I’ve got a week in the Tweed valley booked for Late September (arriving late Sunday after driving up from Kent, checking out Sat morning, which was (is) planned to coincide with a 5 day guided trip in the Cairngorms – however I’m starting to look at contingency plans as unless the social distancing rules change, there’s a good chance the 2nd week won’t go ahead.

It’s an 8 hour drive to the borders from Kent so I want to make the most of being up there – I’ll probably be spending a day or 2 in the Lakes on the way back down, so that leaves the Saturday afternoon to Wednesday or Thursday morning (so 3 or 4 full days) to (possibly) find somewhere else to stay.

Now, being October, I will be booking somewhere a few days in advance based on the weather – if it’s shite up there I’ll happily come back down south to the Yorkshire dales/Peak district etc. but would prefer to stay up in Scotland.

Won’t necessarily be biking all the days – but would want some nice big mountain/natural riding, will be taking the gravel bike, so big scenery is a must too 😀

Arran? Or would I be better in the Argyll and Bute area?
Dumfries & Galloway?
Loch Lomond (and I’d want to ride Ben Lomond, of course)?

I don’t want to head too far north of Glasgow, for both weather and driving distance reasons.

Any recommendations of MTB friendly/cheapish accommodation would be good too, I’ve found the Arran Sleeping huts which seem decent.

Don’t mean to come across rude but heading further nort east will likely give you better, dryer weather than anywhere you’ve mentioned. However given where you’re starting from I totally understand the driving distance issue!

I just mean if it’s properly horrible weather in that part of Scotland, I’ll try and head away from it, but if it’s semi-decent I’d prefer to stay up there and make the most of being in the area.

If I went further north it would be more towards fort william or the cairngorms but I’d probably save that for another trip.

Something around the Loch lomond area is looking good, 2 hours from Innerleithen, hopefully not too busy come early october. I may end up having to take a chance with the weather and book somewhere once I know if the 2nd week is happening.

A week in Dumfries & Galloway would give you time to do more of the 7 Stanes.

Dunkeld, Pitlochry, Angus Glens. Easily fill a week. Conditions are everything though.

Something around the Loch lomond area is looking good

If I was driving all that way, I’d aim a little higher than the weegie spa that is Loch Lomond tbh.

Aberfoyle – not far to drive north from the Borders, has everything you’ve highlighted and is just beautiful.

Miles and miles of gravel (that’s what I was doing last night), steep tech forest descents, big scenery, take your pick of proper big mountains, ace walking routes, lochs to swim in, nice places to eat and drink, plenty of places to stay.

Only 45 mins north of Glasgow so easy to make your way home from.

If I was driving all that way, I’d aim a little higher than the weegie spa that is Loch Lomond tbh.

More that area than right in one of the tourist areas

Aberfoyle – not far to drive north from the Borders, has everything you’ve highlighted and is just beautiful.

Miles and miles of gravel (that’s what I was doing last night), steep tech forest descents, big scenery, take your pick of proper big mountains, ace walking routes, lochs to swim in, nice places to eat and drink, plenty of places to stay.

Only 45 mins north of Glasgow so easy to make your way home from.

Won’t be much loch swimming going on in October, but the rest sounds great!

If you were planning on the Cairngorms, why not just go there anyway? What sort of guiding were you planning on?

Need to find some decent resources for wild mountain routes up that way too, some seem good but are just very poor – http://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/things-to-do/cycling/cycling-routes/glen-finglas-meall/ for instance.

A 15 mile, 500m/1700ft of climbing trail on (what looks to be) 100% 4×4/fire road, is “a tough ride for experienced mountain bikers with plenty of stamina ‘in the bank’”

I know scottish miles aren’t the same as the miles here down south, but I’ve done 3000ft in 16 miles in Dartmoor on brutal climbs and massive jank, that I’d class as tough.

MTB project have it as ‘a peaceful ride, not technical’ – https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/7030523/glen-finglas-loop One for the gravel bike then 😀

I was going to say Dunkeld, Pitlochry as well. Aberfeldy is also a nice town and there is good walking about as well. Fingers cross for an indian summer

From Peebles it’s just as easy to get there as Loch Lomond or Arran.

If you were planning on the Cairngorms, why not just go there anyway? What sort of guiding were you planning on?

If the guided trip doesn’t happen I’ll probably be able to transfer it to the same trip but in May.

It would be 5 days riding, fully guided – routes/lunch stops etc, and if the trip I did with them in dartmoor/exmoor/quantocks was anything to go by, I’d have no chance of finding the same calibre of trails in the Cairngorms by myself! Plus if it gets rescheduled I thought I may as well have a stay somewhere else that I’d not normally go to on it’s own.

Still quite fancy the idea of somewhere a bit more remote, Hence Arran, or Crinan way.

Trossachs routes from Aberfoyle?

Ben Lomond – out to Rowardennan via Loch Ard forest, up and down the main path is brilliant but you need to pick a time. As late in the day as you can get away with works best IME.

Ben Ledi – not huge but a brilliant descent down to the car park at Strathyre then a gentle pedal along to the Lade Inn. A few different options for reaching the summit, including up from Glen Finglas.

Ben Venue – descent down to Loch Ard is fun, you can do a loop climbing it from Loch Achray side but that path is not the best when it’s wet.

Ben A’an if you’re Joe Barnes.

They can all be from-the-door if you’re in Aberfoyle. Plenty of carrying on the way up those.

Glen Finglas loop is nice, it’s not a particularly tech ride, but scenic.

A short drive will get you to Ben Vorlich/Stuc a Chroin at Loch Earn (north of Callander) and Ben Lawers is not far from there.

But some of the best riding is on the doorstep, steep stuff up above Aberfoyle and loads of scenic gravel tracks to the north and south. Local knowledge at the bike cafe if you need it. Be warned though, the hill above Aberfoyle is rarely dry!

Cheers – probably not gonna be looking for loads of steep enduro tracks, more wild riding – there’ll be plenty of opportunity for that at inners/glentress etc etc.

I was planning on a few days riding in the tweed valley, taking it (fairly) easy to not cripple myself for the hard 5 days riding in the cairngorms, but if that doesn’t happen I can go a bit harder on the 5 days in the tweed valley (one day uplift, for sure!) so I’m thinking 1 big ride up a munro somewhere, then the other days gravel riding for the scenery/walking/trail running etc.