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Looking for an easy, non technical route in the Cairngorms or similar for an afternoon (20ish miles?) please?
Bonus points for being able to ride from a campsite and have a decent pub at the end. I was thinking from Braemar up past the Linn of Dee or Rothemurchas / Aviemore...
What / where else should I be thinking of?
aviemore , up the glen einach track or even some of the waymarked stuff round rothiemurchis
Linn of dee up to derry lodge and some way up glen derry on the renewed path (although its an out and back) or ride out glen geldie to the ruins. (the wind can be a bugger on this one as it funnels down ) although youll have to come back to braemar for camping and no decent pub
Aboyne and go up glen tanar - gentle climb to mount keen on the direct path or as hilly as you want it to be if you deviate on to the sides .
also if you dont mind hills then take your own beer and camp at glen esk community campsite (has toilets) and ride the tarfside loop .... its all land rover track but is hilly. and may not be suitable for a beginner to cycling ..... but a road cyclist whos just starting MTB would cope.
The "classic" loop from Aviemore to Ryvoan, Nethy Bridge, Boat of Garten. Can be done in either direction. All good tracks with one short rocky section between the Green Lochand and Ryvoan Bothy. Cafes at Glenmore, Nethy Bridge and Boat of Garten. Start/finish at the Old Bridge Inn in Aviemore. Or at Glenmore campsite with a pub next door and another bar at Glenmore Lodge.
44km in total but can be cut short if starting/ending at Glenmore
There's a new campsite in Aviemore too but I've no idea what it's like (other than being quite close to the A9)
If you're on the Braemar side you could do a pleasant out and back to Bynack Lodge on the fire roads, or up to Derry Lodge (which I'd say is the nicer ride with more dramatic scenery). If you're planning a loop from Braemar note that the big bridge at Linn of Quoich was out last time I looked - there is a smaller bridge but it'll involve a bit of pushing to get to and away from for a beginner.
My inlaws did a tootle along the Deeside Way from Ballater and around Loch Kinord with the Bike Station and they loved it.
Up Glen Taynar on a sunny day is really lovely - and good for spotting hares and stoats.
There's also loads around Rothiemurcus on the Aviemore side - anything on Google would do.
Tomintoul up Glen Avon.?
can do as an out and back or a lung busting return through the gel leading to The Castle.
Braemar up past the Linn of Dee or Rothemurchas
Lovely, but not as interesting as Scotroutes suggestion IMO. For a beginner, it needs to be constantly interesting and changing IMO.
What about just a big old Aviemore-Glenmore-Loch an Eilein - Feshie-Aviemore loop? You could include Inshriach nursery cake...
[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1815/41197185510_520dbb61d4_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1815/41197185510_520dbb61d4_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/25LskXU ]Dunblane BB Gold & Silver DofE[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/ ]Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1773/43007579471_4a2e033961_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1773/43007579471_4a2e033961_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/28wr61T ]Dunblane BB Gold & Silver DofE[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/ ]Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr
You could include Inshriach nursery cake…
Now closed unfortunately - and I don't mean just for the season.
edit: wot Colin said 😢
Some excellent suggestions up there, but one little correction - the Inshriach tea and cake place has permanently closed 🙁
Now closed unfortunately – and I don’t mean just for the season.
Yep, no more cake or death runs, now it's just death.......but there is always the rothiemurches tea room....unfortunately not quite the same quality or range as inshcriach which was a very handy mid ride stop for cake.
Thank you chaps & chapess's.Will pour over some OS maps and your suggestions!
Cheers!
I was thinking from Braemar up past the Linn of Dee
I did this in May - it's out and back, but it's lovely. Glenn Quoich was my fave though.
Glen Quoich is a belter. There is a ribbon of Caledonian forest singletrack in there that is just sublime.