there is some sort of taxi/mini-bus service available to get passed the closed section.

I’ve done it a couple of times in the past few years. It’s an OK ride – either on the ‘old’ A9 or on bespoke grit path beside the current A9. You’re pretty limited for roads heading north in the area so it’s the best of a bad bunch of road routes if you like. I last did it on a LEJoG ride and it was much more preferable to riding up the A9 or A82. Some of the old road surfaces are a bit rough (frost affected I suspect). I did it on road bikes with 25C and 28C tyres (28C were ideal) and a friend did it on 23Cs – he had no punctures but it was a bit rough going. It certainly beats mixing it with the traffic…

Thanks Druidh. Great report.

I was thinking about riding the section from Pitlochry to Dalwhinne, being dropped off and collected by the wife on the way to the in-laws but on to Aviemore or maybe Inverness could be more of a fuller day out option.

I wouldn’t fancy riding for any amount of time on the A9!

Real men go through the Gaick!

I’ve done it on my road bike with 23s as part of the sportive. Was rather rough/slow but ok.

Anybody spotted/used the new track that has appeared the other side of the river from the A9? The bulldozers and diggers have been at it for months and it kind of beckons me every time I go up to Aviemore. Looks like it might connect all the way from Dalnacardoch to Dalwhinnie

Yes, I’ve been watching that getting slowly extended from the Loch Garry end. It occurred to me that it should now link up with the old Wade road to Trinafour.

I also wondered whether it was a generic moor access road (shooting etc) or maybe for the new pylons? It looks to good to be the former and not quite good enough to be the latter.

never heard of the Gaick, according to ukattraction.com ” Beware of demons and dark spirits however – the Gaick is said to be cursed”

Tell me more StirlingCrispn! Where from? How long? Etc…

>Real men go through the Gaick!<

Yeah and real mountain men take the Minigaig or Comyns 😉

A9 cyclepath dull as dishwater on an mtb.

The new track running parallel to the A9 is just a reworked old track serving the shooting butts higher up the hill. AFAIK it doesn’t link in to the track that ascends to meet the railway line further SE. The owner (Ben Alder Estate)who did all that nice work reinstating the Stalkers paths around Culra (the ones everyone on here call natural trails ;-)has also been a busy little beaver carving up the Southern flanks of A Mharconaich. Big 3 to 4m wide machine built paths with a series of 2m wide, what I can only assume to be Quad tracks, running off in all directions. Simply no need to be scarring the hills in this fashion just so some lazy bastards can Quad it up to the shooting. Vandalism imho…

Apologies, went completely off topic there.

Anybody spotted/used the new track that has appeared the other side of the river from the A9?

Yup,I keep thinking about going for an explore to see what it’s like and where it ends up.

Used the A9 path a few times on the road bike (we do an annual road trip to Fort William).It keeps you away from the big scary lorries ,even if it is a bit rough in places.

In the past we have single filed it inside the white line from Calvine to the Laggan turn off.
It was almost worth it for the speed down from the Drumochter Summit.
As above ,it would be a bit dull on an MTB