Scotland; the land of bare mountain peaks, large lakes and beautiful forests where mysterious, fairytale stories abound. The land of kilts, bagpipes and Hooglandse cows and the land where four seasons can play out in one day. It is the land where Maks‘ heart has been racing for years but where Jeffrey is still mostly curious. The land screams freedom and calls for adventure. It was therefore quite natural that we, with our self-converted camper bus and two gravel bikes, would like to spend some time in this country, searching for ’gravel heaven’.
Text and photos: Maks Groeneveld / Jeffrey Wiese
AVIEMORE
Aviemore It’s like a ‘gravel heaven’. Or, actually, an outdoor paradise. You can already feel it when you drive into the town. It’s the outdoor enthusiasts who are the ones who make a real difference here – without it feeling too touristy; thankfully! We spend three nights near Aviemore to explore the west side and then the east side of the town on our gravel bikes from here.
ROUTE 1 – BURMA ROAD ROUTE: A STRENGTHENING CLIMB AND THEN ENJOYING IT!
With clear weather, we set off with the camper bus from our previous overnight location in the north towards the more southerly Aviemore. It promised to be a wonderful day, but once we got dressed and arrived in Aviemore, darker clouds began to form in the sky. Now we’re used to the fact that the weather in Scotland can change at any moment. Quickly, I stuffed the raincoats into my backpack and we were ready to go!
Highway to get to the gravel gold
Shortly after we leave Aviemore, it takes a bit of searching. Does the route really take us onto the A-road? Then we discover the singletrack in the ditch. This path leads us through a wooded section along the highway – which is unfortunately no longer audible. After a kilometer on the singletrack, we end up on a wider gravel path. Here we can warm up our legs a little before reaching the Burma Road and starting the climb. The Burma Road is a climb of approximately 4.5 kilometers with about 500 meters of elevation gain. After that, you have already covered 500 of the 580 meters of elevation gain and can enjoy (mainly) descending over the remaining 31 kilometers! We start off strong on the climb, because that promises to be rewarded later on.
Goois gravel in Scotland
The uphill route consists of a gravel section that we don't see very often in the Netherlands. Scotland; it almost seems Goois gravel – so beautiful is the largest part of the four and a half kilometers. It is only occasionally (and at the end) that you see many loose stones on the path, and there are almost no potholes. Despite that, it is quite a challenging stretch with percentages of 8 to 15 percent. Regularly we take a quick look over our shoulder to observe the view; there we see beautifully rolling hills. The dark clouds remain threateningly above us and we hear some rumbling in the air. We still seem to be ahead of the rain, steadily stepping over the gravel and meanwhile still wondering whether we would have preferred to descend this climb (a passing motorist is descending the hill visibly enjoying it – we can well understand that), but we also can’t wait for the kilometers that are yet to come. With a rapid heartbeat we reach the top of Burma Road, from where we have a beautiful view over the Cairngorms.
The descent is beautiful
And then it’s time for the descent. It doesn’t take long before we find ourselves in one of the most beautiful gravel descents we’ve seen so far. The long, straight stretch cuts right through the landscape. We stop for a moment and tear down the oh so beautiful emptiness of the valley at full speed. Left flat, right flat. Sloping hills on the horizon. A big smile on our faces and the adrenaline palpable in our bodies.
After the descent we drive over a beautiful riverbed. From there the wide gravel path changes into a narrower singletrack. The majority of the route is easy to navigate with a little bit of technique; despite the rain the singletrack is in good condition. The path meanders along the riverbed we have just crossed. Sometimes we ride between the trees, sometimes there is again the bare Scottish landscape and then again we suddenly find ourselves in a mysterious forest landscape. The path becomes wider and here it is so beautiful and rolling that we can’t help but sprint a few times. What a treat!
Stop in Carrbridge
About 23 kilometers from the start, we drive into the village of Carrbridge, where we pass a Spar supermarket and some coffee shops. We cycle on, because it’s getting a little later and the air is getting darker. For seven kilometers we ride on a paved highway – where we didn’t see any cars – through the trees. It’s beautiful cycling here. We can make a nice pace, chat and sprint a little until we reach the 29th kilometer where we turn onto a gravel road again. The fun doesn’t stop with this route; again, this is an insanely nice, undulating stretch through the forest. We hardly encounter any people and we’re going at a nice pace. Then it really starts to rain hard. But we enjoy it, because this wet weather is good for the environment.
Back home
We keep seeing signs with ‘Aviemore’ and cycle through the village beneath the station. We can’t resist stopping to get a fish before heading back to our campervan. Here in Scotland, we don’t eat a Dutch pie with coffee during the ride, but we usually opt for the fatty Fish & Chips instead. Not always the best choice when you have a long drive ahead, but very tasty. Luckily, this time we only have to drive a kilometer to the campsite. We’re so glad to have a hot shower after a few nights camping in the wild!
ROUTE 2 – AN LOCHAN UAINE: A MAGICAL ROUTE ON THE GREATEST LAKE IN SCOTLAND
On the second day, it’s Aviemore’s east side’s turn. Before leaving, we treat ourselves to a short shopping session in the shopping street, where we had spotted several outdoor shops earlier. There we score on some nice items, including two new rain jackets that we can really use in this rainy country. An hour later, we reluctantly step into our still-wet cycling shoes. Armed with the new jackets, we hop on our bike. The first drops of rain are already falling from the sky, but we’re actually looking forward to a good gravel ride in the rain.
Creeping gravel along the highway
After two and a half kilometers, we leave the asphalt for a sloping gravel path along the highway. This quickly gives the feeling that we are in the middle of nature. Sometimes we briefly take the road to continue on the gravel path a little further or to cross over. For about seven kilometers we continue along this path. Where yesterday we had the whole kingdom to ourselves on the west side of Aviemore, now we have to share the path with other cyclists and hikers every now and then. Not that it’s annoying; the surroundings are beautiful and passing by is easy – although it does take a while to catch up on the right side. After a while, we discover what these people are attracted to; we drive past Glen Morlich, a pond where many people come to swim. There is, among other things, a water sports center and a visitor center from where various hiking trails start. As we continue cycling, things become more peaceful.
We want more!
Suddenly something glimmers through the trees. That must be Lochan Uaine, Scotland’s greenest lake. That can be easily explained by the green algae in the water or by the reflection of the trees, but the Scots prefer to make up their own theory. The story goes that the elves from the forest wash their clothes here. We find it quite beautiful; all those Scottish myths and legends. In this fairytale-like landscape, we almost believe it ourselves.
Dip a bib in Lochan Uaine
Lochan Uaine is a lovely place to stop for a while. We even see two people taking a dip in the water. This is absolutely the perfect spot for a ‘dip with a bib’ (whether you get wet from a dive or from the rain, what’s the difference?), but today it’s a bit chilly and we’d rather enjoy it from the dry side. Right after the pond it’s just a short climb. It’s not steep, but there are a lot of large, loose stones on the path, which makes it still a nice challenge. Then there’s a lovely long gravel descent; almost ten kilometers long mostly downhill. It’s a beautiful path through the forest where we don’t encounter anyone. Again, it’s obvious to us that we’ve ended up in a fantastic gravel area.
Singletrack for ages
After about 30 kilometers of driving, we continue along a single track next to a highway for a while. Then we arrive in the village of ‘Boat of Garten’. A small town where you can have a good meal or drink. We keep driving on, because we secretly still have an urge for the Fish & Chips in Aviemore.
After 36 kilometers you will come to a junction. From here the route goes the same as the route of the previous day. We already know that this stretch is beautiful and it won’t disappoint us again. Of course we finish the trip with Fish & Chips.
Aviemore is a great gravel spot where you can make it as crazy as you want. The above routes are particularly fun to cycle, but you can also choose to combine them. Check both routes and the combined variant (where the second route goes in the other direction) via the collection on Komoot.
If you want to learn more about cycling in Scotland, check out the Visit Scotland website for routes and other challenges: https://visitscotland.com/things-to-do/outdoor-activities/cycling
Read also: Cycling in Scotland
Questions & tips
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