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

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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. 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. It’s perfect for beginners. It’s straightforward and easily accessible with so many routes to choose from. You don’t have to include technical riding or massive inclines unless you want to. For each route, Markus sought out a gravel rider based in the area, from GBDURO winners Josh Ibbett and Gail Brown in East Anglia to Markus’ fellow round-the-world record holders in Scotland, Jenny Graham and Mark Beaumont. The end result is a guidebook which is not only full of local expertise and exceptional bike routes, but which also has more of a human edge. Stitz 26 routes are split between Wales, England and Scotland, and each is based on the expertise of local riders. Photo: Markus Stitz

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. We launched this brand believing that UK riders will appreciate products that are carefully designed to make UK riding better and are affordable and over the years many thousands of Kinesis customers have agreed with us.Along the way, you’ll pass Cowper’s Alcove, Cowper and Newton Museum, the Emberton Country Park, Great Linford Manor Park and Bradwell Windmill. 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.” 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.

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. Gravel Rides Scotland by Ed Shoote contains 28 routes, ranging from 31 to 128 kilometres in length, exploring the very best gravel riding that Scotland has to offer.Beautifully illustrated, easy to use and with a ton of useful information … perfect for exploring on two wheels.’Richard Bath, Scottish Field 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. 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. 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

Our 4.5 stage route in Slovenia goes from the shores of Lake Bled to the Adriatic through the foothills of the Julian Alps, deep forests and rolling hills. Plus, with the Freedom to Roam Act, you can explore gravel and mixed terrain routes throughout all of Scotland (albeit with some exceptions), as long as you act responsibly.” Komoot tips 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.

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The Highland Perthshire Drovers Trail is just one route that proves if you miss out on Perthshire, you’re missing out on some of the best of Scotland. 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. With over 20 years in the cycling industry, we’ve built up a fantastic amount of in-house experience, talent and depth in our team. Our knowledge and expertise at selecting the best materials, the right components, design, construction, engineering and manufacturing partners through to colours and design. We use international elite cyclists to test all of our bikes and this culmination has seen Kinesis UK flourish and grow. We worked with the Cateran Ecomuseum on the development of seven new road, gravel and mountain bike journeys of varying lengths. You can find out more here. 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.