7 Stanes and other Scottish trails.

[MikeAxles]

Hi All,

I am going to be doing some work in scotland over the next couple of weeks, just south of stirling.

Where should I try first? any strong recommendations for trails/cake stops?

 

[StilusBoy79]

Hi All,

I am going to be doing some work in scotland over the next couple of weeks, just south of stirling.

Where should I try first? any strong recommendations for trails/cake stops?

My vote would be glentress and Innerleithen for the double whammy

It’s been a long time but I think you could get two full days worth out of those

 

[Gary]

There's absoutely brilliant riding in and around Stirling, Perth, Pitlochry, Dunkeld, Aberfoyle etc.
no need to travel an hour to the 7 staines unless you're intent on a Trail Centre rather than unsignposted trails.

Staying around Stirling I'd start by checking out Cambusbarron and North third, then you have Dumyat, Mine woods and the hills nr Bridge of Allan.. All well worth riding.

It’s been a long time but I think you could get two full days worth out of those

Dude. you could ride every day for two full weeks and ride different trails every day just riding the hills either side of the valley between Peebles and Selkirk.

 

[steveo]

Hi All,

I am going to be doing some work in scotland over the next couple of weeks, just south of stirling.

Where should I try first? any strong recommendations for trails/cake stops?

Try comrie croft if its a trail centre your looking for its about half hour from Stirling great wee trail centre. But like gary says theres loads of riding around that way to keep you occupied including loads of Munro's if your into that. Have a look on the trailforks app.

 

[MikeAxles]

Perfect, thanks guys.

I'll give trailforks a good look and try and plan a loop. I suspect wet lube is order of the day!

 

[thebarber]

I'm heading north Saturday for the week so also looking for new venues.
Might end up at laggan

 

[drjarvis2003]

I'm heading north Saturday for the week so also looking for new venues.
Might end up at laggan

Was up there on sunday, a bit hot and dry and a few midge bites, but the trails were running well on both sides of the hills, the trail centre stuff, then the enduro runs on the other side worth a look too.

 

[Cisco]

Was at Comrie on Sunday. Everything open including the cakeshop. Recommended.
Cambusbarron is great riding as well..very close to Stirling...no cakeshop tho and you'll need someone to show you where the trails are.

 

[arawa]

I posted some photos in the Haibike forum that I took on Monday when cycling over the Corrieyarick Pass from Laggan to Fort Augustus (highly recommended and deserted). The weather on the Laggan side was, if anything, too hot and the streams were mostly dry. Plenty of midges around though.
As soon as I crossed the pass onto the Fort Augustus side it was rain, thick mist and zero view plus wet feet in some of the fords.

 

[Tubby G]

Howdy. We have a long weekend coming up soon where we are staying in the Cairngorms. Planning to hit a few trail centres / routes. I’ll be with my partner who’s only been learning since the start of the year so nothing too technical, flowy reds & blues are her thing

So far my plan is as follows:

Glentress (only spending a few hours here as it’s en route to the Cairngorms)
Lochnager/ Loch Muick (if there’s enough battery for both!)
Glenlivet
Comrie Croft

Any other suggestions are welcome, or specific trails at Glentress to ride, thanks

 

[Gary]

My partner prefers red grade trails and doesn't like gnar, jumps, drops or tech at all.
I'd be tempted to tell you to stay at Glentress a bit longer. There's enough there for a few days riding and it's more beginner friendly than pretty much any trail centre. Without being dull for a more experienced rider.
Comrie is decent but quite short. But your partner will struggle with some features on the black route. whereas Glentress black is really just a long slightly rougher red level trail skills wise. My partner was fine with the full black. On normal bikes. We don't ride Ebikes together.
Haven't been to Glenlivet.

 

[Tubby G]

My partner prefers red grade trails and doesn't like gnar, jumps, drops or tech at all.
I'd be tempted to tell you to stay at Glentress a bit longer. There's enough there for a few days riding and it's more beginner friendly than pretty much any trail centre. Without being dull for a more experienced rider.
Comrie is decent but quite short. But your partner will struggle with some features on the black route. whereas Glentress black is really just a long slightly rougher red level trail skills wise. My partner was fine with the full black. On normal bikes. We don't ride Ebikes together.
Haven't been to Glenlivet.

Cheers Gary. Looking at Loch Muick on Trailforks the descent is quite steep and graded black so could probably do lochnager and glenlivit in a day instead. I was going to do Comrie on the return journey but have the option of going back to Glentress instead

 

[Gary]

I know there's been a bit of new trail building going on at Glenlivet over the last year or so.
Comrie has a great wee cafe/bike shop set up and fkowy trails to play on lower down near the car park /cafe. There's also very good natural riding over the back of the trail centre if you fancied a longer more natural style ride.

 

[Gary]

I've ridden Ballater once a long time ago (like 25years back). I couldn't even dream of remembering the route... It was all paper maps back then ?

 

[Tubby G]

I know there's been a bit of new trail building going on at Glenlivet over the last year or so.
Comrie has a great wee cafe/bike shop set up and fkowy trails to play on lower down near the car park /cafe. There's also very good natural riding over the back of the trail centre if you fancied a longer more natural style ride.

yes I’ve been watching some YouTube vids of all the trails. Comrie looks nice and rocky, Glenlivit fast & flowy with a few black options that fork off and rejoin the red, so would be fun

There’s a little skills track and pump track at Glenlivit too which are always fun to kill an hour after the main event

 

[The Hodge]

I was quite taken with Glenlivet a year or two back which I did before meeting up with mates at Ballater ..
At the time I was the only rider there ..so you shouldn't find the trails too rammed away from the weekend ..

 

[Tubby G]

I was quite taken with Glenlivet a year or two back which I did before meeting up with mates at Ballater ..
At the time I was the only rider there ..so you shouldn't find the trails too rammed away from the weekend ..

yeah Glenlivit is under an hours drive from where we’re staying and have to take the old military road route, which is a fantastic drive anyway, so quite keen on going there. The red route looks quite fast too. Might do Glenlivit in the morning, come back, charge the batteries, big lunch in Ballater and do lochnager late afternoon / early evening

 

[Tubby G]

 

[The Hodge]

I've not done the Lochnagar route ( missed that trip) but from what I've heard ..there is a bit of hike a bike involved ?..

 

[Tubby G]

I've not done the Lochnagar route ( missed that trip) but from what I've heard ..there is a bit of hike a bike involved ?..

it looks quite a climb!

Lochnagar loop Route

Lochnagar loop Mountain Biking Route | Trailforks

Loop starting from Crathie near Balmoral, up and over Lochnagar and down past Carn an t-Sagairt Mor

www.trailforks.com

 

[Tonybro]

I've not done the Lochnagar route ( missed that trip) but from what I've heard ..there is a bit of hike a bike involved ?..

It is as you approach the summit and a few other places but fun (if on a light bike). It's nearly 30 years since I did it last...

 

[Clubby]

Wouldn’t be taking an ebike up Lochnagar, too much hike a bike. Way too techy for a beginner as well.
Be better to do Heartbreak ridge loop. Still some techy bits but they’ve been doing work recently and tidying it up. Really good flow. Can do that loop then over the newly rebuilt bridge and ride the trails at Cambus O’May.
Other option is up and round Loch Muick and back down via the Green Mile then Dame Judy Dench.
Comrie well worth a stop. Blue trail sounds just your other halves cup of tea. Trails harder than they’re grading. Not huge difference between red and black. Lots of rock. Cafe is worth visiting for alone.
Don’t forget the High Burnside trails is Aviemore as an evening ride.

 

[Tubby G]

Wouldn’t be taking an ebike up Lochnagar, too much hike a bike. Way too techy for a beginner as well.
Be better to do Heartbreak ridge loop. Still some techy bits but they’ve been doing work recently and tidying it up. Really good flow. Can do that loop then over the newly rebuilt bridge and ride the trails at Cambus O’May.
Other option is up and round Loch Muick and back down via the Green Mile then Dame Judy Dench.
Comrie well worth a stop. Blue trail sounds just your other halves cup of tea. Trails harder than they’re grading. Not huge difference between red and black. Lots of rock. Cafe is worth visiting for alone.
Don’t forget the High Burnside trails is Aviemore as an evening ride.

Appreciate that thanks, lochnager loop looks like landrover trails on the map but it’s also a hefty climb so did wonder what it’d be like towards the top

I’ll take a look at your suggestions cheers

 

[The Hodge]

I know that there is a wealth of route information online ..but these two books in particular have been great for me when travelling over the border ..
VP publishing have a range of guide books covering just about all of Britain

Adventure Books by Vertebrate Publishing - your adventures start here

The UK’s leading adventure book store. We write, publish and sell books to inspire, improve and encourage you to go further.

www.v-publishing.co.uk

 

[Clubby]

Here’s the reason everyone says make sure you stop at Comrie.

Perfect midweek skive while the wife’s at work and the wee lad’s at nursery.