Surrounded by rivers, lochs, mountains and glens, Blair Atholl is probably one of the best biking areas in Scotland, with routes to suit ever taste and every standard of ability. The area is traversed by several historic rights of way and, with local landowners making available to the cyclist many of their estate roads, vast tracts of our most scenic countryside are open to your exploration. With an abundance of wildlife in the area, a stealthy approach on a cycle will give sight of red squirrels, red dear, roe dear, otters, and many rare birds (see Watching Wildlife in the menu above for further information).
For the family, there are numerous gentle, traffic-free
riverside routes with splendid views and a perfect
picnic spot at every turn. For even the smallest children,
there are many cycle areas on- and off-road, where
they can learn and hone their cycling skills in perfect
safety. A very scenic ride, boasting three refreshment
stops en-route, will even have gran' and granddad
joining in! The fact that it is downhill all the way
back is an added bonus! Your route can be as short
or as long or as tough as you like. The choice is
yours.
For the young and fit, there are many tough routes on which to test your skill, your stamina and your bike! There are over fifty miles of Land Rover type tracks in the vicinity of Blair Atholl, while three of the long historical drove roads through the Grampian Mountains leading to Speyside and Braemar start here also. A tough circular day trip or a two or three day trek through the Grampian Mountains can easily be accommodated.
If you have a road bike or prefer riding on surfaced
roads, there are several fairly long circular routes
radiating from Blair Atholl. These are mainly on fairly
quiet or traffic free roads and take in such scenic
splendors as the Lochs of Dunalastair, Rannoch, Tummel,
Errochty, and Garry. Some run alongside the rivers
of the same name; their waterfalls and many rocky
pools are suitable for a cooling dip.
A mountain bike can be of great assistance to climbers wishing to scale the seven or so Munros in the vicinity of Blair Atholl. Now that vehicles are no longer permitted to drive up Glen Tilt, this is particularly true for climbers wishing to scale Carn a Chlamain or Beinn Dearg. With a mountain bike, the speed of access to the base of these mountains is certainly much quicker. However, after the climb, the eight miles of freewheeling back down the glen to the village beats a foot slog back any day!
The touring cyclist will find that Sustrans Route
7 passes right through Blair Atholl. With its award
winning campsites and many B & B's, the village
is an excellent spot for an overnight halt. Enjoy
the amenities, relax and refresh before, if going
north, one tackles the seventeen mile climb up through
the Pass of Drumochter towards Inverness. For the
visitor wishing to try the traffic free part of this
special route, four miles west of Blair Atholl the
route joins a disused section of the old A9 running
alongside the picturesque River Garry. Some ten miles
further on, Route 7 joins a dedicated cycle track
taking one right up and over the County Boundary into
Inverness-shire.
OS Map 43 of the Landranger Series covers most of
these described routes, while a coloured map of the
more gentle cycle routes on Atholl Estate can be purchased
for £ 1.50p from the offices of the Atholl Estates
Ranger Service. Mountain Bike Hire is
presently available in Blair Atholl from Base
Camp Bikes, The Firs, Blair Atholl. A link
to their web site appears on the previous "Activities"
page.
When cycling off-road, please remember that all our
hills and glens are someone's workplace. Act with
consideration for the farmer, the shepherd and the
gamekeeper as well as for other recreational users.
Your responsible actions will be much appreciated
and will ensure a welcome to those cyclists who follow
you. Please observe the following Code of Conduct
:
* Do not cycle on narrow riverside footpaths or on the high tops.
* Always give audible warn to walkers of your approach.
* Be particularly careful and considerate when approaching horses; they do not like bikes!
* Leave all gates as you find them.
* Park your bike upright in the countryside; animals
can be injured stepping on bikes laid flat on the
ground!
* Keep dogs on a lead in the vicinity of grazing animals.
* With the safety of animals in mind, please remove all litter. |
