Field Trip- Scotland

Ferenc

Hi,
would anyone be interested in doing a weekend (Fri-Sun or even longer) ride in Scotland in September? I know I am keen! I would welcome any advice on where to ride and stay on a budget. I think of myself as a good rider and my fitness is getting better. I tend to ride 3-4 hours at a time.
I plan to make my way from London and have never undertaken something like this so please give some advice.

Thank you

Bossangel

yes im interested, im in Swindon so not too far from London

Ferenc

Hi Boss,
have you ever been to Scotland? :roll:

Northwind

Decide how you're getting here, if you're getting the train up that's going to restrict your options but you can get the caledonian sleeper direct to fort william which gives you some pretty great riding. Assuming you come up while the lifts are open.

If you're driving, that obviously opens up the options, and probably changes the decision from "where" to "Seven Stanes east vs Seven Stanes west", as they're both great and relatively easy to get to. Fort William, Laggan etc are all mint but they're further away still.

For a weekend it's hard to top Glentress/Innerleithen, there's easily 3 days of riding there for most without ever stepping off a trail centre. Something for everyone and neither are routes that you need to know to get good rides out of. Peebles is also a pretty good centre for accomodation etc. You could chuck in Kielder on the way up or down, the Deadwater black is really damn good in places. Or Newcastleton I guess but I've never been there.

For the west, you get Kirroughtree- best of the 7 Stanes- and Drumlanrig, and Mabie, and Glentrool and Dalbeattie and even, if you love fire roads, Ae. And again, good accomodation options in Dumfries or Newton Stewart.

Or of course you can go further north but for me the bottom line of that is that even though Laggan, Fort William, and natural highlands riding are stunningly good, you need to drive past Glentress, Innerleithen and Kirroughtree to get there.

Axleuk

I think he was looking for something a little more specific Northwind, lol

Northwind

It's a big country Need to narrow it down first.

If anyone wants a simple, inexpensive scottish riding weekend, here it is. 1) drive to Peebles 2) stay in the wigwams at Glentress 3) Ride Glentress red, innerleithen red and glentress black, and with any remaining energy ride some "natural" trails or do glentress red again or get someone to show you secrets and lies and broon troot and do Glentress Actually Black.

unixnerd

Decide how you're getting here, if you're getting the train up that's going to restrict your options but you can get the caledonian sleeper direct to fort william which gives you some pretty great riding.

You can get a sleeper to Inverness / Cairngorms area too. If I ever go to London that's what I do, only way to travel :-)

If you want some advice on the Aviemore / Cairngorms area PM me.

Northwind

Yup. Was sticking to trail centres mainly because that's what people tend to expect, and "natural" riding can be a lot trickier to pull off without local knowledge, but that'd be a good weekend.

Ferenc

I was planning on taking the train (unless someone would take me up on the offer and want to drive/ share petrol) as I dont own a car.
I will need to do a little more research into this.

You can get a sleeper to Inverness / Cairngorms area too. If I ever go to London that's what I do, only way to travel

unixnerd, you are local. What is the weather like that time of year and what about accomodation. I am trying to do it on a budget. I have been to Inverness and been around the Loch Ness. I found both to be beautiful. Especially the old forests around the Loch Ness

Dont seem like many people are intrested in this

unixnerd

unixnerd, you are local. What is the weather like that time of year and what about accomodation. I am trying to do it on a budget. I have been to Inverness and been around the Loch Ness. I found both to be beautiful. Especially the old forests around the Loch Ness

I live in Aviemore and I'm from Inverness :-)

Right now it's p*ssing down, bloody annoying. Forcast for this weekend is good:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/ ... ather.html

There's a place called Aviemore Bunkhouse www.aviemore-bunkhouse.com/ where you'll get cheap accomodation. If you get the sleeper you'll get in early on Saturday and leave around 9pm ish on Sunday, so you only need one night's accomodation.

The village has three bikes shops :-) This one sells route cards: http://www.bothybikes.co.uk/

Not a lot of downhill action or jumps here, but miles and miles of good tracks and singletrack, some it rising well above 2000 feet. It's even possible to cycle above 4000 feet if you're fit.

Northwind

unixnerd wrote:

There's a place called Aviemore Bunkhouse www.aviemore-bunkhouse.com/ where you'll get cheap accomodation.

We stayed there once, really top value, better in a group though I think- at least that way if you get bummed in the dorms, it'll be by someone you know rather than a total stranger.

altern_8

just a suggestion,grab a copy of this months mbr,got a scottish special in it,showing places to ride and stay....just make sure you dont think perth is near aberdeen as they have put it up there on the map inside .....i was up in scotland in march when they got hit with all the snow,i was staying outside inverness and went up to balblair which i really enjoyed and also moray monster is suppose to be good as well,but i did have a car to travel in,dont know what rail links are like to these 2 places tho.

Ferenc

now here in lies the problem, I was hoping to gather interest with this post?? I was also looking for some people to join me as there is no way I would be stupid enough to go it on my own. I guess people are not interested? Bossangel? you still keen? Train fair would cost about £80 for me from London.

Getting board of riding my Trek Ex8 around the local routes. I was looking for some big adventure!