Oban to Aberdeen

[ericrobo]

Or maybe to Stonehaven

What triggered this was IanF's idea of a list of long distance routes, gpx's.

One of my early Scottish explorations was Oban to Aberdeen - 200 miles, done in 1997, end of October, well before all the fancy rackless gear we have now, and NO gpx, just copies of bits of maps.

Started Sunday, arrived at the sea in Aberdeen Thursday afternoon.
Took plenty pictures with my camera to discover later there was no film in it

Blessed with dry cold weather.

With some modifications this could be a really great trip, with some good riding, and a bit of H-A-B second to none (only about 3 miles but certainly a lot of bang for your buck)

The last 40 miles were on a (quiet) road though... better options via Mount Keen, but I've not been there so couldn't vouch for anything...

The section from Gorton Bothy to Rannoch Forest (probably less than 3 miles) took two and a half hours... ( but quite a few on here would relish that no doubt )

I would have to create a gpx via Memory Map

Thinking about it (I'm not riding until a week today, resting a persistent shoulder injury) there could be quite a quality route there:

Oban to Taynuilt - 12 miles very quiet back road
Then over the River Awe on a weird narrow suspension bridge, and a good rideable undulating track on the east side of Loch Etive, as far as Glen Kinglass
Good track (mainly, but a bit of bog later) to Forest Lodge (on WHWay)
And more good track to join the A82
I went down the road for half a mile then took the track eastwards 6 miles to Gorton Bothy
Then the bad bit, really bad...

Over the deer fence (locked !) and into Rannoch Forest: some technical single track at first before joining a good track.
I came out at Bridge of Gaur, then took the minor road on the south side of Loch Rannoch , as far as Kinloch Rannoch- but a good variation would be to take the HT550 route until it heads south, then use the forest tracks to get nearer to Kinloch Rannoch.
I used the B846 to the minor road just before Tummel Bridge, where I turned left then after a kilometre took the forest track through Tummel Forest all the way to Edintian.
From there it was just over the moor but still riding until Tomanraid, then a 'sort of' track until the huge descent (rideable... ) to Blair Atholl.

From there up Glen Tilt and the normal way to Braemar.
Road to Invercauld Bridge then good tracks via Balmoral, to swing south on a good track to Glen Muick.
Track down Glen Muick to emerge at Ballater.
I took the quieter road from there to Aberdeen, but I'm sure there are better options by heading towards Mount Keen, and maybe emerging at Stonehaven

I can concoct a gpx if it's worth it.

What we need though is some good off-road from Glen Muick, to perhaps Stonehaven.

What matters most, at least to me, is a great off-road adventure with good riding and technical bits if possible, and... not too much H-A-B, in good country.

If someone can provide a gpx of routes from Glen Muick I'll provide the earlier part...

??

[Moder-dye]

Any nice route with a start/finish in the Aberdeen area is useful for me, so I'd be interested in seeing more detail and a GPX

[fatbikephil]

Good idea! If you want to miss out the Gorton to Gaur bog trot you could head south from Forest lodge to Bridge of Orchy, down the WHW then east on the Highland trail route to Loch Rannoch then you could keep following the HT route as far as Loch Pattack, go to Loch Ericht and then Dalwhinnie to The end of Glen Tromie via a stalking track and wades road. Or from Loch Rannoch you could head over the newly improved track to Loch Ossian and then follow the old HT route to Lagan, a bit of road riding then taking you to the end of Glen Tromie. After that head north and east to Deeside via the Cairngorms loop (a mash up of the inner to Glen more then outer to Deeside) Then follow the Deeside Trail to Ballater, then the Deeside way to Aberdeen.

You could add in Cambletown to Oban via a mash up of the Kintyre way and the Sustrans Caledonia Way. Sort of a far South West to North East route

[ericrobo]

Phil
Is it rideable from Dalwhinnie to Glen Tromie ?
Do you mean the track to Loch Cuaich ? Heading for Bran Cottage ?

Deeside Way is interesting. I suppose it didn't exist in 1997 when I was doing my route ?

[padonbike]

sounds like a good route
you know you can create gpx for free on OS using bikehike.co.uk - only problem is it's not so good in the evening as the OS usage allowance may have run out by then.
One of the Phil Kane books on MTB routes in Scotland mentions the Taynault bit and I agree it seems natural to link it to Gorton bothy.

[ScotRoutes]

If I was heading from Dalwhinnie to pick up the Cairngorm Loop trail I'd go up Glen Truim then cross over the A9 at Etteridge and take the Wade Road past Phones to Ruthven and then Tromie Bridge.

[ericrobo]

Thanks Colin, I thought Phil meant that way.

(Philip: In the Phil McKane guide his route goes from Tyndrum to Taynuilt)

From Gorton Bothy going east towards Rannoch it really is desperate, and I had to get across the railway too, and by co-incidence or luck I emerged from the trenches exactly where the signpost was pointing west !!
But the deer fence gate was locked so I had to take my luggage off the bike and climb over.

But I'm thinking the best option would be to follow Phil's suggestion and head down the WHW and follow the HT550 to Rannoch then Ericht, and the brilliant single-track...

Which triggers another thought:
The idea of a route which aims for quality riding in good country as much as possible, never aiming for the most 'sensible' way to get from A to B. A lot of my local rides are just like that, tough technical up hills, brilliant singletrack, a good mixture of solid tracks, a bit of mud thrown in, moorland as well.

So following Phil's idea would get us to Loch Morlich.

Next question would be higher loop to Tomintoul or Bynack More to Linn of Dee ? (probably the latter)

Then which way from Braemar ? Perhaps part of the Deeside Trail...

[ScotRoutes]

Next question would be higher loop to Tomintoul or Bynack More to Linn of Dee ? (probably the latter)

Split the difference? Loch Morlich to Ryvoan, then Forest Lodge then pick up the upper loop. That gives the most riding. The only really good part you skip is the descent into Glen Derry and you miss the hike-a-bike between Bynack Mor and Glen Derry.

[fatbikephil]

oops missed the follow up to this - basically what he said!

[adamwwallace]

Depending on what you're looking for there are some interesting bits between Braemar and Aberdeen. The Deeside trail does most of the ones close to the North side of the river although it would be quicker to skip the section on Morvern (the descent down on the east side of Morvern is a nice challenge though) and cut from Gairnshiel to Ballater, nip through some of the single track by Cambus O'May, down the Deeside Way and then over the top of Hill of Fare for the descent down the East side from the mast. There are some nice trails in Countesswells to finish off heading into Aberdeen.

If you're looking at the south side of the Dee then go through Ballochbuie to Ballater (descents in this area come from the south, northwards down to the river unfortunately) and consider the green mile or heartbreak ridge from Glenmuick. You can pickup the fungle trails or Scolty trails before Banchory then some of the trails in Durris and Swanley if you go south to stonehaven. Mtbtrails.info and trailforks will give you most of these and an OS map should be fine to link them up.

If you don't have much time then the Deeside way all the way to Aberdeen is pretty quick, otherwise there are forestry trails along the tops of most of the hills north and south which will keep you off roads but avoid anything too technical.