Mountain Biking in West and North West Scotland

By Sean Benz

This guidebook to mountain biking routes in West and North West Scotland describes 25 MTB routes north of the Great Glen, Covering a large geographical area, including Fort William, Rannoch Moor, Glen Spean, Ben Nevis, Sutherland, Torridon and Skye, the routes give a real flavour of the variety of different bike riding available. The routes range from 19.5km to 73.25km, graded moderate to very hard. Many are long and committing, so good preparation and fitness are essential, and in some cases a willingness to "hike and bike".

Each route has a clear and detailed route description along with 1:50,000 OS mapping and a height profile. All routes have key information, including distance on and off-road, ascent, grade, time and the nearest pub and cafe. There is also advice on equipment, planning and preparation, and maintenance, before you hit the trails.

Scotland is rightly regarded as one of the world's top mountain bike destinations, with magnificent riding and stunning scenery. From the self-proclaimed Outdoor Capital of the UK, Fort William, to the majesty of the Outdoor Hebrides, this guide you will access some of the wildest and remote parts of Scotland, offering scintillating single track, challenging descents, incredible mountain vistas and many rewarding days in the saddle.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cicerone Press
• Release date: Jun 30, 2016
• ISBN: 9781783623518

Sean Benz

From an early age the bike has been integral for mini adventures around Sean’s native Liverpool where a modified bike was used to weave and race through the narrow alleyways of the local allotments. With Scottish roots, countless holidays were spent north of the border, which eventually led to Scotland becoming home. Sean’s mountain bike adventures have extended to Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia, although one place remains dear, and that’s Scotland and its Highlands and Islands. From mountain bike races, adventure races, outdoor education and guided mountain bike trips as a qualified Scottish Mountain Bike Leader, he has built an extensive knowledge base of the Highlands and Islands.

Book preview

Peace and solitude in the wild north west (Stage 21)

ROUTE SUMMARY TABLE

Rocky riding on the way down to Loch Leven (A Jaworski) (Route 2)

INTRODUCTION

Heading through the Lairig Mor towards Fort William (Route 1)

Scotland is rightly regarded as one of the world’s top mountain bike destinations. The development and investment into trail building has been substantial and has created many fabulous and varied ‘trail centres’, each offering their own unique style of riding. In the West Highlands, Fort William is home to the UCI Down Hill drawing up to 20,000 spectators each year for the adrenalin fuelled event that is regarded as one of the toughest on the circuit.

Away from this, the magnificent riding and stunning scenery on offer has received much coverage through social media by the likes of Danny MacAskgill and Steve Peat. With that kind of endorsement, you know you’re in the right place to hit the trails.

With the largest concentration of high mountains in the UK, the Scottish Highlands were always set to offer some of the finest mountain biking around. Scotland is a big place and each region offers its own distinctive style of riding and scenery. Although the glens may not be the great wilderness areas they once were, they remain wild lands and are certainly not to be underestimated. Man has influenced the landscape over the centuries and the grand Caledonian Forest has long since gone, with only a few pockets still remaining. Sheep and cattle have taken over, resulting in over grazing, and now there is a proliferation of wind farms pushing their way into the hills.

Tough climbing from the start out of Bridge of Orchy (Route 1)

Many of the paths, tracks and roads used in the guide are centuries old and steeped in history. The drove roads were built to drive cattle from the Highlands to the markets in the south of Scotland. Other tracks connected the communities that existed before the Highland Clearances. Military roads were built by General Wade in the 1700s to speed troop movements through the Highlands to suppress the Jacobite uprising. Amazingly, many of these trails are still in excellent condition and evidence of the hard base still exists.

The guide covers a large geographical area from the self proclaimed Outdoor Capital of the UK, Fort William, to the majesty of the Outer Hebrides and the grandeur of the mountains of Torridon and Skye. The routes have been chosen to give a real flavour of the variety of riding available. Many are long and committing, which require good preparation, fitness and the willingness in some cases to ‘hike and bike’. With that in mind, you will access some of the wildest and most remote parts of Scotland offering scintillating singletrack, challenging descents, incredible mountain vistas and a sense of adventure not found anywhere else. No single visit will allow you to sample all there is but hopefully it will entice you back with its multitude of challenges and many rewarding days in the saddle.

Trail centres

The development of trail centres throughout Scotland has helped raise its reputation as a world-class mountain bike destination. Trail centres are certainly a good alternative when the weather is poor as the trails generally hold up well in these conditions.

Nevis Range at Fort William receives all the attention with the famed down hill course. There is still plenty on offer away from this if you are looking for something tamer. The ‘Witches Trail’ and ‘Ten under the Ben’ routes provide some fun red grade riding and there’s also a red grade trail using the gondola uplift. Just under an hour’s drive east from Fort William is Laggan Wolftrax, which has a mix of good red and black grade routes; there’s even a bike uplift if you need it!

If you are heading to the North West and if time permits, it’s worth checking out Learnie Red Rocks on the Black Isle which has red and black grade trails. Further north is Golspie and Balblair that could be biked on the same day. Both are certainly well worth the effort of the extended drive giving some excellent riding. A short drive heading west from Inverness is the village of Strathpeffer, which is home to the gruelling 24-hour ‘Strathpuffer’. This race is unique as it takes place in January with the shortest daylight hours. Adding the harsh winter conditions of snow and ice make this one of the toughest 24-hour races in the world. The trail is not waymarked so call in at the Square Wheels bike shop in the village to pick up a trail map and the helpful staff will point you in the right direction.

Many of the trails are on Forestry Commission land and further information can be found on www.scotland.forestry.gov.uk/activities/mountain-biking. This will also provide information on any closures due to trail maintenance.

Getting there and around

If you are travelling by car, there are two possible routes depending on the final destination. For the West Highlands, take the A82 from Glasgow towards Fort William. You can then continue on towards the North West for a more scenic drive. Alternatively the A9 in the east is the quickest route to the North West and Islands, heading towards Inverness first, then west to Gairloch, Skye and beyond.

The train to Fort William is a wonderful way to arrive in the area especially if you take the ‘Sleeper Service’ from London Euston. There’s no better way than to wake up to stunning views of the hills as you cross Rannoch Moor before arriving in Fort William. A good rail service also runs to Inverness directly from Edinburgh if you are planning on heading to the North West Highlands. It’s really important to make reservations in advance remembering to book your bike as well. Many services only have limited space for bikes and get booked quickly in the height of the summer.

Flying is another option with Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness being serviced by the ‘low cost’ airlines. It’s easy to then pick up a hire car. Just make sure you pack your bike well or organise a hire bike at your intended destination.

If you plan to head to the Outer Hebrides, you will need to travel to Uig on Skye or Ullapool in the North West for the ferry. If you take the Uig–Tarbert ferry you can leave the car at the ferry terminal and just take the bike, but again remember to book in advance.

Many of the routes in the book require the use of a car to explore the area. The exception to this is Fort William, which makes a perfect base for a long weekend of mountain biking. You will be able to incorporate two of the toughest rides in the book, Routes 1 and 3, and a couple of easier rides, Routes 4 and 5. By taking the train to Tulloch Bridge, it’s also possible to do Route 6 with a little extra riding to the start of the route. If time allows you could also ride the trails at Nevis Range.

Watching the wildlife high in the Harris Hills (Route 24)

Accommodation

There is a diverse range of accommodation available throughout West and North West Scotland depending on your budget. Camping, bunkhouses, B&Bs, hotels and guesthouses are all available. The best place to start is the Visit Scotland website (www.visitscotland.com) which also has bike friendly accommodation providers. See also Appendix D, which lists a selection of bike friendly hostels, and Appendix E, which lists tourist information centres throughout the area, good sources of information, including accommodation.

It’s highly recommended that you book your accommodation in advance, particularly if you are thinking of staying in Fort William, Skye or Harris during the height of the season. Further north the choice becomes limited and again booking is essential in the summer months.

A few areas naturally lend themselves to be perfect bases for riding. In the West either Fort William or Spean Bridge; especially the latter as it allows short drives to Routes 8 and 9 to the north and Routes 6 and 7 to the east. In the North West, Kinlochewe or Torridon for Routes 16, 17, 18 and 19. On Skye, Broadford would make a good base for Routes 22 and 23 and Tarbert on Harris for Routes 24 and 25. All of the suggested bases have a good range of accommodation.

Along the shores of Loch Eilde Mor with the backdrop of the Glen Coe peaks (Route 3)

Equipment

Whatever you decide to ride and take with you will determine both your enjoyment and safety. Appendix A lists bike shops throughout the area should you need to restock, obtain last minute items or get assistance.

Bike

All of the routes in this book have been ridden on various bikes including ‘hardtails’ of under £1000, carbon full suspension bikes, disc and ‘v’ brakes, and 26in and 29in wheels. There’s no doubt that a full suspension bike will make any long day