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Planning to ride up to Loch Muick from Ballater on the gravel bike. Anybody know if the West bank of the river is worth riding or just stick to the road?Â
It's more fun than the road.
Definitely. Â I usually take the track along the top edge of Loch Muick, turn right at the boat house and head back past Alltnaguibhsaich Lodge. Â If you want to stretch it out a bit, hang a left just before Inchnabobart, heading north, and onto what becomes, in part, the smoothest gravel road in the world. Â Then take a right heading east towards Bovaglie, then follow the rough track to the west of Glen Girnock heading NNW, back to the B976. Then turn right and head all the way back to Ballater via road, or look out for the left turn onto a track towards Polhollick bridge. Â But check that it's open before leaving. From Polhollick bridge, instead of heading up to the A93 turn right onto a track running east along the north side of the Dee, turning north along River Gairn. Â It's a good challenge in places on a gravel bike. Then, before hitting the main road, turn right onto a smooth path running along the south side of the A93 which becomes Old Line Road, then Dundarroch Road. Here, you're very close to Victoria Barracks on Queen's Road, so head back into town that way. Â
I should add, that's assuming you want a circular route, initially heading down the road on the West side of the river towards Loch Muick. That's the way I usually ride it, but you can ride out on the East / gravel side first, then back along the West / road side. Â Both directions are good.
Great stuff, thanks very much.
Just watch for any route that tries to take you across the river - the bridge was knocked out a while back.Â