Hello friends, sorry, it’s another one of these threads!
My wife and I are seriously mulling over a move to Forres from a rural spot just south of Edinburgh. Alongside the boiler working and home reports and all that jazz, very high on my short list is the biking.
I’m at the rigid 29er , adventure, natural trail, wilderness and wildlife end of the spectrum. Currently into the Moorfoots / Pentlands and discovering seldom visited stuff down this way rather than more obvious trail centres. Solo and remote is the game!
I guess I’m looking for any advice any local folk have – it looks promising on the map within say a 30 mile radius. Am I going discover year’s worth of cool stuff or be bored after 6 months?
Thanks!
Lucky chap. Great area. Lots of local riders.
Fatbike for the beaches!
Are you going there to work for the tree commission?
Paging kcal!!!
Are you going there to work for the tree commission?
🙂
I visited a sub-contractor in Forres last month & it seemed really nice. Ramnee Hotel had the best porridge I've ever had.
Just the Findhorn loop would keep me entertained for a while. Amazing fun.
My folks live near there. Local riding is great. Grant Park and Sanquhar Woods in town for a quick spin. Darnaway and Sluie forests nearby; stuff towards Elgin. Purpose built trails at Fochabers. Aviemore is a 45 minute drive and you're in the heart of the Cairngorms. Inverness and the Great Glen easily reachable. I don't think you'll be bored.
Thanks everyone so far... sounds very encouraging.
Not going to work for the Forestry Commission!
Watching with interest.....
We are selling up down south to buy in that area - well probably a little to the west nearer Nairn. My mum lives in the area near Ferness (could be buying her house if we sort things out and her moving into town) so I should know the mtbing but to be honest I've mainly ridden road thereabouts. Clearly Cairngorms a huge attraction.
We are moving there as a head move rather than a heart. Because whilst its perfectly nice I wouldn't describe it as epic. Epic is however a manageable distance away and the prospect of jobs within striking distance of Inverness is a reasonable possibility. It would be good if local riding was reasonable too.
I grew up there-been about 30yrs since we left, and long before I got into cycling. Really should go back and visit one day and see how different it is from my memories.
Clearly been looking in the wrong places..
the good lady’s parents live up in Rafford and the riding we’ve found has been REALLY boring...
Sanquhar is 15 minutes, sluie maybe the same IME
keeping an eye on this for info!!!
More helpfully, when I lived up in Inverness I spent a bit of time riding in that area. I was stupid back then and found it a bit boring becuase I wanted more things to break my bike on. In retrospect, some of the rides I did there were incredible wee adventures. Just the kind of thing you describe as your bag.
Also theres some mountains fairly nearby.
I was recently in a similar position. Having lived on the Black Isle for many years was fed up of predominantly fire road riding from my door,and the requirement to drive my bike somewhere if I fancied some more ‘gnar’ riding. Seriously looked at Forres as an option as a nice place, not too large and some decent riding.I eventually settled on Kingussie instead. All types of riding straight from my door easily accessible for all large population centres (Inverness,Aberdeen in good weather!, central belt etc), no time difference (from Forres) up to the West Coast. Another advantage is the area is set up for all types of activities year round. Downside is not such a large pool of property available, and can be I bit more expensive like for like. Just my take on it, other opinions are available!
Here. I’m maybe not the person to respond on gnarr riding.
For those that find it boring - there are quite a few trails about that I would not be attempting - or at least get off and walk bits.
However there are miles of XC riding to be done, trails to link up with fire roads or small access roads, road is good if a bit on rough side. Plenty of stuff near by.
Forest riding - heaps about, Roseisle, Monaughty, and loads in Altyre. Some DH tracks by Monaughty. I guess you need to know where to look.
Don’t know if you’d be with a family in tow. Not sure secondary school is the best at the moment.
Feel free to post again or PM if you want bit more gen.
Edit - I grew up in Elgin - pre biking - then spent a couple of decades in Edinburgh, so familiar with the notion of solo explores in the Pentlands and further afield. Now returned to Elgin - been here 15+ years, still finding new trails and tracks. No full sus - just getting our and about for me, 29/650b with or without bouncy forks, with or without gears. Dava and beyond is next on my hit list. @swavis on Speyside would be another 29r rigid adventure biker..
I grew up in Elgin but moved to east lothian via London over 25 years ago . I think I'd struggle to settle back there now as so spoiled having the Tweed Valley 45 minutes away. Saying that it is a lovely wee town and the Moray Firth although pretty flat is beautiful . Id consider Lossie and Nairn also. I go back 2 or 3 times a year and the amount of new housing being built beside my folks on the southside of Elgin is unbelievable. I could certainly think of way worse areas to settle down in.
Hello, yes plenty around here for 29er rigid adventures. I'm in Aberlour so a bit further south east but there's plenty to explore around here too. Over towards Dufftown and the Blackwater forest are good for the out there wilderness feeling, and also North towards Elgin.
There's not much gnarr around here but I just head to Monaughty and Cairngorms for that 🙂
Im in Forres, moved here from Aberdeen 12 years back now. We have some terrific cycling on the door step. I can ride from the house and be in the woods in 5 minutes. I can be at the beautiful Blairs Loch in 10.
Just out the back of Forres theres Sanquhar woods, nice wee beginners trail centre next to the Dava Way (runs all the way to Grantown) From there there is a heap of singletrack to find albeit quite spread out but connected by fire Rd & theres an amazing trail along the side of the Findhorn, real cliff edge stuff, I wont cycle all of it solo lol .
Outwith Forres theres trails in Monauchty that i've not even touched yet, lots of techy singletrack at the Oakies in Elgin (victim of its own success there though) downhill stuff at Dallas, coastal stuff for my fat bike in Roseisle and Culbin and big hikes up onto the Dava more past Loch Dallas. A fair spread for you to explore.
We have a very good bike shop on the high st @ Forres Bike Bothy & Matts Bike Workshop is fantastic for getting stuff done too. I have to spread the love as I know both guys 🙂
