Scotland; the land of barren mountain peaks, great lakes and beautiful forests about which mysterious, fairy-tale stories circulate. The land of kilts, bagpipes and Highland cows and the land where four seasons can play out in the same day. It is the land that has made Maks' heart beat faster for years but that Jeffrey is still mostly curious about. The land screams freedom and cries out for adventure. So it was quite obvious that with our self-built camper van and two gravel bikes, we were keen to spend some time in this country in search of 'gravel heaven'.
Text and photos: Maks Groeneveld / Jeffrey Wiese
AVIEMORE
Aviemore is such a 'gravel heaven'. Or outdoor heaven, actually. You notice this as soon as you drive into the town. It's the outdoor enthusiasts who are all-important here - without it really feeling too touristy; thankfully! We stay three nights near Aviemore to explore the west side and then the east side of the town on gravel bikes from here.
ROUTE 1 - BURMA ROAD ROUTE: A TOUGH CLIMB AND THEN ENJOY!
With glorious weather, we set off in the camper van from our previous accommodation in the north towards the more southerly town of Aviemore. It promised to be a lovely day, but once we changed in Aviemore, darker and darker clouds formed in the sky. By now we are used to the fact that the weather in Scotland can go either way. So we quickly stuffed our mackintoshes into the handlebar bag and were ready for departure!
Motorway to get to the gravel gold
Just after we leave Aviemore, it's a bit of a search. Is the route really sending us onto the A-road? Then we discover the singletrack in the verge. This path leads us through a wooded stretch alongside the motorway - which, incidentally, is soon no longer audible. After a kilometre on the singletrack, we end up on a wider gravel strip. Here we can warm up the legs for a while before we reach the Burma Road and start climbing. The Burma Road is a climb of about 4.5 kilometres with some 500 altimeters. After this, you have already had 500 of the 580 altimeters and can enjoy (mostly) descending over the remaining 31 kilometres! We start the climb full of good spirit, as this promises to be rewarded later on.
Goois gravel in Scotland
The route up consists of a strip of gravel the likes of which we don't often see in Scotland; it almost looks like Goois gravel - so beautiful is most of the four-and-a-half kilometres of it. It's only occasionally (and at the end) that you see lots of loose stones on the path and there are almost no potholes. Despite this, it is quite a tough stretch with percentages of 8 to 15 per cent. Periodically we cast a cursory glance over our shoulder to take in the view; there we see beautiful rolling hills. The dark clouds continue to hang threateningly above us and we hear some rumbling in the air. We seem to stay ahead of the rain, pedalling steadily over the gravel and, in the meantime, hesitating for a moment whether we wouldn't have preferred to descend this climb (an oncoming car visibly enjoys descending the hill - which we can well understand), but we also can't wait for the kilometres to come. With a brisk heartbeat, we reach the top of Burma Road, from where we have a beautiful view of the Cairngorms.
Descent is beautiful
And then it's time for the descent. It is not long before we find ourselves in one of the most beautiful gravel descents we have seen so far. The long, straight stretch crosses the landscape precisely. We turn on for a moment and tear into the oh-so-beautiful emptiness of the valley at full speed. Plain on the left, plain on the right. Rolling hills on the horizon. Big smiles on our faces and the adrenaline palpable in our bodies.
After the descent, we cross a pretty little river. From there, the wide gravel strip turns into a narrower singletrack. Most of it is doable with a bit of technique; despite the rain, the singletrack looks great. The path slopes along the small river we just crossed. Sometimes we ride among the trees, sometimes there is the bare Scottish landscape again and a bit later we suddenly ride in a mysterious forest landscape. The path widens again and is so beautiful and rolling here that we cannot suppress a few sprints. What a treat this is!
Stop in Carrbridge
About 23 kilometres from the start, we ride into the village of Carrbridge, where we pass a Spar supermarket and some coffee shops. We cycle on, as it is already a bit later and the sky is turning darker and darker. For seven kilometres we ride on a paved motorway - where, incidentally, we haven't seen a car - between the trees. It is beautiful cycling here. We can pace, chat and sprint for a while until we steer onto another gravel strip at 29 kilometres. The fun doesn't stop with this route; again, this is an insanely cool, rolling stretch through the forest. We encounter almost no people and make nice pace. Then it starts raining really hard anyway. But we enjoy it, as this wet weather suits the environment.
Back home
We come across signs saying 'Aviemore' again and cycle under the station, into the village. There we can't resist grabbing a fish before making our way back to our camper van. Here in Scotland, we don't eat Dutch pie and coffee during the ride, but usually turn to the greasy Fish & Chips. Not always the best choice when you have a long drive ahead of you, but very tasty. Fortunately, this time we only have to drive on for another kilometre to the campsite. How glad we are - having arrived there - that we now have a hot shower after several nights of wild camping!
ROUTE 2 - AN LOCHAN UAINE: AN ENCHANTING ROUTE ALONG SCOTLAND'S GREENEST LAKE
On the second day, it's the east side of Aviemore's turn. Before leaving, we allow ourselves a quick shopping session in the shopping street, where we had previously spotted several outdoor shops. There we score some nice items, including two new rain jackets that we can put to good use in this rainy country. An hour later, we reluctantly step into our still soaked cycling shoes. Armed with the new jackets, we get on our bikes. The first drops are already falling from the sky, but we are actually quite looking forward to a good gravel ride in the rain.
Rolling gravel along the motorway
After two and a half kilometres, we leave the asphalt for a rolling gravel strip along the motorway. This soon gives the feeling of being in the middle of nature. Sometimes we shoot up the road briefly, only to resume the gravel strip a little further on or cross it for a while. For about seven kilometres, we keep following this path. Whereas yesterday on the western side of Aviemore we had the realm to ourselves, now we occasionally have to share the path with other cyclists and walkers. Not that it is annoying; the scenery is beautiful and passing is easy to do - although it takes some getting used to overtaking via the right-hand side. After a while, we discover what attracts these people; we ride past Glen Morlich, a small lake that attracts many people. This includes a water sports centre and a visitor centre from where several hiking trails start. As we cycle further, it soon becomes quieter.
We want more!
Suddenly, something shimmers through the trees. That must be Lochan Uaine be Scotland's greenest lake. You can explain this simply by the green algae in the water or by the reflection of the trees, but the Scots prefer to have their own theory. The story goes that the fairies from the forest wash their clothes here. We like it though; all these Scottish myths and legends. In this fairy-tale landscape, we almost believe in them 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 definitely a perfect spot for a 'dip with a bib' (whether you get soaked by a dip or by the rain, what's the difference?), but today it is a bit chilly and we prefer to enjoy it from dry land. Right after the small lake, there is a short climb. It is not steep, but there are lots of big, loose stones on the path, making it still a nice challenge. Then follows a wonderfully long gravel descent; almost ten kilometres mostly downhill. It is a beautiful path through the forest where we meet no one. Once again, it is abundantly clear to us that we have entered a fantastic gravel area.
Singletrack for ages
After about 30 kilometres, we ride on singletrack along a motorway for a while. Then we arrive in the village of 'Boat of Garten'. A small town where you can eat or drink something. We drive on, as we secretly fancy the Fish & Chips in Aviemore again.
After 36 kilometres, you come to a fork. From here, the route goes the same as the previous day's route. We already know this stretch is beautiful and again it does not disappoint us. Of course, we end the ride with Fish & Chips again.
Aviemore is a great gravel spot where you can make it as crazy as you want. Thus, the above routes are great fun to cycle separately, but you can also choose to merge them. Check out both routes and the merged variant (where the second route does run in the opposite direction) via the collection on Komoot.
Want more info on cycling in Scotland? Then check out Visit Scotland's site for routes and other challenges: https://visitscotland.com/things-to-do/outdoor-activities/cycling
Read also: Cycling in Scotland
