UKC

I need some route suggestions please? The route needs to be around 60 - 70km, not super technical but interesting and scenic riding. As close as possible to Doune or Callander.

I thought I had one sorted and recce'd it yesterday to find out that there was a little more hike-a-bike than I would like and that part of it goes through and explosives testing ground!!

In reply to girlymonkey:
You could link Glen Ample to Glen Artney - start in Callander and head up the railway line to the Ben Ledi car park, onto the main road for a few miles then up the forest path (only bit of hike & bike) over to Glen Ample. South Loch Earn Road past Dundurn to Comrie, then up the Glen Artney road to the pass over to Braeleny farm and back to Callander. ~40 miles, one tricky river crossing, took me 8hrs inc cafe stops, not racing. Fair proportion of tarmac but nice scenery.

Could also do Aberfoyle to Inversnaid: Head out the forest track to Duchray Castle from Aberfoyle, and follow it all the way up the Duchray Water and over the pass to Cailness on Loch Lomond (burly descent), then up the WHW to Inversnaid (bit of hike & bike) and back over the pass to Stronachlacher, either by road or by the tracks south of Loch Chon and Loch Ard. ~35miles, mostly on forest tracks. Might have taken me around 6hrs in the snow last winter. Optional variation is to return southabout via WHW to Balmaha and over the old Drymen / Gartocharn road, not done that yet.

Edit: The old drove road from Brig o' Turk to Balquhidder is also fun. From Callander west along the Sustrans route south of Loch Venachar to Brig o' Turk, then north up Glen Finglas and over the pass to Ballimore farm (hike-a-bike and bog bashing, but still fun). Return by the back road to Strathyre and Sustrans route down Loch Lubnaig. ~33miles and feels quite wild, might have been around 6-7hrs.

In reply to Nialld:

Thanks for these suggestions The Glenn Artery route was part of my original plan, and the tricky river crossing there is no longer an issue due to new bridges for the hydro scheme. I hadn't thought of joining it with Glen Ample, nice suggestion!

In reply to Nialld:


As an alternative to the first part from Callander, the new Great Trossachs path on the north side of Loch Venachar would be another slightly hillier way of getting to Brig o'Turk. Heading east to west, there are terrific views to Loch Achray and beyond.
http://thegreattrossachsforest.co.uk/great-trossachs-path/great-walks/

In reply to girlymonkey:

Ah, good to know the bridge has been rebuilt - got my feet wet there once or twice.

I'm now curious to know where the original route went!

In reply to Nialld:

I got wet to the waist trying to cross there before!

Curious about my original route? Doune to the windfarm, down to Braco castle, then i tried to ride Danduff to Glenlichorn - the main bit of hike-a-bike. Then onto the road to the path to Findhu Glen. The start of this path is pretty boggy necessitating further hike-a-bike. The Then it turns out that Findhu Glen is an explosives testing ground. From there onto the Glen Artney route. I further blundered by trying to pick up the footpath from the Bracklinn falls bridge to West Bracklinn - there's a deer fence towards the end of this and I was not happy! Lol