Cairngorm MTB Classic Trails
SELF GUIDED
– BESPOKE ITINERARY – PRIVATE BOOKINGS ONLY – MIN 1: MAX 5 PEOPLE
A great long weekend break for the mountain biking enthusiast. Accessible bike rides from the door of your accommodation.
The natural trails in the Cairngorms National Park are world-class for mountain biking. There are miles of off-road tracks criss-crossing the moors and hills. We picked out 3 of the classic routes which can be done from our front door, meaning that once you arrive you won’t need to get back in your car until the end of your trip and neither will you need to ride the roads on your bike.
Highlights:
- Pass of Ryvoan
- Glenn Einich
- Burma Road
- some steep climbs
- spectacular views
- No great technicalities involved
MEETING POINTS
Aviemore station
Pick up can be arranged from Inverness airport (supplement applies) – £70 per airport pick up.
INCLUDES
- 4 nights accommodation at Fraoch Lodge
- all meals (including picnic lunch)
- mountain bike hire
- maps and route descriptions (GPX files provided if required)
- pick up/drop off at Aviemore station
We can provide pick up from Inverness airport at £70 per group.
PRICE
Single person booking: £398
2 or more people: £360 per person
mountain biking in scotland: wild routes
We’ve picked out some of the best natural trails for you to explore through the Cairngorms. There are some strenuous ascents, particularly on the Burma Road. The downhill sections soon wipe out the memory of toiling uphill. There are also exceptional eateries on your routes including Carrbridge Kitchen, Glenmore Cafe (run by Cobbs) or the Red Squirrel Cafe and Carrbridge Old Bakery. Some routes head deep into the Park so picnics and snacks are required so you don’t go short “en route”.
mountain biking in scotland: what time to visit
Every season has it’s advantages and disadvantages. The key thing to remember about mountain biking in Scotland is that you can generally find a route to ride to suit any ability and any weather conditions. So long as you have the right gear with you, then there is never a wrong time to to out biking. However, always ask advice from your hosts (if they are cyclists) or from a local bike shop. The local expers are much more likely to know which trails should be avoided for maintenance or any other reason.
Relevant blogs
Trail centres in the Cairngorms
Enquire about this tour
Day of arrival
Arrive Fraoch Lodge the evening before you intend to head out on a route. We would suggest aiming to arrive some time around 7pm so that you have a chance to put your feet up by the fire before dinner. However, if your work commitments don’t allow you get to Fraoch Lodge by 7pm we will be happy to keep dinner for you or serve you some light refreshments when you arrive.
Day 1
Gleann Einich & part of the Speyside Way – Boat of Garten – Aviemore – Loch Einich and return
Limited opportunities for cake & coffee stops on this ride.
Road cycling and mountain biking in the Cairngorms are increasingly popular
Day 2
Kinkardine Circuit through Abernethy Forest national nature reserve owned by the RSPB, pass Loch Garten and the Osprey Hide and through Ryvoan Pass.
Mountain biking in Scotland – a verdant journey through the countryside
Day 3
Burma road above Aviemore. Pub lunch in Carrbridge.
Return to Fraoch Lodge to freshen up before departure. Do feel free to stay on and explore the area or ask us for more details of extensions we can offer to your trip. There are also the organised mountain biking centres which you won’t have had a chance to explore. Glenlivet Mountain Biking Centre is an excellent set of trails and you can link their rides with a visit to the distillery.
During the Burma Road classic
Optional Extra Days:
- Ride the Glenlivet bike trails at the mountain biking trail centre. Expertly designed downhill runs with technical challenges for all abilities. Red route approx 22 km. Then visit the Glenlivet Distillery and learn the full whisky story under expert tutellage with a guided tasting at the Whisky Castle.
- Ride the wild tracks in the Glenlivet area including a tour of the distillery and a visit to the Whisky Castle.
- Ride the Great Glen Way from Drumnadrochit to Inverness
Please contact us for prices if you are considering any of these possible extensions.
We asked our guests what sets Scot Mountain Holidays apart, why they return year after year:
“the social aspect” – “the camaraderie, food and conversation” –
“the company of the hosts” – “so warm and welcoming” –
“a profound sense of belonging” – “the welcome of Rebecca’s home cooked meal” – “Andy’s skills as a guide, naturalist and leader” – “stewardship, sustainability and a small footprint” – “in harmony with the land” – “a slice of rural Scottish life”
Scot Mountain Holidays is the ONLY adventure tour operator in Highlands of Scotland with a combined home and guest lodge. We strive to be more than just an tour. We aim to provide you with a ‘home away from home’ on your adventures. We thought of no better way of doing this than to welcome you into our own home.
We have owned and operated Fraoch Lodge as our home base and business since 1999. In that time, we have come to embrace our guests as members of our extended Highland family.
We source our meals from locally produced and home grown ingredients to provide you with the most delicious flavours and traditions the area has to offer (while minimising our impact on the environment, too). Our dining room and lounge are shared spaces where we gather with guests and friends to share in the holiday and offer you extensive knowledge of your tour.
No matter the season, the Cairngorms and Fraoch Lodge is a place to relax and explore all its beauty and comforts, and we hope to make you feel as at home as we are.
We have achieved Gold Star Awards from the world’s most highly respected green accreditation scheme, Green Tourism, and were awarded Highly Commended in their Green Star Awards 2013 for both Scot Mountain Holidays and Fraoch Lodge. We offer a Green Travel Discount of £15 to any guests who travel to us by public transport. Our primary aim is to minimise the carbon footprint of our holidays, and to this end we donate 1% of the price of our tours to the RSPB’s Abernethy Reforestation project.
It is a holistic approach we have to the care of the environment. Andy your adventure guide has a passion for the natural world – whether it’s the flora, fauna or fungi. He has a background in geology and a lifelong interest in natural history, as well as being a keen gardener. He knows a Golden Plover from a Dotterel, a Green Shank and a Dunlin. He also makes no apologies to being very excitable upon spying a Golden Eagle!
For further information, please don’t hesitate to check out our Environmental Responsibility page, or contact us directly at info@scotmountainholidays.com.
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