Mountain Biking in West and North West Scotland

Emergencies

Map key

Overview map

Route summary table

Introduction

Trail centres

Getting there and around

Accommodation

Equipment

Food and drink

Rest and recovery

Using this guide

Abbreviations and symbols used in the route descriptions

Planning and preparation

Rider responsibility

The West

Route 1 West Highland XC

Route 2 Ballachulish Blast

Route 3 Tour of Ben Nevis

Route 4 In the Shadow of Ben Nevis

Route 5 Cow Hill

Route 6 Fersit and Strathossian

Route 7 Ardverikie Adventure

Route 8 On the Wild Side of Loch Lochy

Route 9 Loch Lundie

Route 10 Morvern Mini

Route 11 Morvern Monster

The North West

Route 12 Orrin Reservoir

Route 13 Strathfarrar Fling

Route 14 Wild in Strathconon

Route 15 Glenuaig Grind

Route 16 Slioch Singletrack

Route 17 The Three Cols of Torridon

Route 18 Tour of Ben Damph

Route 19 Slattadale Rockride

Route 20 Long Road to Ullapool

Route 21 Northern Exposure

The Islands

Route 22 Through the Cuillin

Route 23 The Cleared Villages

Route 24 High in the Harris Hills

Route 25 The Postman’s Track

Appendices

Appendix A Bike shops

Appendix B Accident and emergency units

Appendix C Gaelic language

Appendix D Accommodation

Appendix E Tourist information centres

June 2022

Route 4 map amend

October 2020

Route 4 (In the shadow of Ben Nevis)

A welcome guide encouraging adventurous off-road days out; most welcome and really useful.

Fitting nicely into a jersey pocket this guide has all you need. Even a dyed-in-the-wool-road-tourer is likely to feel the urge to get out the the knobbly-tyres and head off into the wilderness for a ride …. well, probably a bike and hike …. and the keen rough-stuffer or off-roader will be licking their lips.

Seven Day Cyclist

Sean Benz’s guide to Mountain biking in the West and North West of Scotland is a neat companion to its sibling, Peter Edwards' Mountain Biking in Southern and Central Scotland. There are similarities. Both deal rapidly its trail centres and move on to day long tours using track and trail linked where necessity demands by sections of road. They both have detailed OS mapping - vital in the remote country this guide will take you into. Route description is the bulk of the text and there is, in both, lots of sensible advice. All the routes have been ridden on a variety of mountain bikes; hard-tail. full suspension, disc and see brakes and so on.

There are big differences in the geographical areas covered. In this guide the routes are distributed across the huge spread of the highlands of West and North West Scotland, with several grouped around Fort William, and run through the magnificent scenery of this peaceful wilderness. Even so, as the author points out, you will be passing through a fragile environment - a wilderness that we should leave as we found it. Southern and Central Scotland has its wild places, but the West and north West many more. The sections on safety and equipment are particularly welcome; very sound, but avoiding the impression that anyone who sets out into the wilderness is asking for trouble. The message is, be prepared and be sensible.

There are no easy routes in this guide - most are hard or very hard. Expect to “carry” on most and be prepared for very rough stuff with steep descents and ascents. For me, these would be routes to take time on! Distance is not the best indication of how long one might take, so read the route description carefully. There is excellent detail of surface quality, technical sections and other aspects affecting how long you are likely to be. Weather is another variable - often highly variable.

The first route describes cycling along the West Highland Way from Bridge of Orchy to Fort William - return by train, if you wish. Apart from a further longitudinal outing from Aultguish to Ullapool the long way, the routes are circular and of a variety of lengths. Route profiles always seem to look peculiarly fierce - though not inaccurate.

With inspirational photographs, this is a really useful contribution to the growing range of guides to mountain biking with scenic quality in mind. Just don’t expect to reap the reward without a degree of proficiency, a good level of fitness, a bit of sensible preparation and this guide in your jersey pocket.

Seven Day Cyclist, July 2016