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

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After a day in the rain, you’ll probably not want to ride a second day in wet kit, so take several changes of clothing. If you’re camping, make sure that it’s all well wrapped up in dry bags. Take something to wash out wet, dirty clothing with too. Great British Gravel Rides is not your ordinary cycling guidebook. Instead of simply compiling a variety of routes to ride, I (Markus Stitz) took a different approach and introduce you to key people in the gravel riding world, understand their motivation for cycling and to ride their favourite routes in Britain. The book features a total of 25 different routes for beginners, intermediate and expert riders, spread across England, Scotland and Wales.

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. 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.” With a social ride the day before the action begins, and the accompanying festival Raiders Gravel has the optimal mix of competition, adventure, exertion, culture and relaxation, making for an unforgettable cycling event in one of Scotland ’ s unspoilt gems.Plan your own Highlands adventure Meet Neil Henderson, the Komoot Pioneer who organised the team’s Highland fling. 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.

Before reaching that promised land, however, there was the other promise that Neil had mentioned at the start – crossing that aforementioned “boggy” bit. It would transpire that “boggy” was a gross understatement, with the emphasis very firmly on gross.From our earliest products, the objectives at Kinesis UK have always been to create bikes, bike frames, wheels and components for road, cyclocross, adventure and mountain bikes that excel in UK riding conditions. For us to put a Kinesis UK badge on any product it must be well made and dependable all year round, perform at a level beyond its price point and help people have fun while riding or in use. The Far North Way - stretching from the Highland capital of Inverness to the northernmost point of mainland Britain, John O'Groats. Scotland is probably best experienced in the late spring or early autumn, unless you’re looking for a heroic winter adventure. High summer tends to bring out the tourists and holidaymakers and so can get busy. Midges have their heyday through the summer too. Being so far north, daylight hours are long through much of the period from April to mid-September.

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. Contains 28 routes, ranging from 31 to 128 kilometres in length, exploring the very best gravel riding that Scotland has to offer. Momentum was slow early on, as we frequently paused to allow the eye-popping vistas wash over us. We were also climbing a steep hill out of our base, the sleepy village of Kinloch Rannoch. This may also have had an impact on our progress. The National Cycle Network is made up of signposted walking and cycle routes that connect towns, cities and the great outdoors.

Haldon Heroic Gravel Sportive

We love the coastal gravel roads in the Isle of Wight (if you have not ridden here, make sure it’s on your to do list soon) and by contrast, the hills & forests of North Wales make this one of our most popular rides. I was also keen to make as many routes available by public transport as possible, so we can encourage people to get out of their cars and use their bikes.” Our stunning routes take riders on three challenging stages though the Galloway Forest Park, witnessing its stunning beauty and wildlife, with almost every kilometre off road. And while each of the three days are different, all will touch Raiders Road, a 16km gravel trail running east to west which lends the event its name. Trains offer a great way to link up routes. Scotland is home to some iconic train lines like the West Highland Line and the Scot Rail from Glasgow to Oban (and soon extending to Fort William), which has dedicated bike carriages. Some routes rely on trains, such as Beauly to Ardgay, so train stations are indicated to help you link up the rides.