Staying on Loch Ard in the Trossachs at the weekend and will have some free time from the kids before they get up in the morning. I need a couple of good singletrack routes from the singletrack collective.

Last request was answered brilliantly with househusband recommending a great route in Torridon.

I have tried to explore round about kinlochard and climbed some of the fire roads in blairhullichan but struggled to find singletrack the last time I was up.

Happy to drive for 30mins then looking for 2-3hour routes or somewhere near loch ard.

Thanks

Alan

I know there are some great local trails in the area, I remember my first XC race in the Scottish series was at Aberfoyle, great course!

Also, there are trails heading northwest over to Callender, and from there you can follow the Sustrans trail up the side of the Falls of Leny. There’s loads of great rootsy singletrack in the trees between the Sustrans trail and the river so keep your eyes open.

Once you reach Loch Lubnaig, there’s a short anti-clockwise circuit up into Stank Glen with a brilliant wee descent back down to the lochside.

On the other side of the road and slightly further up is a forest road which climbs towards Glen Ample (check an OS Map). The Glen Ample track is a famous route although it all got washed away in a crazy storm a couple of years ago and the replacement estate track is a bit meh. If you wanted to tag it onto Stank Glen/Falls of Leny though, you could ride as far as the highest point then turn around, retrace your footsteps so far then turn right and descend the steep and techy hillwalker’s trail back to the lochside.

Heading southwest from Aberfoyle you can follow forest tracks to Drymen and tag onto the Loch Lomond Section of the West Highland Way. This would make a good ride up and over Conic Hill and along Loch Lomondside as far as Inverarnan, at which point you could winch your way back up the road to Loch Katrine and enjoy a gradual tarmac descent back to Loch Ard.

Lots to keep you busy 8)

along Loch Lomondside as far as Inverarnan,

Inversnaid surely. Tough going from Inveranrnan to Loch Katrine. Or even better there is a cottage about 1 mile south of Inversnaid with an obvious estate track going up the hillside above. Up there then forestry tracks back to Loch Ard.

D’oh! Yes, you’re absolutely right, I wouldn’t have wished the section to Inverarnan on anyone who was just out looking for a nice spin, haha!

FWIW there is now a cycle trail from Inversnaid to Loch Katrine.

Its nothing special but more interesting than the road. The trail turns right just before Stronanlachar and carries on towards Loch Ard where you can join the trails there back to Aberfoyle.

Theres some nice stuff up and around the David Marshall Lodge in Aberfoyle including a couple of designated mtb trails, not very long but combine it with the stuff under Go Ape you can get a good wee ride out out of, nice techy & steep in places, there is a load of stuff up there, local knowledge would be an advantage though.