Wilderness Riding

While the purpose built centres have placed Scotland firmly on the mountain biking world map there are many who say that it is the Highland’s more remote mountain biking and non-waymarked routes that make it truly world class.

Coast-to-coast rides are always appealing. And Scotland even boasts a coast-coast-coast option (there and back again!), across the narrow band of land separating Ullapool and Bonar Bridge, north of Inverness: still a longish ride (38 miles each way), but without too much serious climbing. The Highland Cross route, from Morvich in Kintail to Beauly, via Glen Affric and Cannich, is another good coast to coast. At the other end of the scale is a truly epic 250-mile journey from Aberdeen to Ardnamurchan Point – the longest coast-to-coast in Scotland?

The Aberdeen- Ardnamurchan route traverses the Cairngorms, mountains that can be explored for days by mountain bike. Many of the tracks here are fantastic - from short blasts such as Ryvoan Pass and Sluggan Pass to longer rides, including Glen Feshie to White Bridge. Across the Spey, the Burma Road is a Scottish mountain biking classic, which can be done as a day-long loop connecting Aviemore and Carrbridge while just to the south is the famous Corrieyairack Pass connecting the Spey with Loch Ness.

Many other classics are concentrated in the Highlands, with the Arkle Loop, following old stalking tracks in the North West, known by the few who have completed it as one of the very best and toughest wilderness routes in the UK while on Skye, the tough and technical ride through Glen Sligachan has been voted the best singletrack trail in Britain by MBR magazine. In Lochaber, Fersit to Fort William offers what has been described as the longest continuous off-road ride in the UK - and one of the remotest.

We can only mention a selection of routes but for more ideas two particularly useful websites are www.offroadadventures-online.com and, specifically for Lochaber www.ridefortwilliam.com. Also, if you’re considering some remote riding, remember to check out our safety in the wilds page first.