Looking for a bit more of an adventure from your next mountain bike ride?
You need to break out of the trail centers and explore some proper back-country and untamed mountains.
Scotland is just the place… Here’s our favourite Scottish mountain bike rides that aren’t trail centers.
As we discovered in our very popular article “so you don’t like trail centers, huh?“, not everyone likes to stick to the man-made trails.
Whilst the 7 Stanes do offer some amazing all-weather, way-marked trails there is a whole other world of gold to be discovered if you’re willing to get out and explore. Thanks to Scotland’s mountain bike friendly right to roam laws there are hundreds of miles of truly epic trails to sink your tyres in to.
Our man Pete spends an insane amount of time in the mountains on his push bike – as experts go on back-country mountain biking in Scotland, he’s not half bad. We’ve asked him to pick 5 of his very favourites.
Here are some of our very favourite Scottish NON-trail center rides – as chosen by Web-Editor Pete.
1. Achnashellach.
A truly superlative ride that feels far greater than its 14-mile distance, mostly thanks to the gentle ascent from the road at the start and the fact that you’ll be distracted by undiluted Highland splendour in all directions. The descent is one that truly has to be ridden to be fully understood.
A true Highland classic that no manner of superb descriptive words can truly do justice and a staple of Go-Where Scotland’s repertoire. There aren’t many rides that are further away from anywhere though, the start being a full 2 hours north and west of Fort William. If it’s some empty mountains and disconnection you’re after however, this is pretty much a must.
Google maps link to Achnashellach.
2. Ben Ledi.
While certainly not the tallest peak in Scotland, Ben Ledi more than makes up for it with a sensibly strenuous ascent, killer views once atop the Bealach nan Corp (Pass of the Dead, relating to its former use as a coffin road) on the full summit approach, and of course the summit itself.
A personal favourite and my go-to mountain now that I have worked out that I can get here quicker than I can to Ben Lomond. A less-defined path and some flat-out, open gallops are interspersed with moments of sheer terror and slower-than-walking sniper moves. The perfect vantage point to enjoy a summer sunset and pick out distant peaks as they disappear into the horizon’s haze before racing back to the car park. Chose to head back up the fire road to take in the bottom half of Stank Glen’s descent at your discretion.
3. Dunkeld.
A good place to head when things out west seem a little damp and windy. Dunkeld seems to be considerably drier, at least as far as rain goes, maybe not so much the trails, than home. Offering a good mix of the sublime and the ridiculous depending on your disposition.
The folks at Flotec Suspension have worked wonders, handcrafting the madness that saw so many people getting wild at the opening round of the 2016 Scottish Enduro Series courtesy of some overnight rain the night before race day. Technical, steep or both should you so require it, Dunkeld is a fine place to tune the legs on the climbs and the skills on the descents regardless of the conditions.
Google maps link to Dunkeld and local info.
4. Ben Lawers and Beinn Ghlas.
Two Munros (mountains over 3000ft/914m) in one glorious, technical hit.
You’ll need strong legs, good skills and some knee pads for this one. I wait all year for the snow to clear off the UK’s 10th highest peak, with snow lasting well into the summer here on the higher reaches. Wind is also a major factor here, so still, sunny days are ones to be cherished.
The ascent is long and gentle until you meet the bealach between the Tarmachan Ridge and Beinn Ghlas where you’ll be pushing into the corrie before cruising along to more hike-a-bike from the northern end to the summit of Ben Lawers. From here on a clear day, all the peaks of fame in Scotland can be seen. With few mountains taller, Goat Fell on Arran, the Cuillin, Ben Nevis and Ben Macdui can all be picked out. The descent from 1214m is a good hour’s worth of vary degrees of rocky madness.
These two peaks do sit in a National Trust for Scotland nature reserve, so keep to the paths and don’t eat the wildlife.
5. Dumyat.
Dumyat, just north of Stirling is a local classic for walkers, runner, horse riders and cyclists alike. Mostly flat-out off the summit, with short, sharp technical sections that have the tyres struggling for grip on the wet grass or loose gravel. Cut Media‘s Stu Thomson is the only rider to have completed the ‘No Dab Challenge’ from the access gate to the summit, including hopping the barbed wire fence at the midway point.
As sunny day’s make this ride pretty busy, and for the most part, the hill being a death grip affair, this is best tackled in atrocious conditions with a pack of riders all vying to be out in front, as the video above attests to. Slow and steady just doesn’t feel the same down this hill. Round out the ride with a skid through ‘Uni’ and Mine Woods before washing the grit out of your eyes.
Want to ride any of these?
None of these are easy rides. Don’t ride them alone, leave plenty of day light, check the weather conditions in advance and tell someone where you’re going with an agreed check time for your return. The mountains aren’t going anywhere. Sack it off if it’s getting sketchy and come back another day.
You can’t take these on in the same way you would a trail centre lap – you need good quality clothing that can withstand the elements, even in summer. You need food and water and you need a first aid kit. A mobile phone with plenty of battery goes without saying. Go easy and ride safe, if you injure yourself the chances are you’ll be going home in a helicopter after a long wait.
For advice on exploring the mountains in Scotland check out Walk Highlands or the Ramblers advice pages. For accurate upland weather, check out the Mountain Weather Information Service.
If you’d like some local help finding these routes you can contact Go-Where Scotland for Scottish mountain bike guiding, tours and adventures, including their “Big Mountain Safari“, a big mountain, bespoke tour.
