Gravel Rides Scotland: 28 gravel bike adventures in the wilds of Scotland

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Beautifully illustrated, easy to use and with a ton of useful information … perfect for exploring on two wheels.’Richard Bath, Scottish Field

Along the way, you’ll pass Cowper’s Alcove, Cowper and Newton Museum, the Emberton Country Park, Great Linford Manor Park and Bradwell Windmill.The mountain biking trails on Cathkin Braes in Glasgow were developed for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Simon Wilkinson / SWPix.com There is also a handy Sustrans map for you to see where routes start and end, what cities, towns and attractions are nearby, how difficult the route is and more. Here are a few route suggestions to get you started: The best months for riding in Scotland are usually May-June, and September-October, avoiding midges and tourists in the peak summer months, and snow and unpredictable weather over the winter. Weather is a major factor in planning any outdoor activity, but the fact that gravel routes are mostly all-weather surfaces holding up against most rain or snow conditions means they can be ridden in most conditions if you’re prepared with the right clothing and considerations.

Raiders Gravel is all things to all cyclists. Race it or simply ride it, we have three stages on some of the UK’s best gravel trails through the heart of the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere.While the Cairngorms are home to four of the five highest mountains in Scotland, there are no extreme climbs and descents on the route, which is suitable to ride on gravel and mountain bikes. Several businesses along the route offer bike hire and bike-friendly accommodation. You can find out more here. I follow lots of people on Komoot that I find really inspiring and they get me amped up to explore and ride more. That’s really useful if you’re all out of ideas.” Contains 28 routes, ranging from 31 to 128 kilometres in length, exploring the very best gravel riding that Scotland has to offer.

The mountain bike trails on Cathkin Braes were custom-built to host cycling events at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. This gives you a certain guarantee of the trail quality and, sure enough, there’s some serious infrastructure up there. Scotland is home to trails and routes galore that allow you to safely explore the country away from busy main roads, using a mix of railway path, canal towpath, forest road, shared-use path, and cycle lanes. Oban to Fort William (route 78) - these popular Highland towns are connected by 48 miles of mostly flat paths that take you past lochs, castles and the picturesque coastline.

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The other thing that I found really interesting is that we passed a house which used to host a recording studio, where Jamiroquai and Portishead recorded albums. So you get routes in the book that have all these big landscapes and stories centred around them, and then you have these more urban routes where popular culture creeps in. The route takes in everything from Glen Fearnach and Glen Tilt to the Cairngorms, the River Tay (Scotland’s longest river) and even passes the last surviving oak tree from the wood that inspired Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

The National Cycle Network is made up of signposted walking and cycle routes that connect towns, cities and the great outdoors. The book is extremely well illustrated as he is not only good at plotting routes, but Markus is a fine photographer which adds to the tease of the book.’ Jeff Price, fat-bike.com The Loch Ness 360 - connecting the Great Glen Way and the South Loch Ness Trail, keep your eyes peeled for Nessie as you pedal around the surrounding countryside.Leading on from that, it’s versatile, instead of owning and maintaining both a mountain bike and a road bike, plump for one gravel bike. Start from the south and head north to take advantage of the, potentially strong, prevailing winds rather than spending your days riding into a headwind. The route is waymarked so it’s easy to follow.