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Gravel Rides Scotland: 28 gravel bike adventures in the wilds of Scotland

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It’s a good idea to carry plenty of food if you’re heading somewhere remote, as options to shop or for a coffee stop may be few and far between. Cash may still be king in some remote areas. Make sure you can carry enough fluids too, unless you’re happy to refill water bottles from a stream.

We love the coastal gravel roads in the Isle of Wight (if you have not ridden here, make sure it’s on your to do list soon) and by contrast, the hills & forests of North Wales make this one of our most popular rides. Trains offer a great way to link up routes. Scotland is home to some iconic train lines like the West Highland Line and the Scot Rail from Glasgow to Oban (and soon extending to Fort William), which has dedicated bike carriages. Some routes rely on trains, such as Beauly to Ardgay, so train stations are indicated to help you link up the rides. His goal is to establish Twmpa as a genuine competitor to other gravel bikes. For him it’s easy to view wood as a novelty product, because there are very few wooden gravel bikes out there, but his reasons to use wood are not about novelty. Andy believes that wood has particular properties, such as absorbing vibrations, that makes it well suited for bike frames.

Epic cycle routes and inspirational riders

Contains 28 routes, ranging from 31 to 128 kilometres in length, exploring the very best gravel riding that Scotland has to offer.

We had planned to ride with Andy and Robert Penn originally. Robert has written a book called 'It's All About the Bike', where he travelled the world to assemble his dream bicycle. I have a German translation and watched a documentary about it as well. I got to stay with Robert when I was in Wales researching the route. He's a super interesting character and the story of [Andy's business] Twmpa Cycles is really interesting - they make bikes out of wood. Momentum was slow early on, as we frequently paused to allow the eye-popping vistas wash over us. We were also climbing a steep hill out of our base, the sleepy village of Kinloch Rannoch. This may also have had an impact on our progress.Start from the south and head north to take advantage of the, potentially strong, prevailing winds rather than spending your days riding into a headwind. The route is waymarked so it’s easy to follow.

Filled with practical tips and advice on all aspects of gravel riding, including the bike itself, essential kit to carry when out on a ride, as well as a brief history of gravel riding in Scotland. For each route, Markus sought out a gravel rider based in the area, from GBDURO winners Josh Ibbett and Gail Brown in East Anglia to Markus’ fellow round-the-world record holders in Scotland, Jenny Graham and Mark Beaumont. The end result is a guidebook which is not only full of local expertise and exceptional bike routes, but which also has more of a human edge. Stitz 26 routes are split between Wales, England and Scotland, and each is based on the expertise of local riders. Photo: Markus Stitz Another example of that is that the route also goes by Olney, where 'Amazing Grace' was composed. There's a pavilion where you can sit and look out on a field, and that's where Reverend John Newton used to sit and write. Those kinds of things I find really interesting.” Lomond Hills Gravel, Perth and Kinross/Fife, Scotland The Lomond Hills are a range easily reached from Kinross, a town between Dundee and Edinburgh. Photo: Markus Stitz

The impact guiding has on people is what Aneela loves most about it. The effect it has, not just in terms of the journey or the ride itself, but also the social interaction and being connected to the environment. She has the ability to show people places they've never been, and enjoys how confident and happy cycling makes people. And does she plan to run any guided gravel experiences? Not yet, but possibly in the future. Tweed Valley gravel route If you like ferries, you’ll love this circular route that starts in Ardrossan on the mainland under an hour for Glasgow.

We worked with the Cateran Ecomuseum on the development of seven new road, gravel and mountain bike journeys of varying lengths. You can find out more here.

First responder

If you fancy island hopping, the Hebridean Way is a road ride that takes you from one end to the other of the wild and remote Outer Hebrides. It takes in ten islands including Vatersay, Barra, Eriskay, South Uist, Benbecula, North Uist, Harris and Lewis. On the way are six causeways and two ferry rides. The area around Hay-on-Wye is stunning,” says Markus. “The countryside is absolutely amazing. This is also one of those routes which is very green, very enjoyable and it's got everything that gravel riding is all about. It is quite a difficult route as well, but there is some very nice stuff there.” Markus says: “I find Kinross quite an interesting place. There used to be three railway lines going into it and now it has none. That's partially because someone decided to build a big motorway from Edinburgh northbound, and the railway line had to give way to that. So in a way, Kinross as a town is a place where public transport has been going in and out for decades. Great British Gravel Rides is not your ordinary cycling guidebook. Instead of simply compiling a variety of routes to ride, I (Markus Stitz) took a different approach and introduce you to key people in the gravel riding world, understand their motivation for cycling and to ride their favourite routes in Britain. The book features a total of 25 different routes for beginners, intermediate and expert riders, spread across England, Scotland and Wales.

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