This guidebook describes 21 mountain biking routes in central and southern Scotland. It includes the 7stanes trail centre in Dumfries and Galloway, as well as cross-country routes in the Campsie Fells, Pentland Hills and Lammermuirs, the Galloway Forest, Tweed Valley, Cheviots and Lowther Hills. The routes range from 17 to 66km and are graded from moderate to very hard. Taking between 2 and 7 hours to complete, they are intended for reasonably fit mountain bikers with at least some experience. Detailed route descriptions are accompanied by 1:50, 000 OS mapping, and the selected routes set out from various points across the area, including Greenock, Glentrool, Peebles and Milngavie, with good access from both Glasgow and Edinburgh. The guidebook also gives an overview of what the region’s MTB trail centres have to offer, including the famous 7stanes trail centre, along with advice on equipment, maintenance and safety. Southern and Central Scotland is renowned for its superlative MTB trail centres, but the region’s rolling hill country is also traversed by an extensive network of tracks, paths, forest roads and other trails providing endless possibilities for ‘free range’ mountain biking.
Inhoudsopgave
Emergencies
Map key
Overview map
Route summary table
Introduction
Mountain biking in southern and central Scotland
About the routes in this guide
Centres
Getting there and getting around
Accommodation
When to go
Safety
Equipment
Tools and maintenance
Navigation
Hydration
Food
Rights of way and other users
Maps
How to use this guide
Abbreviations and symbols used in the route descriptions
The 7stanes
Ae Forest
Dalbeattie
Glentress
Innerleithen
Kirroughtree
Newcastleton
Mabie
Glentrool
Other trail centres
Drumlanrig Castle
Carron Valley
Cathkin Braes
Whitelee Wind Farm
Southwest
1 Durisdeer, Daer Reservoir and Wedder Law
2 Lowther Hills loop
3 Shinnel Water and Scaur Water loop
4 Carrick Forest Four Lochs loop
5 Glentrool and the Galloway Hills
6 Windy Standard loop
Southeast
7 Belford to Cocklawfoot: Windy Gyle loop
8 Kirk Yetholm and the Pennine Way
9 Minch Moor and the Three Brethren
10 Stake Law and the Gypsy Glen
11 The Tweedsmuir Hills: Natural Tweed
12 The Lammermuir Hills: Longformacus and Wedder Lairs loop
13 Gifford and the Hope Hills
14 The Pentland Hills: a rollercoaster route around the reservoirs
Central
15 Misty Law
16 Greenock Cut
17 Kilpatrick Hills loop
18 The Campsie Fells: Dumgoyne and Earl’s Seat
19 Mugdock Country Park loop
20 Carbeth – Cameron Muir loop
21 Glasgow waterways loop
Appendices
Appendix A Bike shops and mechanics
Appendix B Other useful contacts
Over de auteur
Since moving to Scotland from the south of England in 2006, Peter has developed a passion for the Hebrides. He lives at Rhenigidale on the Isle of Harris with his wife, Fiona, and their Labradors, Dougal and Mara.