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We were up all day yesterday - a Saturday, summer, dry.
Yet the place was so quiet - maybe 20 cars there at any point. Yes folk were around, just not the buzz I had expected.
It's brilliant riding (and the new stuff at bottom of lower red a giggle) nice cafe and little shop - and local community trust now manages it. The cafe was empty.
What's the issue?
Too far north or away from other trails?
No blue route/fearsome image?
I like Laggan,but I've alwaye thought it needed a better green and a blue to get the families in.
Was the uplift running? That used to be decently busy on a nice summer weekend.
Two other factors for this weekend could be motorbikes in Aviemore and horses at Blair Atholl.
I rode up there a couple of weeks ago did the green with my kids which they really enjoyed (except the climbing bit). I then did the lower red and the black. Again there was about 30 odd people there on a week day. I have seen similar numbers at coed brenin, nant Arian on a weekday in the past too. Thought the black trail was great and the red/orange ok. It is pretty short though and you need to do laps which may not encourage people to make a long journey.
I would agree with having to do laps being a bit off putting. I feel like I am riding the same short trail over and over again, which of course I am. So not enough variety perhaps?
Lacking a blue route, so no good for families or mixed ability groups. Worth it as a stop off if passing, but not enough there for me to make it a trip in its own right.
Too far north or away from other trails?
I suspect this to a large extent. Everytime I've been there - weekdays and weekends - it's been really quiet. The one time I went to Glentress on the other hand it was like a trail of ants going round and round. I guess because the north is so sparsely populated, the majority of people who go biking have somewhere closer.
"too far north" "the north"
In relation to what?
To where most people live I suppose. The north of Scotland is what I was referring to. Highlands is 9 people per sq km compared to the average of 68 for Scotland.
The only time I've ridden there I didn't see any other riders at all. There was some snow and ice about that day which will have put some people off. I enjoyed the trail and would ride it more if it was nearer home however Glentress has lots of advantages - lost of riding - including another trail centre nearby, close to Edinburgh, easy access from further south, lots of facilities in the area.
For me coming from near Edinburgh, Comrie is closer and better. Like others have said, in the past I've stopped at Laggan on the way further north but I haven't made a special trip there since the early days.
Get a map (one of the old fashioned paper ones) of Scotland and draw a circle with a 40 mile radius with Laggan as the centre point. Now do the same for Glentress. Now check what towns and cities are inside those circles. At a guess Laggan will have Ft William, Kingussie, Aviemore and Inverness (possibly)
Why 40 miles? Well 45mph is a decent average speed for a trip on UK roads, allow a bit for roads squiggling around and 40 miles is a reasonable figure.
Living in Glasgow it's about 2 1/2 hour drive but Inners,Golfie ,Dunoon Glentress Comrie etc are only over and hour.its ok driving up as your buzzing to ride good trails but **** me it's hard going home when your gubbed and have two n a bit hour drive home.
Last year we hired a bothy with 15 of us going up.done Laggan then stayed over got pissed and then rode FB the next day and headed home.that worked better