Easy Gravel/MTB routes around Ballater/Braemar

Hi all. We’re going to Ballater next weekend and are looking for some recommendations of easyish routes for either gravel bikes or hardtails.  We’re looking for something of about 15-20 miles (but not the Deeside Way!) and preferably a circular route. It doesn’t need to be something that starts in Ballater so from Braemar/Linn of Dee etc would be fine.  We wondered about cycling round Loch Muick but I would think it is likely to be pretty busy.  Does anyone have any recommendations?  Thanks in advance.

<p>Ride up towards Loch Muick then head north just before Lochnagar and drop down into Easter Balmoral . Cross the white bridge over the Dee and have a coffee at the Ptarmigan cafe. Then back over the bridge and a short ride back on the road to Ballater. </p><p>Another good one is a loop around Birsemore taking in Chutney & relish trails. </p>

Look at the Cairngorm outer loop, and use parts of that.

If you want some fun, there is an out and back from Braemar / Linn of Dee to Falls of Tarf at the top of Glen Tilt. The last couple of km from Geldie is more challenging – but majority is track.

Much of the stuff around Balmoral is good – avoid riding up to the various pyramids and monuments to Victoria’s children and you’ll dodge the steepest and roughest paths.

You can start in Ballater, ride to Polhollick, from where there’s a short push as the old path has been washed away by floods. Then follow the B976 (which is very quiet as it doesn’t really go anywhere) then turn left at Mains of Abergeldie and ride the small road to the distillery.

From the distillery you can do a loop of Balmoral (there’s an obvious loop of forest roads around the hill immediately south of the castle from Easter Balmoral) or if you can handle some hills you can turn south towards Loch Muick on a smooth and well surfaced gravel road. If the hill gets too much, turn left halfway up and descent to Glen Girnock. If you’re having a good time, keep going all the way over into Glen Muick.

A fairly simple loop would be to head up towards Loch Muick from Ballater, head up towards Lochnagar on the land rover track which goes all the way over to Balmoral. Wind your way back from there.

Something like this: https://www.strava.com/routes/3126113821487840312

Lots of variations possible around that area.  Glen Tanar is also worthwhile – lots of estate tracks to follow and easy to link over to Glen Esk.