[Closed] Perfect Clackmannanshire gravel route

I can’t help between Stirling and Clackmannan/Alloa but there’s stuff around Gartmorn Dam. Also the Devon Way, but maybe a bit far north? You could get on to the West Fife way from Clackmannan and do some off road stuff in Devilla Forest/Balgownie Woods/Valleyfield Woods/Dean Plantation, working toward Dunfermline, then down to the bridge.

Trouble is the South side of the Ochils is very steep. Plus it's all boggy and there's no gravel on tops. You may be better to head up towards Sherrifmuir and then down Silver Glen to Alva. On to the Forth and one of the bridges?

Or perhaps across the tops, Ben Cleuch, Andrew Gannel and Kings Seat and via Glen Quey to Glendevon. Trouble is you're going West to East not South. Perhaps head South from Glendevon to the Cleish hills and into Blairadam and then on?

Actually the path down the Black Devon from Gartmorn to Forest Mill is lovely. Muddy rather than gravel but lovely.

Thanks for the recommendations.
I'm familiar with the Ochils tops (was up there yesterday walking with the kids). And have cycled the two bridges on the road a fair few times and off road a couple also.

I might just stick to the West Fife Way and then do loops off it along the way.

Some suggestions, maximising interesting gravel bikeble bits. Place names correspond to the OS map. Not sure if it's perfect but I've explored most of the options riding through Clacks to get to work.

Out of Stirling from train station via Cambuskenneth abbey. Round Stirling uni and pick up back path from Blairlogie to Menstrie. Stay on cycle route to Alva. At end of Alva head up to woodland park (you can also get to woodland Park by taking the big climb behind Rhodders farm and hanging right which is gravel bikeable).

Follow path at top of woodland Park to Tillicoultry and round the golf course. Turn up Upper Mill St, turn right onto Tannage st and take farm track up hill (on OS map track starts NS915 975). This takes along the hill behind Tilly. Drop down the hill at the small reservoir all the way to A91. Turn left and then turn left again at the gatehouse onto a gravel track, opposite the garden centre / golf range. Follow to Belmont house, join cycle path and take gravel track up hill past Wester Sheardale. Head to Aberdona mains and this will link to the Gartmorn to Forrestmill track. Avoid in the wet but lovely when dry. You could also go round Gartmorn dam and the track down to Helensfield from West end of dam is nice, and catch cycle path there.

From Forrestmill take cycle route towards Dunfermline, but head off into Devilla Forest for loads of gravel which takes you all the way to Kincardine.

I’ve nothing to add, nor do have any idea about any of these place names, but I’m very very jealous.

There was a route in the last Cranked as an attempt to circumnavigate the county, very exposed but worth it was what I took away from it.

Can't help specifically but I know Markus Stitz has done some riding in Clackmannanshire and might have some routes - you can find him on Twitter.

The Clackmannan to Dunfermline railway line is gravel. Link to it from Gartmorn dam.
There's then a route on a closed road from Dunfermline (I think - certainly used to be) to North Queensferry.

For Stirling to the FRB I'd go along the forth, north along fife coastal path for more paved cycle paths or south along John muir way (Bo'ness, blackness, Dalmeny house) for nicer bits of gravel/forest routes. Otherwise if you're not going through the ochils then it's pretty much alloa to dunfermline cycle path. You can go mostly offroad up cleish hill to blairadam, through St Ninians open cast mine to track along bottom of hill of beach then down through Fordell woods to dalgety bay train station then back to bridges. But to get there not many gravel routes I know of.

tomd, do you have a gpx file for that route (please)?

If not I then I'll have a shot of plotting it out later and try to post it so you can see where I've gone horribly wrong 😅

Ps, I've seen the Markus Stitz route you're probably talking about, it's part of the Boundary series and was ridden with Mark Beaumont.

Link below, and is rather a good watch:

Might actually do the east Lothian route one Friday after work as a 1.5 day bivvy/camp.

^ That's the one covered in Cranked, forgot it was part of a series.

Does this work? I've quickly sketched it out in outdoor active

https://www.outdooractive.com/en/route/bike-riding/drafted-on-apr-12-2022-15-57-25/239349066/?utm_source=unknown&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=user-shared-social-content&share=~zskjrjbt$4osso4mb#dm=1

There are quite a few different options around Aberdona / Gartmorn Dam / Devilla forest - definitely worth having the map as well.

Thanks tomd, that's definitely worth a shot, much appreciated 👍

I can then either head back home through Grangemouth or carry on to the Forth Road bridge then back along the coast.

That's a great looking route @tomd

Probably best to avoid riding past Harviestoun Farm after Tilly as Poet lives at the farm now and has been directing walkers and cyclists on the lower path that still ends up at the cottages and old back road to Dollar.

Do you mean the top path past Dollarbank farm?

The path past Harviestoun Home Farm is signed to bypass the buildings but doesn't really cause any issues.

There are no access signs on the top path past Dollarbank which duly get ignored, but route I posted above takes the lower path.