So where should I go on me holidays? Long weekend...

Northwind

OK so... Got next week off and nothing much to do with it from thursday onwards. Got a car, a tent, 2 bikes, no mates and a small-ish budget, and starting in Edinburgh. Where should I go?

Tempted just to head up to nevis range for 2 days and do the ciaran path... Or Ae Mabie and either Drumlanrig or Kirroughtree... Or how about Laggan and Moray and Balblair and Learnie?

I'd say southwards but I'm a fairly new driver so I don't fancy going all the way into wales solo, plus I think we're planning a week or long weekend there in september. Likewise yorkshire,probably further than I want to do this time. Lakes?

Greig M

Here What you Want.

Head Up to Nevis Range early friday morning.
Pitch your tent at
http://www.outdoorcapital.co.uk/member- ... asp?id=223
Not exactly sure where this is it could be near the trails, it would be worth checking you

Buy the 2 consecutive day gondola pass £54 (or buy the one day pass explore the hills on the friday and get the whole saturday riding)

Leave the camp site on the Sunday morning.

Head down to Laggan Wolftrax spend the day doing whatever shannagins on the trails.

ABout a forty minute drive from the tracks is
Loch Morlich Camp Site. Which has a Loch (obvioustly) it also has good cycle paths and a nice beach, Although its camping. 2 shower and toilet blocks, One male one female.

Head back to edinburg on the monday morning.

Just a suggestion

Thanks

Northwind

Sounds great... It's quite a lot like a weekend away we did last month though Still very tempting, I could easily spend another day on the uplift but at the same time I'm missing other boxes on my trailcentre bingo card...

ilovedirt

I'd have said glentress but i'd imagine being from edinburgh, you visit there a lot.
See how many of the 7 stanes you can fit into one weekend

Northwind

Yeah, that's the attraction of Ae, Mabie and Dalbeattie, I've done 3 of the Stanes so I can collect the set...

ilovedirt

Newcastleton?
Or you could get a map and do some proper wilderness riding, trail centres are a little... sterile, for want of a better word. Fun, don't get me wrong, but there's nowt like proper mountain biking with a map and compass.

Northwind

Yeah, i do a fair bit of that locally but if I'm out alone in unfamiliar grounds trail centres have their advantages. If I head for the lakes it'd be "natural" and likewise if I do the nevis range option I'll throw in a non-purpose-built ride too (we did a lovely run up glen nevis last time, which made a great contrast to DH trails on one day and laggan rocks of death the next)

GHill

Lake D. is ace, but it could be red sock slalom this time of year unless you restrict yourself to the trail centres.

unixnerd

Lots of good trails in the Cairngorms, come up to Aviemore :-)

Done the Burma Road yet?

counterculture

the burma road is awesome, i done it last year and had a great time, plenty cheeky little offshoots too that arent on many maps

ilovedirt

Northwind wrote:

Yeah, i do a fair bit of that locally but if I'm out alone in unfamiliar grounds trail centres have their advantages. If I head for the lakes it'd be "natural" and likewise if I do the nevis range option I'll throw in a non-purpose-built ride too (we did a lovely run up glen nevis last time, which made a great contrast to DH trails on one day and laggan rocks of death the next)

Ah yeah, that's fair, i kinda skim read the first post and didn't realise you'd be on your own. Yeah, i'd think twice about the all day wilderness epics if i was on my own as well!

homers_double

ilovedirt wrote:

Newcastleton?

Newcastleton is the family stane, mostly road based so well worth avoiding.

peter413

homers double wrote:

ilovedirt wrote:

Newcastleton?

Newcastleton is the family stane, mostly road based so well worth avoiding.

I thought that was more Glentrool.

Newcastleton is very much XC I thought.

Was thinking about going there myself soon as well as Mabie and Ae

homers_double

Yep, you're right. Sorry internet.

CycloRos

If I were you I wouldn't be considering anything other than the Highlands. It really is pointless heading south when you've got sooo much great riding already and if you're already familiar with the 7stanes then the only way is up!

How about basing yourself around Aviemore and taking in the natural riding in the Cairngorms and Laggan for some trail centre fun?

Northwind

I slightly have my doubts of riding laggan solo on a weekday, I could be lying at the bottom of crack attack for a long time before the wolves finish me off

OK, thanks folks, I seem to be doing that thing where you ask for advice but mainly just to work out what you already know. Ruling out the far north, golspie etc as mates of mine want to do that later in the year. Ruling out the far south, ie lakes and yorkshire, because that'd be more dependant on natural riding I think and needs a bit more organisation/forethought unlike "Go here, ride the red"

So I guess it's fort william or south west stanes. And the south west seems to win, partly because all my mates are obsessed with drumlanrig and kirroughtree so will never go to Ae or Mabie I'd go back to fort william but it's only a month since I was there.

Any other brilliant suggestions?

peter413

Northwind wrote:

Any other brilliant suggestions?

Take me with you