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I'm planning a trip up so Scotland this summer and trying to put together a decent 4/5 day bikepacking trip, and so far the Cairngorms Loop is looking the best option, but both of us prefer singletrack to fireroads so looking for as much singletrack as possible and was wondering is there was any loop we should consider that is going to have a lot more singletrack compared to the "40%" quoted on bikepacking.com/ for the Cairngorms Loop.
Neither of us are adverse to hike a bike (having previously bikepacked the majority of the GR5 in the alps and a few trips in the lakes) and would prefer more hiking than more spinning down roads/smooth tracks.
So to ask my question in a simple way - what's the best 4/5 day 200-300km(ish) MTB bikepacking route in Scotland? Can bike a loop or a train links one way and a GPX would be great but happy to assemble from directions!
The central and northern loops of the HT550 starting from Cannich rather than Fort Augustus.
TBH you are going to have some estate track and road to link things up whatever gets suggested. I'm sure you could swap out bits of estate track for singletrack here and there but you'd then have to get back on line by doing more road.
That 40% of singletrack on the CL includes a lot of hike-a-bike, I'd put the amount at about 10%! Similarly for bikepacking.com's 50% singletrack on the HT550. I think their definition of singletrack is somewhat different.
I think the bikepacking.com version skips the Fealar Lodge section too
I think their definition of singletrack is somewhat different.
Haha, well our definition for these trips is anything that isn't manicured doubletrack or fireroad, spent 6 hours pushing bikes up Col d'Anterne before for the cracking decent down the other side!
The HT550 has lots of this sort of doubletrack:
The track of a thousand puddles.
Heading to Gobernuisgach Lodge
Then there's the other stuff.
Heading to Bealach Horn
The Ledmore Traverse
Fisherfield
Without being a patronizing **** - have you ever ridden 4/5 days of singletrack with bikepacking gear. You'll be crying for a jeep track.
Without being a patronizing **** – have you ever ridden 4/5 days of singletrack with bikepacking gear. You’ll be crying for a jeep track.
Yes - it hurts and sometimes it's truly brutal, but good fun! Sections for the GR5 in france are singletrack for a good percentage for at least a few days in a row at points (and any road goes by so quick it's almost as if it doesn't exist) and yes it can be slow progress but I guess we like that pain.
I also acknowledge we're never going to get 100% smooth flowing singletrack for 5 days, and to be honest that's not what we're after at all - all I was saying is there anything out there that is more on the rough/singletrack side than 4/5 days of fireroad blasting as I had read some sections of the loop had been sanitised in the last few years. A day or two of fireroad is also great fun, but not really what we're after! To be honest in the the cairngorms loop sounds like it could be quite good fun and a reasonable mix just checking we're not missing anything as neither of us are familiar with the region.
Thanks Whitestone - looks great
I'm not sure if any of the CL loop has been sanitised, Colin will know better. There's the occasional repair to estate tracks, but that's often because of flood damage - there's a bit in Glen Feshie that's way harder than it used to be as the burn has washed away the steps on both banks.
The NTS have "fixed" a few paths - the one up Bynack Mor for example - but they aren't sanitised, there's a good number of wheel sized drainage ditches for instance.
There's a thread somewhere about last year's group start that should have more info. I would avoid the CL after heavy rain, there's a lot of rivers to cross. Here's a couple of shots of the Fords of A'an:
Normal -
After a bit of rain -
Do the CL both inner and outer, I’ve got maps a gpx somewhere if you need. We had a fantastic 4 days trip few years ago but the weather did help. There is loads of Singletrack and double, scenery is outstanding especially Feshie and Bramaer Estate.
Some of the wild camps we had where amazing but pick your months carefully, or you’ll get eaten alive
An option would be Deeside Trail plus Cairngorm inner loop. Deeside Trail is pretty much all up or down with a decent amount of singletrack and consistently interesting riding. Cairngorm loop for me is more about the scenery and challenge than the riding. For added challenge leave bivvy gear somewhere around Derry Lodge and do Ben Macdui as a day ride up Sron Roach and down past Hutchinson hut. Big push / carry up but great descent if you like slow, tricky riding.
Or as Whitestone said Highland trail north of cannich, possibly just middle loop as the return of that has the best riding and is fantastic all round.
An option would be Deeside Trail plus Cairngorm inner loop. Deeside Trail is pretty much all up or down with a decent amount of singletrack and consistently interesting riding. Cairngorm loop for me is more about the scenery and challenge than the riding. For added challenge leave bivvy gear somewhere around Derry Lodge and do Ben Macdui as a day ride up Sron Roach and down past Hutchinson hut. Big push / carry up but great descent if you like slow, tricky riding.
Thanks - had pretty much this route suggested by a coworker and is looking likely to be the best option at the moment, He's suggested starting at Blair Atholl, follow glen tilt up to CL inner loop, follow that to Aviemore (pub/resupply so keeping light), inner loop to just before Muir, then onto the deeside trail to Ballater where we can then return via Braemar to Muir and follow the outer loop of the CL back to Blair Atholl. If running ahead of schedule then we can always do the extra loop of the deeside trail or drop kit off at the car and do a day ride at the end - Smashing!
So all prepped to be eaten alive looking at the midge forecast, but anyone in the area or ridden bit the the last week or so?
Hopefully heading up next week and looking like it might be fairly wet over the next week so was wondering how doable fords etc will be an how bad the midges actually are looking?
It's bone dry at the moment. Very loose in places. A little rain will improve the tracks.
Water levels are minimal currently. Unless it's 2/3 days of torrential downpour I don't see much changing.
It's been in the low-mid 20s the past few days here in Aviemore. Far too warm for me to be taking on something like that.
Live in southern Cairngorms. Bone dry everywhere just now with sustained high temperatures for the last 4 days. Sunlight and a breeze means the midges and clegs are no bother. Bikepacked the lairig an loach pass yesterday - the good trails are running fast, the rocky ones are dusty, the wet ones aren't wet. Biggest issue is getting enough water to drink - yes really - I'm personally wary of water from any low level burns. They are as low as they will get, so throughput of water isn't what it should be and summer sees algae develop. I'm boiling before drinking when camping. You may be made of stronger stuff, only one way to find out 🙂 There's also lots of people camping with the associated 'run off' into watercourses. So pack the smidge and get yourself up here, it's (even more) awesome just now. Will be busier next week as I think that's the start of the English holidays(?) Tho it is easy to leave the crowds behind!
Plenty of folk been either doing across the loop route, or the actual loop itself - not heard any trail issues, water levels low, it's a little cooler last couple of days than of late but still very warm. Plenty fluid, plenty electrolytes, and might have to search harder than usual for water resupply 🙂 ^^ as above.
Good luck.
Did you see the forecast for weekend ? Due too be 20+ all weekend......
We are riding out to Moray coast on Buchan and formantine way -along the speysideway for a bit then down the dava way and back in the deeside way joining the dots with roads this weekend so it's been watched with a beedy eye