What’s the riding like around Dunkeld?

I’m wondering about arranging a trip there next year, what’s the riding like?

I’d like a mix between XC/Gravel and some slightly gnarlier descents, but not full on EWS stuff.

Ideally for three full days riding, ideally one or two of them big day out epics.

As with many things, I droned on about it on a thread or two…

Must Do [ and snow free?] MTB Routes in Scotland

You need to scroll a fair bit to get to the point where I actually ended up in Dunkeld!

Brilliant riding at Dunkeld/Pitlochry on the Enduro front.

One of my favourite places to ride outside of The Valley.

No idea about gravel rides but there’s miles and miles of open hill gravel tracks in the area so I’d imagine it’s also good for that.

Gravel – riding around the Loch Ordie area

XC – The Glen Garr loop is nice old school XC – https://www.trailforks.com/route/hermitage-and-glen-garr/

Gnar – great enduro-y stuff basically everywhere. Some of it’s really wild, some pretty mellow. If you’re not after the rowdiest stuff I’d look on Trailforks for Rake and Ruin, Cairn to Cottage, Electric Beaver, X Trail, Y Trail, Bobby’s and Slater’s/The Mast.

None of them are big day out epics in terms of a massive single loop – you can rinse yourself in the woods around Dunkeld and Birnam and do a huge day in terms of elevation and mileage, but you won’t have gone far from your start point. Glen Garr is a nice single loop that doesn’t retrace its steps, but it’s only 25km.

Loch Oldie is a lovely loop. Can make it rough or as smooth a you like for a break. We used to do it from Edinburgh day trip on our rigid MTBS and think it was pretty tough, I think as years go by we’ve reviewed it (and got older, so maybe balanced out!)

Smashing. Looks like a trip is on the cards. I may add on a couple of days in Laggan too.

Plus the burgers from https://www.thecraftdiner.co.uk/opening-hours are awesome (like the riding).

favourite places to ride outside of The Valley.

Yo’s e mite well like it there as much as you did….

Word

Plus the burgers from https://www.thecraftdiner.co.uk/opening-hours are awesome (like the riding).

Looks like I might also plan a trip, I might even take the bike

Very good burgers but don’t ask for ketchup.

Very good burgers but don’t ask for ketchup.

I read the reviews, he doesn’t seem a fan of ketchup

@Kramer Cathro’s track at Pitlochry is just up the road and/or the awesome Glassie bike park is also close. Perthshire is the place!

A good gravel/xc day out could take you up past loch ordie to ballinuig, along the Tay from there to Aberfeldy (habitat café there is the best espresso in Perthshire IMO), then up the hill to loch kennard and through the wind farms to the hermitage.

I rode this route last Friday afternoon and it was very good, one of the most mixed surface gravel rides I’ve ridden and also includes Loch Ordie.

https://perthshiregravel.com/routes/dunkeld-moors-loop/

As for enduro type riding, just check out Trail forks or Strava heat map, easily several days worth of riding, with some trails being tougher that others.

Great part of the world for a cycling holiday.

As has already been said Dunkeld is ace and you could easily spend 3 days just riding the enduro trails. A good morning/afternoon at Pitlochry is well worth the effort as well if it’s been dry ish, sketchy AF in the wet on the steeper trails in my experience.

Though I’m going to disagree with munrobiker and say Cairn to Cottage isn’t mellow, maybe I was having a bad day!

Ta @stevious

Thanks to all, looks really promising.

Rake & Ruin and Pink Floyd from Birnam Hill are classics – not too scary even on my XC hardtail (though in the wet the roots are deadlier than anywhere else in the world at Dunkeld for some reason, and I’m sure it goes up a grade).

Gravel or easy XC / scenic riding – you can make a nice loop up towards Loch Cally and the 3 little lochans behind Atholl Hill, or up towards Loch Ordie.

There’s one particular “up and over” clockwise short section of landy track through a felled area of forest that is awesome fun – mildly rocky and steppy on bedrock and would probably be a blue/red singletrack if it was halved in width! As far as I can remember it descends down towards Rotmell loch from the SW. If I was local I would go and do laps of that regularly on the XC.

You can also ride the millions of forest roads with a lot of climbing from the Hermitage northwards towards Dalmarnock, and back alongside the river on the path there. Can get some incredible views. If you can go past the “Rumbling Bridge” after some rain you’ll be mighty impressed with the waterfalls.

Probably going to head over, cheers for the recommendations.

All the climbs seem to be fire road, is that right? Any suggestions of moderate grade (for a normal bike) red singletrack climbs to mix up a bit?

Pretty much, not ridden everything in the area but mostly forest roads/wide footpaths. If you go past the mast to the very top take a rope and crampons.

It’s also just a really lovely place, if you like trees especially then check out the cathedral and arboretum (and hilton grounds if you have time) plus the hermitage, just gorgeous.

Yep. Even the 21 yo boy commented on how lovely it is.

If you’re after XC/Trail then there are better places to go IMO as the majority of Dunkeld (all hills) is pretty full-on.

And if you want gravel/XC then drive slightly north and do the Cairngorm (Outer) Loop over a couple of days.

@intheborders – I wouldn’t say Pink Floyd or the Hermitage trails are too full on. Top of Rake & Ruin can feel a bit scary but apart from that I wouldn’t say it’s too bad either. Saying that as a very feart mountain biker.

blah blah trails blah blah

Forget all that, the sausage rolls at Livvi’s Little Lunchbox. OMG. 🙂

@intheborders – I wouldn’t say Pink Floyd or the Hermitage trails are too full on. Top of Rake & Ruin can feel a bit scary but apart from that I wouldn’t say it’s too bad either. Saying that as a very feart mountain biker.

The OP said:

I’d like a mix between XC/Gravel and some slightly gnarlier descents

One man’s easy is another man’s too-much.

All the climbs seem to be fire road, is that right? Any suggestions of moderate grade (for a normal bike) red singletrack climbs to mix up a bit?

Atholl Hill. Any route to the top involves some lovely singletrack. There is fireroad mixed in but with some awesome views. I always think that the variety in the climbs is one of the best bits about Dunkeld (not hermitage or mast hills). There does appear to be some felling going on however so some of the classic Atholl loops may not be rideable at present.

Also a fun climb to Rake and Ruin (my favourite Red in Scotland) on the South side of the hill and a nice wee uppy downy path from R&R bottom back to Birnam.

Bloody brilliant place, as above the Enduro trails in Dunkeld can be very full on but you’ve also got pitlochry and aberfeldy just up the road. And you’ve got Schiehallion if you wanted to ride something more natural. Oh and Glen Tilt. And there’s gravel for days…

And you’ve got Schiehallion if you wanted to ride something more natural.

Push up and contend with all the walkers on the way down – don’t even think about it.

The red trails on Birnam Hill are super-fun and none too bonkers. Engaging climb up to Pink Floyd and Rake and Ruin. Sacrifice on Atholl Hill stretches the definition of a red somewhat.

Not knowledgeable about gravel routes, but there’s certainly miles of forest road.

I literally just polished off a craft burger in the company of a baby robin. Would post a pic, but… y’know…

 Oh and Glen Tilt if you want to ride gravel for days…

FTFY!

Did Rake & Ruin and Pink Floyd off Birnam Hill. Bloody steep down, and the south climb is bloody steep up too.

Steeper than the easier stuff I’ve done at Innerleithen but perhaps mostly less technical. Everything’s harder when it’s steep as a lot of effort and grip goes into managing speed, and the slope and braking limits how much you can move your weight around.

Not worth it for me, not on a normal bike at least. Lot of ascent effort for the descending time.

Sounds like you’ve just described most if not all downhill/Enduro trails, probably why you see so many ebikes about.

Not worth it for me, not on a normal bike at least. Lot of ascent effort for the descending time.

If those don’t suit you and you’re riding in the area again, have a go at Electric Beaver and the adjacent trails. Lots of fun, but not steep by any measure, as is the shared climb. Not worth a journey on their own, but good for an hour or two’s dicking around.

Doesn’t sound like this area and/or style of trail is for you. Other than the trails arrpee mentions, RnR and Pink Floyd are the friendliest trails (ignoring some that are scattered around to the north) in the area. “Winch and plummet” it is

Yeah, I do ride technical trails but I’m not exactly a gnarlord – and Pink Floyd is pretty dull and easy IMO.

Yeah just not for me. Tech was fine apart from less than a handful of bits, just not keen on the steepness and everything it causes.

I may have only ridden R&R and PF once but I really have no recollection of anything steep on them.

I can remember that after some of the stuff I’d read on here about how good PF was I was more than a little disappointed.

So much so that we’ve never bothered with any of the trails on Birnam again.

Top of Rake And Ruin is steepish in places but nothing proper scary. Like stu I’d remembered Pink Floyd as a bit ‘flat’ feeling but when I went back last week it was more fun than I’d remembered.

+1 for spinning round Electric Beaver/Frenchman and all the variations on that side of the burn. Good fun and misses out the horrible climb/push up to the other Birnam trails.

singlespeedstuFull Member
I may have only ridden R&R and PF once but I really have no recollection of anything steep on them

Very start of RnR, and that’s it really.

I enjoy PF, unless it’s wet as it’s got too many off camber roots for that. Otherwise it’s quite good fun.

Prefer the Mast side though