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maddy


Posts: 12
Joined: Feb 2006
Last Visited: 12:21
25th Mar 2008
Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 19.08hrs on Mon 7 Aug 06
What would you rate as the best route youve ever done in Scotland
(no man made trails)
For me its got to be Tyndrum-Fort William along the west highland way

JohnB


Posts: 405
Joined: Jul 2004
Last Visited: 20:20
17th Mar 2019
Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 19.03hrs on Tue 8 Aug 06
Best epic I have had is doing the Corryairack Pass and Glen Roy from Spean Bridge. We didn't really pay much attention to the distance and set off at noon. Didn't get back till 9pm at night... bent a front wheel too, had to stand on it to straighten it as much as possible and remove the brakes...

Stefan


Posts: 57
Joined: May 2006
Last Visited: 18:46
16th Apr 2015
Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 20.48hrs on Tue 8 Aug 06
Thats a difficult one, there are so many good ones in Scotland. Aviemore has the best and highest density of technical singletrack in the UK - in my opinion. I quite like the ride up and down Morven, near Braemar. Climb up the access track for the masts and then descend down the walkers path back into Braemar - a quality descent. The climb up Jocks Road and then round to Broad Cairn and back to Glen Clova is a good ride for a couple of hours. Up and over Glas Maol from Glen Isla and down to Glenshee is also a good ride. The descent down the switchbacks off Glas Maol makes the suffering to get to the top of Glas Maol worth it.

The descent out of the Lairig Ghru used to be one of the best in Scotland, until the sustainability police ruined it by putting down coarse aggregate materials on the paths and generally smoothing it out - no longer fun!

The best natural waymarked riding in Scotland is found at Drumlanrig castle when it is dry. It is an unofficial stane, but puts the seven man-made stanes to shame - natural is always best.

II


Posts: 1283
Joined: Nov 2005
Last Visited: 09:22
4th Aug 2019
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Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 21.41hrs on Tue 8 Aug 06
Don’t know about now but my favourite ride used to be to Linhope spout waterfall (not strictly in Scotland about 3 miles over the border) but it did have the advantage of a 45' high waterfall which you could swim in the pool below and if brave dive into.




cremrow


Posts: 74
Joined: Aug 2006
Last Visited: 07:58
20th Aug 2015
Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 17.53hrs on Sun 13 Aug 06
I was rather intrigued at an earlier post ( no man made trails) The West Highland Way !!. However I was fairly appalled to read of descending the "walkers route" off Morrone above Braemar. Hardly responsible access and a sure way of causing nuisance and damage on a recently refurbished footpath. I have similar concerns about Jock's Road and The Larig Ghru. Mountain bikers like all other hill goers must adhere to the Access Code principle of responsible access.

II


Posts: 1283
Joined: Nov 2005
Last Visited: 09:22
4th Aug 2019
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Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 19.11hrs on Sun 13 Aug 06
I was being driven back home yesterday down the A890 from Invergordon - back to Skye and as I was not driving I had the opportunity to look at the scenery.
There is an awful lot of wilderness! Miles and miles of nothing.
Plenty of mountains some Monroes some Corbets and others that no one gives a monkeys about but miles and miles of unspoilt wilderness. Surely we should be able to enjoy these however we feel best.
Last year I spent every Sunday in the spring and autumn walking the “pathfinder guide book 43” walks for Lochalsh and Skye. I think we only saw other people on 3 of the walks we did. (still have 3 or 4 left to do from that book including Blaven)
If you want to be by yourself it is possible!


go slide....

Stefan


Posts: 57
Joined: May 2006
Last Visited: 18:46
16th Apr 2015
Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 19.40hrs on Sun 13 Aug 06
Cremrow: As someone with a PhD in Geomorphology, specialising in upland erosion, I can assure you that mountain biking down the above mentioned paths will cause very little damage, especially if they are ridden without skidding by using more front break than back - as i do. Furthermore, when i encounter walkers, i move to the side to allow them to pass (respecting the interests of others). At no point on any of these routes does it say that MTBs are not allowed!!!! The access code allows EVERYONE to access land and inland waters, responsibly!! As an environmental consultant, I am very aware of the Access Code!

Perhaps I used poor terminology (walkers path), as use of this path is not restricted to walkers, it is generally a path leading up and down the hill. The fact that the path has been recently, as you call it, 'refurbished' means that there will be less damage caused to the path than there would have been if the path had received no attention. However, such improvement to paths at lower levels only facilitates the easier access to the more sensitive terrain on the top of the mountains causing increased erosion in these areas.

I hope I have cleared up any concerns you may have had about mountain biking along pre-eroded areas of the Scottish Highlands. If you really want to complain about erosion in the uplands, perhaps you should do some reading on the effects of ozone, sulpher and nitrogen pollution, which are all likely to do far more damge to our uplands in the near future than the occassional mountain biker.

Stefan


Posts: 57
Joined: May 2006
Last Visited: 18:46
16th Apr 2015
Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 20.02hrs on Sun 13 Aug 06
P.s. Sorry to have taken this off topic, but i felt i needed to defend my actions and mountain bikers rights to access montane areas. They are not the sole domain of walkers!

Back on topic: Skye has some of the best MTBing in Scotland - through all the landslide deposits below Trotternish Ridge is another favourite.



maddy


Posts: 12
Joined: Feb 2006
Last Visited: 12:21
25th Mar 2008
Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 22.02hrs on Sun 13 Aug 06
cremrow-what imean with man made trails is the likes of 7 stanes,learnie etc
most trails are man made unlees made by sheep or deer.
i take it you dont like montain biking.

HTH


Posts: 3210
Joined: Nov 2005
Last Visited: 11:13
20th Feb 2018
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Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 14.48hrs on Mon 14 Aug 06

Well...I like biking...and walking. - I haven't biked or walked the whole of Scotland..but I'd like to! - So Here's my top 3, which overlap a bit with some other posts:

Best Long Ride: West Highland Way,
special mention for the Orchy-Kingshouse-Kinlochleven section.

Best Winter Ride: Ben a Bhuird, descent from summit.
Gears & Brakes froze up!

Best Hilly Day Out: Glen Cova-Bachnagairn-GlenMuik-CapelMounth.
A "whole-body" experience, with climbing/carrying & 2 big downhills.


I saw an MTB report here last month on the Clova-Muick route, and decided to try it again after 15yrs absence, and with a better bike. - I wish I'd kept myself fit all those years! - But it's still worth the effort, just for the downhills.

No walkers were hurt in the making of this post:- I managed to avoid one, who decided to stand right on the apex of a downhill hairpin!

freeskiing


Posts: 310
Joined: Dec 2003
Last Visited: 20:49
21st Jul 2019
Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 17.45hrs on Mon 14 Aug 06
I'll second that, the Glen Clova-Muick route is really quite something. Like you say it's a bit of a lung-bursting uphill followed by a cracking decent and then a bit of a mission shouldering the bikes back out before the next downhill.

Still, well worth the effort and you certainly feel like you've done something afterwards.

On the walking side of things, I'm planning getting lost in October after I finish uni. The plan's to catch the train over to Strathcarron and then walk back home through the heart of the Highlands with the tent.

dhorsley


Posts: 1665
Joined: Oct 2003
Last Visited: 16:55
16th Mar 2021
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Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 16.05hrs on Tue 15 Aug 06
Couple of weekends ago did a round trip from Stonehaven. Up the Swanely hill and through the Fetteresso forest which includes a couple of nice downhills on landrover tracks heading for Banchory. Then around the back road and then off road at glen dye. Up glen dye on landrover tracks. Then due to a map reading error by my mate smiling smiley we went up the wrong landrover track. The plan hasd been to carry on up a landrover track which turned into a path then back into a landrover track in Glen Esk. Unfortunatley the track we went up just ended so we had 3 km of uphill carrying bikes through the heather then a nice bit of downhill through the heather to pick up a track. We then cycled to Fetercairn and from there back to Stonehaven on back roads. Total distance 83km, which took just under 8hrs of which 2hrs was doing the 3kms of bike carrying. The time includes a lunch stop and an icegream stop smiling smiley . The forest tracks and the landrover tracks were fun. The uphill porterage was a pain, but the views were nice smiling smiley. The hundred plus deer ticks I had to remove from my legs were an even bigger pain.

Dave

telemarker


Posts: 2934
Joined: Oct 2003
Last Visited: 14:59
12th Apr 2021
Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 18.16hrs on Tue 15 Aug 06
too many favourites to mention

glen muick-clove a local favourite though

plenty epics in this new book

[www.mountainbikescotland.com]

just got it from amazon for £10 (3 left)

did the great Ben Alder circuit the other week (see mountain bike reports tab top of page)

also like the morven route and lochnagar ascent.
Aviemore

best epic was 2 dayer from Roy Bridge to Bridge of Orchy,
via loch treig, loch ossain, rannoch moor, train rannoch-BofOrchy,.
day 2, wHw to kinlochleven via devils stair case,
then headed east towards Black water, then north through heart of mamores back to roybridge, lots carrying but great descents!


KW


Posts: 211
Joined: Aug 2006
Last Visited: 16:09
22nd Jan 2018
Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 22.02hrs on Tue 15 Aug 06
The Clova Muick gig with a descent of Coire Chash & a wee diversion up to the Dubh loch has just about everything you could want and has to be a strong contender.

Maybe the round of Coires Fionnaraich & Lair (Glen Carron/Torridon) could match it.

A 2 day loop taking in Gaick, Feshie & Tilt really hits the spot for a multi day gig. A pretty straightforward 1st day with an option for a wee footer about the Inshriach singletrack followed by a dooss at Balachroick or March House. Day 2 is just stunning and the real diehards can return via Fealar but a roll down along the Tilt is always a joy.

It's all so subjective and depends on weather, riding conditions and (maybe most importantly) a bunch of mates who are all riding well and contributing to the crack.





Attachments: MU503E~1.jpg (73kB)  
telemarker


Posts: 2934
Joined: Oct 2003
Last Visited: 14:59
12th Apr 2021
Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 10.05hrs on Wed 16 Aug 06
wheres the pic taken ? Dubh loch?

KW


Posts: 211
Joined: Aug 2006
Last Visited: 16:09
22nd Jan 2018
Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 11.41hrs on Wed 16 Aug 06
Got it in one!

HTH (Not Logged)


Guest
Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 11.45hrs on Wed 16 Aug 06
Yes, is that the trail East out of Dubh Loch.? - Nice scene.

Is it same quality as pictured all the way out to Muick. - I've never considered it as an extension to the Clova/Muick circuit, but it looks good.

KW


Posts: 211
Joined: Aug 2006
Last Visited: 16:09
22nd Jan 2018
Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 12.00hrs on Wed 16 Aug 06
There's the odd wee bit of carrying on the way up and a couple of really tricky deep sided bits that spat me off on the way down. However, the scene at the loch and the descent are more than worth it if you have the legs.




Edited 1 times. Last edit at 12.04hrs Wed 16 Aug 06 by KW.

HTH


Posts: 3210
Joined: Nov 2005
Last Visited: 11:13
20th Feb 2018
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Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 12.27hrs on Wed 16 Aug 06
KW:-"the scene at the loch and the descent are more than worth it if you have the legs."

Thanks, I don't have the legs, but I might give it a shot anyway!

KW


Posts: 211
Joined: Aug 2006
Last Visited: 16:09
22nd Jan 2018
Re: Best route in scotland
Date Posted: 19.35hrs on Wed 16 Aug 06
Let us all know how you get on.



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