Scotland trip – route choices GLA – EDI – Perthshire

I have a plan, in June – has to be fitted round family commitments – to bike from Glasgow (may not be departing until afternoon) to Edinburgh, on to visit friends in E Lothian, then return, through Fife, and through Pitlochry to Elgin.

Will have an all-road tourer type bike, bit of rough terrain not a problem.

The northern part – can pretty well manage myself.

Glasgow to Edinburgh – canal path or NCR 75?
Edinburgh out to E Lothian – byways I can manage, might go coast route one day and return inland.
Fife to Pitlochry – what’s best low traffic route? don’t mind taking longer, hate traffic!

Pitlochry to Elgin, will follow cycle path, then through Aviemore on to Speyside Way.

Where in East Lothian? Lots of ways out of the city.

Gla to Edi : I prefer the canal. It can be quite tiring though as, being flat, there is no break from pedalling. You have some canal-side pubs and the Falkirk Wheel to break it up.

Fife to Pitlochry – follow the Sustrans route. It’s well signposted and is on quiet roads. At Ballinluig you have the option to go West then follow the Sustrans route or stay on the East side of the river, endure about 1.5 miles of dual carriageway, then pick up path and roads on the East side of the A9. It’s a bit more direct (and flatter).
http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/p/a9-mini-tour.html

Aviemore to Elgin – Speyside way is OK but the gates (especially around Cromdale) will piss you off.

http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2011/09/c2c-part-4.html

Dava Way to Forres and then Sustrans route might be preferable.
http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2013/12/back-on-track.html

kennyp – Dunbar. I know a little bit around there (used to live in Edinburgh) but quiet roads or even old railway lines would be ideal..

scotroutes – cheers – wanted to confirm the Glasgow-Edinburgh bit re canal. Might not have time for pint 🙁
And thanks for the Fife – Perthshire scoop – plenty options again.

I’ve done both Speyside Way and Dava Way, each have their own merits.. I have tended to avoid the SW bit round Cromdale (maybe read your comments before!) and gone on the back road for 5-6 miles, past the wooded burial ground. The SW gates around Nethy Bridge are bad enough on a bike..

Callum

There’s an old railway that has been made into a cycle path that runs through places like Ormiston and Pencailand. A few years since I’ve been on it though, and the surface wasn’t great last time I was. There are some nice country lanes around the Saltouns and over to Gifford. If you want a cracking climb take the road out of Gifford up into the Lammermuirs. You can then drop back towards Garvald or go down the other side and approach Dunbar from the other side.

For getting out of Edinburgh there are cycle paths heading out the Innocent Railway, but be warned that they then go through places like Craigmillar. Watch out for dog poo, glass, needles and muggers. Better bet is maybe to go out through Dalkeith and head towards Pencaitland. Just follow the back roads on the map.

magic kenny, know where you are exactly. The Dalkeith route I recall from some Friends of the Earth ride, went pretty high up, lovely, then back in towards Pencaitland I think.

The railway line – think I know where you are with that too, it was pretty ashy and bumpy, 20 years ago!!

The Lammermuirs route I think I might have been on as some Audax ride, brutal hills 🙂

great stuff. yet to sort out the absolute route, just lodging bits in my head..

I can help you from Edinburgh to Dunbar kcal! Give me a ring.

I meant to add… when you are coming along the canal to Edinburgh you can cut off at Winchburgh, through Kirkliston and on to Burnshot to pick up NCN1. Depending on where you are trying to get to in Edinburgh, that can be a shorter/more direct route.

where’s the main access point in Glasgow for the canal? or are there many / several? I think I’ll be starting from central Glasgow — I know my way around a bit, at least which way is where, just not the canal bits.

Not sure where I’m heading in Edinburgh yet, still got to check out who I can stay with, but most likely south side..

From Glasgow City Centre the closest point is Speirs Wharf.

Speirs Wharf
Glasgow G4 9UG

From there follow the canal north about 3km just (200M) past a McDonalds. Here there is a T junction on the canal. To get to the Edinburgh direction towpath exit left down a ramp go under the canal through a road bridge then rejoin the towpath.

It is signposted but if you weren’t paying attention you could miss it and end up heading west.

Once you are heading east the next place to turn is at the Falkirk Wheel.

Calum – I’m currently on a Dava/Moray Coastal / Speyside Way loop. I’ll fill you in on the latest trail conditions tomorrow evening

splendid! 100+ miles, top banana…

scotroutes – Member
Calum – I’m currently on a Dava/Moray Coastal / Speyside Way loop.

Planning to do this on the Glenlivet weekend, not sure which direction though.

I did it clockwise, no real thinking behind that – took my time, hardest part was passing the Kimberly with10/15 miles to go and not stopping by “just for one” 🙂

Last coffee and scone stop in Grantown. Just to get home from here.

It’s all been about the wind!

“may the wind be always at your back”

oh.

if it was me, and time and distance weren’t a factor, i;d head for alyth from perth (or dundee if you’re coming across the bridge). from alyth take the back road up the den and head as if you’re going to glenshee (it’s the road west of lintrathen on the map). this is one of my favourite roads in the district and will take you in a very isolated and lovely curve up to the a93. head south (it will be unlovely) for a couple of miles then take the kirkmichael road. after that the a924 up and over to pitlochry. it’s a trek fir sure but for a day out on the bike it can’t be beat.

not even by perth – (back road to) crieff – sma glen – amulree – glen quaich – loch tummel – which is the other way i’d do it

interesting! @swiss01

I suspect I’ll need to get from Fife to Pitlochry in one day, so time/distance may be a factor, however I’ll note the route options and see how I’m going nearer the time. Quiet roads by preference, also need to be in OK shape for the next day’s ride which will be substantial as well..

Here is a pic of the Sustrans route from Dalkeith/Whitecraigs out to Ormiston, Haddington etc. I thought it was good. Relatively hard packed gravel, no real mud (that was October)

kcal, definitely a consideration as that’s a big day the day after! if you fancy a scoping visit or some company on the day give me a shout and i’ll come out for the day as it’s never a bother to cycle that road

other alternatives you could consider are taking the off road route thru glen almond. there’s a bit of hike a bike in the middle but nothing dramatic, then a nice ride south loch tay and up and over via aberfeldy which, altho it’s a main road, isn;t a busy one and is very scenic

Glen Almond – I’ll check that out. Might be for another day though tempting.

Will have some luggage though will try and pare it down.

Do you have to go through Pitlochry? If not, then the Crieff – Loch Tummel suggestion above is really nice and you can continue it through Trinafour to the A9 at Dalnacardoch.

As for SSW and Dava Way… the latter has had quite a lot of resurfacing and some is still ongoing. The very wet bit over Dava Moor itself is much better and some of the farm tracks around Drumine Forest can now be taken at a fair lick.

I came back of the SSW today. There are only a couple of trees down in Ben Aigen forest and it’s not even very wet. I took the B9102 back from Cragganmore all the way to Grantown though – I knew “gateville” was ahead and just couldn’t face it. As penance, I had to cycle into a 25mph headwind all the way 🙂 Oh – I had to open/cross 12 gates between Grantown and Nethy Bridge. I guess there was about the same number again open today.

As for the DW/MCT/SSW loop, I chose to do it clockwise as the wind was a strong westerly and that gave my tired legs some oomph along the coast. If I was ever to do it again (and that’s unlikely) I’d like to try anti-clockwise as I reckon it would be better to get the hilly sections of the SSW over with early on.

(PS – 213km round trip from Scabbymore)

I’ve got an old friend in Pitlochry, would be good to catch up – and get accommodate. Otherwise I’d be needing kit for bivvi which I’m not planning on..

But otherwise yes it would make for a nice route choice, agreed.

good effort!
I quite enjoyed the Moray Way as a linked set of routes, seemed to define Moray quite nicely. Might make it an annual trip!

“Scabbymore” – ha ha you’ll be mistaken for a resident of Grantown next, that’s what they must say eh?

@swiss01 – Glen Almond – not sure what you mean here — Francesfield/Morningside to Girron?

Happy to look at different routes but don’t want to puggle myself uphills either!

if you’re coming up the 822 from crieff you’ll cross a wee bridge over the river almond. a couple of hundred metres ahead you can turn off to the left and follow the track thru glen almond to ardreonaig. like i say a bit of hike a bike but with a reasonably unladen bike and cx tyres it’s a skoosh

cheers swiss01. See that though looks more plausible at Auchnafree to simply follow the LDP and head out at Ardtalnaig – Ardreonaig looks a hell of an effort to get to from where you describe?

I’ll see how the bike is laden! I’ll however file the area away for later explore..

Finally got around to writing up a blog entry of last weekends trip.

http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2014/03/just-another-bike-ride-ok.html