For anyone interested in some bike packing in the North East of Scotland I've put together a 150 mile ITT route from Banchory into the Cairngorms and back.

It's got some pretty technical parts and takes in classics like the Fungle and Linn of Dee loop with some less well known bits too.

The route is up at www.deesidetrail.co.uk and I'm hoping to do a group ride starting on Sat 3rd of September.

Tried downloading the gpx but it goes to a google drive and although you can see all the xml code in there, when you upload that all it does is to upload the link and not the code...
(On an iPad that is... Just want a gpx not an hour faffing about with IT stuff, if you see what I mean... )

Make sense ?

There's a download button in middle at the top of the screen - works OK for me, let me know if it doesn't for you.

Nice one - I was thinking it would be a good area to do an ITT on and it covers some of my favourite trails - especially Glen Gairn - an awseome tech fest! All being well I should make the group start - I'll be able to confirm in a couple of weeks.

Planning to tour it next spring I reckon, no time this year really, unless October is nice hmmm

I managed to download it from that link - but it was a bit of a faff. Route looks interesting though - I'm definitely adding it to my bucket list.

Yeah it's pretty challenging in places. Glen Quoich into Glen Gairn is great, shame the floods have made such a mess of the paths in Glen Quoich though.

I'll see if I can find a less faffy way of hosting it, unfortunately WordPress limits the file types it will host and gpx isn't one of them.

Do you have a "qualifying time" in mind for the route for those that might want to do it as an ITT?

That's the link direct to the download now.

I've said 40h for now and I'll see how people get on - because of the way the bothies are it's best though of as two days with stop at Bob Scott's or similar, I'm not sure I'd want to do the Cairngorms sections in the dark. I haven't done the full route in one go because I did a few iterations (an early one went over Lochnagar but that was a bit much...) but I'm doing it fully in two weeks time so should have a better idea. I'm expecting around 32h depending on sleep, faffing etc.

That link's working perfectly now.

Have you considered listing it on selfsupporteduk.net?

I emailed to put it on selfsupporteduk a few days ago but no response yet. Also working on putting it on bikepacking.com.

adamwwallace wrote:I emailed to put it on selfsupporteduk a few days ago but no response yet.

I have sent two requests to have the Borders 350 put up over the last couple of months and not heard anything back.

Hi it looks great. Just one thing when I downloaded the gpx it shows up at XML file, not gpx and so it hasn't worked on bikehike.co.uk.

"Save as" NOT "view" and it saves as gpx.

Oooh looks interesting and I'm planning to have a cycling a trip sooth early September but not sure I'd want to compete in an ITT. I'll have a closer look and think....

Gpx downloaded straight into maverick on my phone with no issues

padonbike wrote:Hi it looks great. Just one thing when I downloaded the gpx it shows up at XML file, not gpx and so it hasn't worked on bikehike.co.uk.

[geek]
Gpx files are written in xml.
[/geek]

Moder-dye wrote:Oooh looks interesting and I'm planning to have a cycling a trip sooth early September but not sure I'd want to compete in an ITT. I'll have a closer look and think....

It's a good route to pick and choose bits of - had a great two short day rides from Ballater a few weeks ago, Green mile then up Glen Gelder onto this route by the bothy, followed the route to Linn of Dee then straight to Bob Scott's. Next day early start into Glen Quoich (bridges are down but you can wade easily where the road bridge was), along past Invercauld then back through lower Ballochbuie to Balmoral and South Deeside road.

If trying to roughly follow the route on the first day you can cut out loads of bits whenever near South Deeside by taking it till you pick the trail up again. Slowest bits are likely to be up Glen Tanar, Glen Muick to Ballochbuie, just before and after Braemar and up past White Bridge.

Second day is a bit trickier to shorten (presuming you stay somewhere near Linn of Dee/Derry Lodge) but you can cut off early down Glen Quoich or Gleann an t-Slugainn, from Gairnshiel you can get to Ballater and the Deeside way, from Tarland to Aboyne and Deeside Way, finally Torphins is a just a short road cycle back if you skip Learney Hill/Hill of Fare.

Cheers will check those alternatives out. Did the deesside way and linking through loch builg to the speyside way last year as my first proper trip with camp at cardovan .

Another good, not to HAB routes out from Aberdeen would be good to here of as i get the ferry down from Shetland to either Aberdeen or Scrabster. Saw a nice looking route involving Glenn almond 'gravel road's' loch taynand more in the area, but not worked out a nice route to from it.

In serious negotiations at home to get the pass out for the group start So I was looking at the gpx route on MemoryMap and there are quite a few places where the route does "unexpected" things and diverts off the very obvious track/path. I know I'm going to get called a pedant - but knowing how strict HTMeister Alan is with even minor deviations, I wondered if anyone could comment on how accurate the track is? For example through some of the forest (where the gps was probably struggling) - is there actually a route on the ground? The other question is whether Adam would like to comment on how strict he is going to be for the Group start

Howard emailed me some examples - they were just zoom level issues or the OS map not quite matching reality. I've ridden all of the route in stages apart from the White Bridge to Derry Lodge section this year so it's definitely all there. I'm doing it fully next weekend so I'll probably put a new GPX up afterwards to match my exact route for a final version as I know there has been a recent bit of forestry work near Lumphanan which might change things. From the ITT perspective I don't see any reason to be excessively strict with deviations as long as they're very short and look unintentional. If not doing an ITT then no need to follow any rules and use the route however you want.

Mates did White bridge to derry lodge via corrour bothy last week - defo the crux of this ride

I'm just back from the northern section of the Cairngorm Loops ITT. It's wet. Very wet. Geldie-Feshie watershed was basically one big sponge and I ended up walking in the dark until I reached the old stable down at the Feshie for some firm ground.

Oh no thanks for that report, will possibly need to amend my trip...

ScotRoutes wrote:I'm just back from the northern section of the Cairngorm Loops ITT. It's wet. Very wet. Geldie-Feshie watershed was basically one big sponge and I ended up walking in the dark until I reached the old stable down at the Feshie for some firm ground.

Pretty much par for the course everywhere at the mo. Another 'Summer' bites the dust..... (or mud )