Bigish days riding from Braemar

Guys,

What’s the current favourites for a decent day out within about 30 mins of Braemar? Ideally looking for something in the 30-40km range, 1000-1500m of up with top class descending. Happy enough being out in the remote mountains. Ben Macdui seems to be popular and is topping my list so far.

Not quite as long (~30km, 1000m+) but Lochnagar is worth a look – either as an out and back from Braemar or a loop from the east (as below). Could probably tack on some more to make it longer.

Alternatively, just do as many laps of Heartbreak Ridge and / or Mastermind as you can manage!

Was coming on to suggest Macdui – this had some epic hike a bikes but views and descents were awesome. It’s a bit above your mileage but we cycled from Braemar itself – you could knock a fair bit off by starting at Linn of Dee.

Strava link

To be fair – the descending at Ballater (Heartbreak Ridge/Mastermind) or further along at Aboyne would be fun too. Depends if you want a day in the mountains.

As frogstomp said (and illustrated by stealing my photo of him doing it 😉 ), Lochnagar is good as an out and back. Start from Auchallater, pedal to the northern tip of loch Callater then break east up past Carn an t-Sagairt Mor and follow the path to the summit of Lochnagar. Surprisingly there is quite a lot of rideable terrain on the way up and all rideable on the way back down. 30km 1000m climbing.

For an all day epic of technical riding do the above to the summit of Lochnagar decend SE from the summit to Glas-allt Shiel (main feature of above video) then ENE to Spittal of Glenmuick, SSW up Capel road to Capel Mounth and down into Glen Clova, NW past Moulzie to Bachnagairn, push up to Choire Chash then WNW over Broad Cairn and Cairn Bannoch to rejoin your outwad path on the S slope of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor. Works out as ~50km with just under 2000m of climbing (but also 2000m of decent 🙂 ).

Watching this with interest.
Are you local, Blair, or holidaying?

We’re in Braemar 7-14 August, plague permitting and I’m planning to do Macdui, lochnagar or Keen if possible. Would be nice not to ride alone for a change….

The only ride I’ve done in the area is Ben Macdui from Linn of Dee (as an out and back), but it has to be the longest technical mountain descent in the UK. And it’s excellent.

Beinn a’ bhuird, maybe even take in Ben Avon too?. Have a look at McTrail rider on youtube, he did a decent vid of Bhuird.

The only ride I’ve done in the area is Ben Macdui from Linn of Dee (as an out and back), but it has to be the longest technical mountain descent in the UK. And it’s excellent.

Aye, did that a few years ago with Capt Mainwaring, although we carried up Sron Riach and then down via Etchachan and Hutchy bothy, magic.

Nobeerinthefridge
Free Member
Beinn a’ bhuird, maybe even take in Ben Avon too?

Exactly what I came to suggest, did it last year and it was brilliant!

I think there’s a better way to do Lochnagar from Braemar. Instead of Shackleton’s route, I reckon it rides better to head east out of Braemar on the A93, cut in at Invercauld bridge and Ballochbuie forest, passing Connachat cottage then SE towards Gelder Shiel. Stay out on the double track, bypassing the bothy all the way up to the col meet the walkers’ path coming up from Muick. Then turn right and either push carry up the main path to the summit, or only if it has been very dry, contour SSW around to the Glas Allt and climb that well built path to the summit. Surprisingly rideable much of the way up the coire and with only shorter carries this way. You’re effectively spiralling up the mountain. Once up top, head west over the main trail to the White Mounth, then down passing t’Saggairt Mor (bypass summit on south side loop trail, unless you want to check out the Canberra wreckage on the N side of the summit) and take the superb descent to Loch Callater & home. A wee extra there, if needed, is to continue west from the N end of the loch, up over to Glen Cluny on the lovely wee sliver of trail through the glen. Then down the A93 and turn off over the stone bridge for the quieter road past the golf course.

Bhuird can be done A) as a relatively easy out and back on the main trail from Linn of Quoich;
B) As an up and over, climbing that same way and heading steeply down NE to the Sneck, then turn right to meet the Slugain trail back to Invercauld – connecting track back to Quoich;
C) As B) but turn east just about 1.5km above the Slugain ruin to go up over and follow the lovely singletrack down into Strath Gairn, before returning over Cullardoch to Invercauld;
D) As B) to the Sneck, then up onto Ben Avon, continuing NE all the way to Carn Fiaclach above the Glen Avon junction, before turning south on the estate road to Loch Builg, Cullardoch & home. That’s a big day out…

Personally, I prefer to do MacDhui as part of a two dayer, out west via Geldie & Feshie, back on day two over the plateau and down Etchachan – Hutchison – Derry. But as a one day ride, I think best done by riding in to Luibeg, north up the glen and carry up Sron Riach to the summit. Descend as above.

All these higher options are best in good visibility, as there can be navigation issues over faint trails above steep cliffs in poor conditions.
There’s easily a week’s worth of hard and rewarding rides in this area, before then looking at the forest trails built around Aboyne, Ballater etc…..

Frogstomp, Lochnagar was also recommended by a knowledgeable friend so that’s also on the list. The day after the bigish ride we hit master blaster and heartbreak ridge 👍

Thegeneralist, I’m an ex local now living in Edinburgh. Haven’t ridden up that way in almost 3 years so wanted to see what the new fav trails are. We are there last week in July.

Some exceptionally high quality recommendations guys. Appreciate it. I’ll check out mctrail riders Beinn a’ bhuird video. Thanks.

There’s also the hill above Braemar for a quick ride, Morrone. Up the fireroad and down the path.

Definitely is between Ben Macdui, loch Nagar and Beinn a’ bhuird.

We had a big day from Braemar on The Scottish Coast to Coast. Cycled from Stonehaven the day before(and up Mount Keen), and planned to go through the Cairngorms. We missed the correct valley to go down to take us to Loch Avon though(which would have left us a tricky scramble to the top of Cairngorm, and road from there), and decided to carry on, rather than go back.

Ended up walking and carrying bikes most of the day – and got to our place in Kingussie around 10pm. Was one of the best days ever for me, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

🙂

This thread has me dreaming

Quit dreaming, get your hands on some chunky tyres and get up there. Room for everyone…

While we are near Braemar, has anybody done the track up Glen Ey, past Loch nan Eun and down Gleann Taitenach? The map shows a gap between the tracks near the Loch but the Scotways book says it was an historic route.
Geograph wasn’t much help for the trackless bit.

I’ve camped at Loch nan Eun – but getting there on foot. I did a decent round of Munros, and don’t recall any sort of track at all across that bit Beinn Iutharn Beag and An Socach. I did get caught in a horrendous electrical storm when in a very exposed bit. Probably the most frightened I’ve ever been while hillwalking. The descent from the loch down to Dalmunzie involved several rushing fords, a couple of which I had to throw my rucksack across before attempting. I really can’t imagine taking a bike through that area.

And just because you’re worth it, here’s a selfie I took at the loch.

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Was going to ask about upper Glen Gairn and up popped this thread!

Looking at an alternative back to Invercauld from Loch Builg as when I’ve done it before I’ve always taken Bealach Dubh up the side of Culardoch. From Loch Builg there are paths on the OS maps south west to join Glen Slugain and the geograph pics are promising. The Deeside trail route follows this path west to east and I wondered what it’s like in the opposite direction?

@swayndo was there at the weekend….

@FOG
The track up Glen Ey peters out very quickly after Altanour Lodge. It just about exists until the junction of the Allt Beinn Iutharn (as shown on the OS 1:50k).
There’s nothing between there and Loch nan Eun – I’d imagine it would be exceptionally miserable trying to drag a bike through there (very pretty though)

@shortbread_fanylion

Check out the weekend ride pics thread, we rode Glen Gairn yesterday (west to east right enough).

It was ace in the dry, largely rideable and very wild feeling, I loved it.

Going east-west in the dry should be largely rideable if you have your techy climbing legs on.

In the wet? There’s a grassy crossing of glen lower down which was firm and easy riding but I suspect in normal conditions might be a bit splashy and soft?

Must try Glen Gairn again.. I last rode it about ten years ago after a very wet month. It was hard work and the river crossing was very high leading to a comedy dropping bike in river moment.
rugbydick Thanks for the steer on Glen Ey, I think I will leave that one
We go to Braemar every year. There is so much riding that I always come home planning next year’s rides.

Did Beinn A Bhuird in between pissing rain showers a couple of days ago. 5pm start meant it was quite spooky on top. Came down Slugain and TBH wasn’t that thrilled with it. Deeply washed out in places, very rutted and nasty wide water bars. The descent back down Quioch looked amazing. Next time….

Thinking of Lochnagar tomorrow, but forecast is shit between 11am and 5pm again.

Hmmmm