UKC

morning all ,

some years ago i used to have a regular bothying trip with a friend who is no longer here and he would spend ages pondering maps and coming up with interesting trips that would use various bothys linked by  nights in tents, always walking though. so i have been to quiet a few over the years. I m trying to think of an idea for trip with my teenage kids who are all in to mountain biking. ideally 3 or 4 hours on bikes by a circular route, but in and out the same way would be fine. some pushing, pulling, questing on through adversity would be a bonus. we are nt set up yet to take them on full on bike pack trip but that will come . so the idea for this trip is a first go going somewhere wild by bike and staying over. next thing would be about a three hour radius  from Glasgow to hep fit in with other stuff. i  had thought of the southern uplands and have visited the bothies around Dumfries and Galloway a few times but i think they maybe busy over half term and possibly not in the best of nic. i have the bothy bible but couldn't find it last night when the idea occurred to me. if you are cautious about giving away your secret spot if you DM via here I wont spray about it on here or any other social media if that is your wish.

In reply to ALT EGO:

https://bothiesonabike.wordpress.com/bothies-accessible-by-bike/

who would have thunk it !

In reply to ALT EGO:

Faindouran as an out and back.

Various options with a night at Charr bothy.

In reply to ALT EGO:

The Blackburn of Coireyairack (I can't remember the spelling) bothy is doable in a 3-4 hour each way ride from the shore of Loch Laggan, there is another one before you start up the pass too.

The red house over by Geldie Lodge is pretty remote but bike able.

In reply to ALT EGO:

Tarf hotel. Few km walk from the end of the track, brilliant cycle out. Even doable on public transport if you can get your bikes booked on the train.

In reply to Mike-W-99:

thanks all. just been doing a spot of googling and found this thread on some niche website :

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/biking/mtb_route_aviemore_-_braemar-37501...

which is giving me a few thoughts. i ve spent a fair amount of time winter climbing / skiing over the back of cairngorm but the kids haven't.

also like the look of the red house from braemar. whats the track onwards from the red house like ? thinking of riding alonmg it and then walking up a few hills  ?

In reply to ALT EGO:

I m hoping not  to carry tents for this one as i will carrying a reasonably big sac already. I think a slightly less popular route might be a better bet but corrour / hutchinson mememorial starting and ending in Aviemore would be logistically easy for us due to having a friend who lives close by.  thought on bikeability ? ( not the money making semi scam run in primary school to fill time after sats)

In reply to ALT EGO: its the overnight thing that is the crux, with a a good bit of biking thrown in. as i said in the op a bit of a quest adds to it

In reply to ALT EGO:

Getting to either of those bothies by bike from Aviemore is a bit of a mission. It would be a choice of a long route or significant (i.e. non fun) amounts of hike-a-bike. Or perhaps both.

In reply to ALT EGO:

Probably not much of a challenge, it's a motorway of a path(albeit a stony one). You can cycle easily enough to geldie lodge for any hills (same ones you can do from the tarf hotel)

In reply to DaveHK:

Another vote for Faindouran from Tomintoul, a magical place

though it took us considerably more than 3 hours to get in to it, laden down with coal, wine, and puddings… 😁

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs,and dave HK,

trying to narrow down my list and Faindouran sounding good. I haven't been which is a bonus. If either of you , or indeed anybody can add any thing that might help my plan that would be great .

In reply to ALT EGO:

It’s easily my favourite bothy. It’s pretty small though, means it’s snug when the stove is on (as opposed to Tarf hotel, which I thought was cold!), but does mean it could fill up- having a tent as a back up would be a good idea, as it’s a long way from anywhere! Also the ride in is not to be underestimated- the first half as easy  going, but there was a lot of up and down after the Linn of Avon. 
 

We climbed Bynack Mor from the bothy, you pass the barns of Bynack, very impressive, and get a great view up into the Loch Avon basin- well worth staying a day for if the weather is fine

In reply to ALT EGO:

From Aviemore end, Ryvoan bothy (go past Glemore Lodge and keep going) would be quite a good bet as it's reasonable riding if carrying a bit of weight and a fair size building so less likely to be full compared to the Hutchinson, which would involve quite a bit of techy riding.  Pretty sure you can get all the way from Aviemore off road now but you could shorten by parking Coylumbridge etc..

There are plenty of good options for loops on the way around Rothiemurchus forest which has some great riding as well as the classic Loch Einich out and back. 

Plenty of cafe stops too in the event of poor weather.  Have a good one.

In reply to Ghastlyrabbitfat:

Ryvoan(nice as it is) would be way down my list of bothies I’d plan to stay in. Far too accessible.

In reply to ALT EGO:

I've had some brilliant weekend bike trips starting and finishing at blair atholl. Heading from there up to ruigh aiteachain via gaick lodge, then back down glen tilt is a great 2 day loop. If you haven't come across the cairngorm loop bikepacking route, that's a good place to go for inspiration for long and mostly rideable (for me as a mountain biking punter) routes around the gorms.

Maybe the 'wrong' side of Scotland for the OP but I have  fond memories of Faindouran bothy, most memorably a weekend when we cycled to the bothy from Aberdeen via the south Deeside road & Glen Gairn, returning home the next day via Loch Builg &  then down Donside.

In reply to ALT EGO:

A favourite which I haven't done in a couple of decades is from Black Bridge to Glenbeg bothy, then NE down Gleann Môr, back NW up Strath Cuilleanach and up Strath Mulzie to Ullapool. You could stay in the Schoolhouse or Coiremor en route. The road section from Ullapool back to Black Bridge is less appealing but do it after the ferry has cleared, early morning or late evening and it should be fine. 

In reply to 65:

Glenbeg is deteriorating rapidly since the estate kicked the MBA out and stopped maintaining it.

In reply to 65:

The schoolhouse is a great bothy, although I remember the midges pounding on the windows trying to get in!

In reply to DaveHK:

Ah, right. That's a shame, it was my favourite bothy, though even back then it wasn't exactly salubrious.