Cycling in Scotland mountain biking in the cairngorms · Mountain biking in the Cairngorms in Cycling in Scotland
All Destinations | Europe | Asia | North America | Africa | South America | Oceania | Hotels
Mountain biking in the Cairngorms in Cycling in Scotland
Mountain biking in the Cairngorms in Cycling in Scotland
Mountain biking in the Cairngorms National Park combines superb off-road trails and natural singletrack with spectacular scenery. There are trails for most abilities, from mapped and waymarked routes to more challenging unwaymarked epic rides through this rugged, mountainous area. There’s also Laggan Wolftrax, a dedicated MTB trail centre, run by Forestry Commission Scotland.
Cycling for families and novices
For families and more leisurely cyclists the waymarked trails on the Rothiemurchus Estate are ideal, rolling through old Scots pine forest, with glimpses of the nearby loch and ruined castle. Route maps are available at the Rothiemurchus Visitor Centre.
The trails start from the village of Inverdruie – easily reachable via bike track from Aviemore. The 9km Loch an Eilein and 8km Lochan Deo routes are easy-graded, while the longer, 16km Ancient Forest route, which heads out to Loch Morlich via Coylumbridge, is slightly more challenging given the distance, but still within the capabilities of most families.
Glenlivet Estate, part of The Crown Estate, (Tomintoul) has a network of six waymarked cross-country mountain bike routes ranging from 12km to 28km. Using forest track, moorland track, farmland and minor roads the routes provide access to some stunning areas of the estate including the Carn Daimh viewpoint at 570m offering panaromic views across the area. A free map of the routes is available.
The Speyside Way also links up a number of towns and is great family, low level or mtb trail touring.
Unmarked routes
Cairngorms National Park has an excellent range of unmarked trails. Moor of Feshie is ideal for a gentler ride of this type, but this is a vast, rugged, mountainous area, so there’s great scope for epic outings and multi-day adventures:
• Ride from Inverdruie to Braemar via Glen Feshie on a multitude of interweaving paths and trails.
• Take the Burma Road route - a classic - with a stiff ascent and some fine cross-country riding.
• 33km on dirt tracks through the Ryvoan Pass, via Abernethy, around the back of the Kincardine Hills and back over the Sluggan Pass to Loch Morlich.
• 19km return trip from Lochan Deo to Loch Einich, via Glen Einich: tough, stunning views, and a wade through a boulder-filled river.
Great trail riding can also be found around Nethy Bridge, Grantown on Spey and on the eastern side of the Cairngorms massif.
Laggan Wolftrax
Set in the natural beauty of Strathmashie Forest, Wolftrax provides a green-graded beginners' trail, the thrills of a big-and-bermy Bike Park, a fast red-graded route packed with features and a black-graded trail that's possibly the most technical of its type in Scotland. A café, bike shop and hire is on site.
All riders should be aware of the Scottish Outdoor access code and the forest cycling code .
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Cycling in Scotland
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Cycling in Scotland - updated Apr 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Cycling in Scotland hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
>>> SEARCH FOR DEALS <<<
WHERE TO TRAVEL NEXT IN 2020
Cycling in Scotland Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.