Yes, that’s right: Mel Gibson wearing blue paint. We are delighted to work with Highland Perthshire Cycling, who have secured a grant of £9,835 from Rural Perth & Kinross LEADER Programme 2014-2020: The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas, match funded with £15,000 from the SSE Griffin and Calliachar Community Fund. Female: training with female guides available. Along the way he and Temujin Doran made this lovely film about the trip, the mountain, and the visual and written poetry that surrounds it. Bikepacking Desert Setup BY Colt Fetters. The forts at Fort William, Fort Augustus, and Fort George, near Inverness, also date from the aftermath of Culloden. The Dark Ages saw Scotland as three kingdoms: the Picts in the north-east, Anglo-Saxon Northumbria in the south-east, and Dál Riata in the west, which was a product of gaelic-speaking Irish settlers. For a long time, setting off on a bikepacking trip felt unattainable for Lizz Corrigan. We inspire and inform through original bikepacking routes, stories, and coverage of the gear, news, and events that make our community thrive. Gaelic speaking is concentrated in the north west, and in particular on the Outer Hebrides, where it’s not unusual to overhear a conversation or two in the local shop. The only lake in Scotland is the Lake of Menteith, near Stirling. We believe travel by bicycle has the power to encourage conservation, inclusivity, and respect for all people and cultures. By rail, east and west coast mainlines run north from England to Edinburgh and Glasgow stations, or northwards to Inverness and Fort William, which is particularly handy if you’re planning an A-to-B route. Dunoon is the jewel in the Firth of Clyde, very close to Scotland’s biggest city Glasgow. These are just some common place name elements, but by putting them together we can learn that the iconic hill Buachaille Etive Mor is ‘the big shepherd of Glen Etive’, and that Am Monadh Ruadh are ‘the red mountains’. It’s rare to go far without access to water, and I can’t remember ever carrying more than 1.5 litres of water while riding in Scotland. We want people to explore the Cateran Ecomuseum on foot and by bike, travelling slowly so that they can take in the amazing landscape and discover the extraordinary heritage and stories along the way, and we want them to really get to know our host communities and all they have to offer. Nevertheless, Scotland captivates many travelers, on foot and by bike - and rightly so! In 1746, the Jacobite rebellion led by Charles Stuart (‘Bonny Prince Charlie’) was roundly defeated by the British government at Culloden, just outside Inverness. The project mapped and promoted hundreds of miles of traffic-free off-road cycling routes across Highland Perthshire for varying abilities of rider, and was, as yet, our biggest project. The temperate Atlantic climate is mild, especially in the west, thanks to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream. Know where you are, know where you’re going, and tell someone of your plans. Click the link below to find out how to start. The Badger Divide. The fourth issue of The Bikepacking Journal hit mailboxes this spring. Our Weekender rides are all perfect antidotes to day to day living, bringing new meaning to the term weekend warrior. ... Bikepacking Scotland: The Capital Trail. Eight of the eleven routes are easily accessible by Scotrail and Caledonian Sleeper train services. The Highlands themselves are a geologist’s dream, containing hugely varied rock formations all packed tightly together. Browsing the local shops and galleries can be great fun, and local cafes and restaurants offer plenty of opportunities for lunch and dinner. Filmed on a 331-kilometer gravel bikepacking route in Scotland, Drovers tells the story of the ancient Scottish roads that are an integral part of the country’s history. Moving north, these give way to the densely populated Central Belt, in the low-lying valleys of the rivers Forth and Clyde. Generally, trains don’t have many spaces for bikes and you often need to reserve a (free) space for your bike before travelling. Outside these rules of thumb, expect the unexpected! A fantastic and more comprehensive guide to Gaelic pronunciation and names can also be found via the Ordnance Survey for those interested. We have got everything: Forests, mountain bike trails, boating, fishing, botanical gardens; nature at its finest.’. Routes: Central and NW Highlands, Cairngorms, Central Belt and the Borders, The Islands But don’t worry, that’s not what we’re here for. Similarly, Scotland contains more geography than it really should, and the landscape changes dramatically with just a few short miles of travel. This project will increase visitor and resident participation in off-road cycling opportunities, it will increase local business income through accommodation, food and other visitor spend, and finally it will increase awareness of Highland Perthshire as a holiday destination.’. Considering the amount of water that’s typically around, a bathtub-style floor is also recommended. A great network of trails. But if you have the luxury of choice, be aware that Scottish trails are generally on the rougher side and prone to being muddy. Scotland’s famously free Outdoor Access Code allows you to wild camp wherever you like, as long as you do so responsibly. Our final report of the Highland Perthshire Gravel Trails details the different stages of the project and evaluates its success, using the key findings of a route user survey and the feedback of local stakeholders. It was made possible with the vision and trust from Highland Perthshire Cycling and the generous support from The Rural Perth & Kinross LEADER Programme and SSE as funders. We received the great news that Scotrail is introducing new designated carriages for up to 20 bikes and large sporting equipment on one of Scotland’s most scenic routes, the West Highland Line. They love calm, overcast, and humid weather, but are driven away by winds over 12km/h or so. The Clearances emptied the Highlands of much of their human population, but the system of land ownership is largely intact and private landowners own huge tracts of land. Rainspotting is a new short film from Pannier and Brother Cycles that follows a group of six bikepackers on a wintry three-day ramble through the gloomy Grampian Mountains of Scotland. The John Muir Way links Helensburgh in the west with Dunbar, the birthplace of John Muir, in the east. I have seen a waterproof kilt before, but have never tried one, so further research is needed. Bothies often come up in conversation. The fact that the teams are volunteers, who undertake personal risk in order to mount searches in Scotland’s notoriously fickle weather, places a responsibility on outdoor users to be prepared. Thanks to everyone for watching, we are really looking forward to see your pictures and video once you have ridden the Wild About Argyll Trail yourself. All my food that can’t fit in saddle pack. After a short or long day in the outdoors, Dunoon has plenty on offer to relax and great choices to stay overnight. Of course, if you fill in all the answers, then the adventure ceases to exist. I sought to use the story of the cattle drovers to draw parallels with the adventurous spirit of bikepacking nowadays, while showcasing the immense beauty of the area, not just for cyclists. When I was 15 years old, I went to Scotland to study English in the city of Edinburgh. You can plan your own route, but you can also make good use of the hard work others have put in already. They had everything planned, but nothing went as planned. Scotland’s climate is wet, windy, and unpredictable. The red deer is easily recognisable, and the famous painting Monarch of the Glen was painted in a cottage that riders can pass right by in Glen Feshie on the Cairngorms Loop, though only the chimney stack now remains. We’re also looking forward to building relationships with public and private transport providers to enable people to travel to the Ecomuseum car free much more easily.