So we went to Scotland and it turned out to be an awesome mountain biking destination.
There's a law in Scotland that says anyone has the right to access any land (even private property, albeit with some limitations) as long as you do it respectfully. This means that people are out on the trails and paths and farm tracks, on foot or bike. They want to involve their kids too, so there's all kinds of learning opportunities as well and plenty of easy stuff to ride for beginners.
In southern Scotland, there's a bunch of mountain bike parks on forestry lands that are set up like alpine ski centers- ie multiple trails of marked difficulty level, a mtb shop with rentals/sales/repairs, instructors, a cafe, etc. Best part is that they are free except for parking. The one I went to was called Glentress and it even had skills areas where you could preview and practice skills you would need for each level of trail.
In the Highlands, you are left to your own devices on "wild" trails.
But wherever you go, its easy to hire a mtb guide- this is a formal thing with specific certification that the guides get, different levels based on the complexity of what they are doing. Most of the guides are instructors as well.
We stayed a week at Edinburgh Residence and mostly visited the city while we were there- no cycling. But one day, I hired a guide. He picked me up and drove me down to Glentress, where I rented a nice full suspension Orange 5 MTB. We then rode all day long, up to the top of the mountain and down all the intermediate trails and then back up again and so on until I rode them all 2-3 times. It was fun, big time. Beautiful forest too.
After Edinburgh, we went up to Ballater to stay 5 nights at HGVC Craigandorrach Suites. This was a GREAT mountain biking location. I rented an awesome full suspension Juliana Furtado from a shop called Cycle Highlands. The shop was really helpful, so glad I connected with them. I rode two days solo and two half-days with a guide from the shop. The TS was 1 mile from the shop and I was able to do all my riding right from the TS itself.
My first solo day, I rode out to the Cambus O'May forest, which I described to my cycling friends as the Magical Fairy Forest of Singletrack Kindergarten. Easy trails, beautiful pine forest with mosses and ferns and some open areas of heather, with bubbling streams. So beautiful, I rode all over in there for an hour or two.
Next day, I rode with the guide. Some technical stuff up a hill called Cnoc Dubh and then out to Loch Kinord and around the lake.
Then on my own the next day out to Loch Muick. This is a great ride along the river- pasture, forest, then open moors, then the lake of course. Loch Muick is in the bowl formed by the mountains in this pic.
To be continued....
