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

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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. Plan your own Highlands adventure Meet Neil Henderson, the Komoot Pioneer who organised the team’s Highland fling.

Big Rides: Great Britain and Irelandis an inspirational guide to the most iconic, epic and popular long-distance cycle trails in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland, including two excursions from mainland Britain to Northern France. The twenty-five featured routes showcase the best of Britain on two wheels. For those who prefer to pedal on-road, the routes take you along the historic Way of the Roses trail through Lancaster and York, as well as across Scotland’s Atlantic perimeter on the Hebridean Way. The trails head off-road to Northern England’s hills on the Sea to Sea (C2C) and past iconic monuments in Southern England on King Alfred’s Way. Mountain bike enthusiasts will find plenty to challenge them in the Sarn Helen and through the Scottish Highlands on the renowned Highland Trail 550. The routes then head offshore, to Ireland’s coast on the Wild Atlantic Way and from Devon and Dorset’s Jurassic Coast to Normandy’s alabaster cliffs on the Tour de Manche. Vertebrate Publishing’s Big Rides books are designed to inspire big adventures. Rather than being carried along the route, this guide provides everything you need to plan and explore further, including a general overview of the trails, specific technical information, overview mapping, key information and stunning photography. As well as this, each route specifies approximate timings which allows for you to plan your adventure at your own pace. Whether you’re completing routes at a leisurely speed or racing towards the finish, let Big Rides: Great Britain & Ireland be your guide.

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Gravel riding offers something to every cyclist. If you’re a mountain biker, gravel riding allows you to explore further than you could on a mountain bike, while if you’re a road cyclist, a gravel bike let’s you leave traffic far behind you. 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. 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. This route is not super long and it's also not super tough to ride,” says Markus. “Plus, it's an easy one to get to from Edinburgh or Glasgow. It starts in Kinross, and there's an electric bus service that runs there, Ember, on the way from Edinburgh to Dundee.”

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

Wessex Gravel Epic

The area around Hay-on-Wye is stunning,” says Markus. “The countryside is absolutely amazing. This is also one of those routes which is very green, very enjoyable and it's got everything that gravel riding is all about. It is quite a difficult route as well, but there is some very nice stuff there.” If you like ferries, you’ll love this circular route that starts in Ardrossan on the mainland under an hour for Glasgow. Contains 28 routes, ranging from 31 to 128 kilometres in length, exploring the very best gravel riding that Scotland has to offer. I’m just an average guy who found bikes a bit later in life and is trying to make up for lost time. In the last five years I’ve raced a few seasons of cyclocross, done a bit of touring around Scotland and completed two ultra-distance cycling events: the Transcontinental Race and the 2020 Atlas Mountain Race. I love just how much distance you can cover in a relatively short period of time and exploring local lanes and new destinations.

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.The Drovers Trail is not just about the scenery, but the dense forests, rolling hills, deep glens and winding routes do make for dramatic viewing. There’s a whole lot of history along the way, too.

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. The National Cycle Network is made up of signposted walking and cycle routes that connect towns, cities and the great outdoors. Markus describes Milton Keynes as a busy place. “It’s a typical big town,” he says. “But it's an interesting town, built in the 60s, with good cycling infrastructure. It’s a new town, so there's not a shiny castle, but it was a great day out on bikes, passing canals and these picture-perfect, wide gravel paths which if you took out of context, you would be saying 'this is amazing'!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 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.