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Top bit of the outer loop. Last minute change of plan - tomorrow I turn 50. I had wanted to do the WHW again but west does not look this weekend and this looks like a good alternative as a bit of bike packing. Train from Edinburgh in the morning and on to Braemar for camp tomorrow night? Or is that unrealistic and stop at Tomintoul a better idea? Even better would be a nice bothy. Ryvoan isn't quite far enough around the ride.
A route guide/gpx to have a look at would be good if anyone has it. Thought I had a gpx from looking at this ages ago but can't locate it now.
I'm thinking of a munro day on Sunday and ride back down to Blair Atholl for the train home on Monday.
Or I might just go to a bothy with a lethal amount of whisky.
Aviemore to Braemar could be done but would be a long day!
I've always stopped at Tomintoul (done it three times now).
Tomintoul has a hostel:
http://www.thesmugglershostel.co.uk/
I'm looking for gpx files....
I've emailed some files to the email address in your profile.
Enjoy!
Crispin
Did the outer loop route from Aviemore to Braemar via Tomintoul in a day earlier this year in fairly grim weather. It's definitely doable in a day.
Cheers Crispin. That's brilliant. I do like big days. I did the Great Glen almost in day a few weeks back. That was with getting the early train from Edinburgh too. I'll need to sort everything out tonight (work finishing late hasn't helped) and I'm starting to think that maybe I should have a teeny lie in and aim for Tomintoul tomorrow night. Is there a decent pub?
Richmond Arms in Tomintoul. They usually have a decent range of beers (including Spey Valley) and do bar meals.
I did Aviemore to Braemar in 7.5hrs on the Cairngorms Loop last year. Quite a push out of Tomintoul towards Braemar but otherwise good going. Weather was dry, albeit with a horrible headwind out of Tomintoul.
It was a great trip. I had been ill and not yet recovered so took things fairly steady and rode as I planned above over four days with one day riding a couple of munros (I was feeling a bit better at that point).
Sleepy little Tomintoul was hosting the annual motorcycle gathering which was fun. The next night at Braemar, Big Country were playing at the Highland Games ground. Sister of Mercy were jamming with Huey Lewis at the Linn of Dee. Ah no, it wasn't that. Is was midge ure eating me alive.
I spent four days with wet feet. But it was wonderful.
I made Loch Builg from Newtonmore, going back on myself first to Etteridge, then Ruthven Barracks, Loch Morlich, Ryvoan, Glen Brown, Tomintoul and Glen Avon, in eleven hours, in late August a couple of years back. I felt like keeping going but impending dark, common sense and that huge climb to get over to Braemar stopped me. I was quite heavily laden, going relatively slowly and on an old Marin 26" full susser. And slowly for me is very slowly to some of you. Next day I was knackered and going even slower, so just as well I did stop and camp for the night. I think that was something like 90km and all bar about 10km of those were off road.
About 7 or 8 years ago I did make it in a day from Braemar to Aviemore, via Tomintoul, along roughly the same route in unrelenting torrential rain. Again it was in August, and again I was fairly heavily laden with camping kit.... but on a Ti456. My riding companion did have a bit of a sense of humour failure, but he kept going, bless him. I can't remember the exact time taken or distance covered, but we didn't do an ultra early breakfast and supper was cooked while it was still daylight.
Enjoy