I am planning a big day ride with the lads. It’s kinda following the Cairngorms outer loop but I’m just looking for the best/fastest route so we can do it in a day. We will be on hardtails. Apologies if this has been covered before but I couldn’t quite find the info I was looking for.
The route I’ve mapped out so far is set out early from Kincraig/Aviemore. Do the usual Dalnavert, Ghanna, Morlich, Ryvoan. Then head into the wilds through Dorback to Glen Brown and up to Tomintoul for early lunch/2nd breakfast. Thinking 4 hours for this section.
Section 2 (after getting charged up) is roads/tracks down past the bulgey Loch and over Cullardoch to Linn of Dee. Then push on to white bridge and down Glen Tilt. To try and get fed and watered in Blair Atholl or House of Bruar before 5pm.
Two questions on this section is it faster to go straight down Glen Tilt past the falls of Tarf or go around the back of Beinn a Ghlo as per the Cairngorm outer loop. Making progress is key as I want to be fed and refuelled before hitting section 3. Is it possible to do this section in 5-6 hours.
Section 3. Blair Athol/House of Bruar up over the Gaik, down Tromie then up over the gravel tracks round Creag Dhubh to Feshiebridge and home before dark. Thinking 4 hours ish.
This will be planned for May/June in favourable weather conditions. Any route tips or tips on getting this knocked off on a day. I have ridden parts of the route. I know it’s slow going over to Dorback and pretty quick from Tomintoul to Linn of Dee. I’ve only walked Glen Tilt never ridden it. I have never ridden the Gaik. I plan to get a practice on that soon when weather conditions improve.
Originally I had planned to do a shorter loop by heading up to Geldie Lodge and crossing over to Feshie via the bridge at the Eidart rather than heading down Glen Tilt. That may be a better option if the big loop is too much.
Would appreciate some advice from the fountain of knowledge on here please.
Have ridden pretty much that exact route over two days on the gravel bike (except started further south and came via Loch Garry).
Pretty much excellent as you've described it. Straight down Glen Tilt absolutely makes sense for making progress. I still want to ride the Beinn a'Ghlo loop as a day ride but as an addition to what you're describing I think it would be needlessly slow and frustrating. After the tippy-toe Glen Tilt singletrack the massive downhill TT down the glen comes as some sort of relief! I imagine it could be a bit soul destroying if there was a big headwind up the glen though.
Gaick is lovely, save some legs for the singletrack over the top as it requires some concentration and little digs on the pedals to get over rocky bits, and the section afterwards is rocky and fast if you have the legs!
Enjoy.
https://www.strava.com/activities/5179613020
Any excuse to show this route we did!
You will easily manage this in a day, we took it really steady as we hadn't tried to ride off road for 200k before and as it was Covid times nothing was open so we had to bring all our food. Thankfully the wee shop in Tomintoul was open.
Straight down Glen Tilt is a joy. Smooth Landy track and downhill for miles! Be aware of the wind direction though, I have heard its a chore heading down this into a headwind.
We did it in April before any of the grass/bracken etc had a chance to grow, not sure how much difference that makes.
It'll be a huge day, luckily you've 18 hours of daylight in June...
I've not really looked at your first legs, but your final leg, Blair to Feshie Bridge is 40 miles - and you're estimating 4 hours?
I've done the Outer on a gravel bike, we took a leisurely 3 days but I'd have been happy doing it in 2 - HT with fast tyres will be fine, but you may want to aim for the last train from Blair going north...
That's a very big day out. Apologies if I'm underestimating your fitness, but I'd have thought that to be more of a two day trip.
On the other hand, if you're looking for a big adventure and do it when there's loads of daylight, go for it. One possibility is to bail out at Blair and get the train north. If you're behind schedule (and there's a train running).
It took us 3 days to do that exact route (straight down Glen Tilt) starting at Blair Atholl and with overnight stops at Glenmore Lodge and Braemar. The last day was easiest albeit I was tired and hungover by then.
Good luck!
Thanks guys appreciate it’s a big day out. The bail out option is great advice. The trains north to Inverness do run quite late.
Cultsdave thanks for that. Yes your ride is my inspiration for this. I know it’s doable in the right conditions. Late April is an option. Do you want to join us?
I notice you did it from Braemar so our loop would be slightly shorter.
I’m guesstimating 13 hours riding time and 3 hours of stops. Start at 7 am finish at 8pm. This includes 2 meal breaks Tomintoul and Blair/Bruar. Luckily the daylight hours are long in a couple of months.
Hi Greg,
Keep me in the loop of when you are doing this, would be well up for doing it again. (New Gravel bike ordered yesterday too)
To those suggesting its too much for a day, look at my strava linked above, it is totally doable and highly recommended.
Cheers
Looks amazing. Like!
Did a shorter version of this back in the day going via Glen Geldie and Feshie instead of to Blair Atholl.
In my experience heading down Glen Tilt is always into a murderous headwind!
I have also done the shorter variant via Feshie late last August as a solo day trip starting/finishing in Braemar, on my Scandal. That was 9 hours moving time for me, and 3 hours of breaks/faff.
I spent the final hour while winching up over Culardoch thinking about whether to get fish or haggis or both at the chipper in Braemar, only to roll in about 1830 to find it was shut! So plan your meals accordingly!
Section 2: I always seem to catch a horrendous headwind down Glen Avon, which can knock progress back a bit.
Remember that you don't have to go via Braemar if you don't need it for food. After the Culardoch descent you can get to Linn of Dee along the north Bank of the river.
There's a planned Group Finish of the full Cairngorms Loop planned for 10th June, starting and ending at Feshiebridge. If you chose that date, you might see a few more riders than you'd have expected.
Remember that you don’t have to go via Braemar if you don’t need it for food. After the Culardoch descent you can get to Linn of Dee along the north Bank of the river.
+1 for this - I tried that bit outbound from Braemar and it was much nicer than just bashing out along the road to Linn of Dee.
Yes good point. Would love to have an extra refuelling stop at Braemar but to get round in daylight we need to keep pushing on so would turn towards Linn of Quoich before Invercauld. Correction to above timing would be a 9-9:30 pm finish. Bail out options would be Glen Geldie to Feshie if we are behind schedule or train at Blair if it goes pear shaped/mechanicals.
Current thinking is the Monday holiday for big Charlie’s crowning 8th May depending on a favourable weather forecast. Will keep you in the loop Dave C.
