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1. Loch Kinord
(12 miles, 19km) Time 1½ hours.
Easy
From Aboyne Green (shops, cafes), cross River Dee and turn right. Follow South
Deeside Road and turn Right at Dinnet bridge (8.0km). Cross the Dee, and straight
across the A93 at Dinnet (Victoria Tea-rooms) and cycle north on B9119. Turn
left (10.3km) on minor road, becoming track, alongside Loch Kinord, which is
a National Nature Reserve. Note Crannog island in loch. Continue along track
and turn right along A97. At cross roads (9 miles, 14.8km) at Milton of Logie,
cross over and follow B9119. Turn Right (12 miles, 19.3km) onto B9094 signed
Aboyne. Turn Left on A93 in Aboyne to return to the Green. Note: Loch Kinord
may also be visited from Ballater via old railway path to Dinnet. |
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2. Braemar: Clunieside
(6 miles, 9.5km)
Time 1½ hours. Easy.
A short easy cycle along a quiet tarmac road up Glen Clunie, as far as Fraser's
Bridge. Watch out for traffic on the A93 return route. Leave Braemar village
by the Clunie Bank road opposite the Fife Arms Hotel following the western bank
of the Clunie Water. Pass the Golf Club and a pine plantation and 5km from the
village you reach Fraser's Bridge. At this point you either retrace your route
or cross the bridge, turn left and return along the A93 to the village. |
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3. Ballater:
Deeside and Glen Gairn via Gairnshiel Pass
(21 miles, 34km)
Time 2 hours. Hard
A challenging route with rewarding views across Deeside. Start in the car park
Station Square, Ballater, turn right towards Braemar, passing Craigendarroch
Wood and leisure complex on your right. Follow the A93 for 2 miles until you
reach the Bridge of Gairn junction. Take the right turn onto A939 signed Tomintoul,
and start to climb steadily through Glen Gairn. The river Gairn follows the
road to the right. Continue on the road through the Glen for 6 miles passing
Gairnshiel Lodge. At Gairnshiel Lodge turn left onto the B796(Old Military
Road) signed Balmoral and continue for a further 5 miles to join the A93 just
west of Crathie.
At the junction, turn left, and follow the A93 for 200m
then turn right to cross over the river Dee. Over the bridge
turn left (entrance to Balmoral is to the right). Follow
the road past Easter Balmoral and continue on the South Deeside
Road to Mains of Abergeldie, passing Littlemill, Knocks House
and Dalliefour. Bear right at Bridge House before joining
Bridge of Muick. (A right turn at this junction leads to
Glen Muick). Keep left at Bridge of Muick and follow the
B976 road for about 0.5 miles. Turn left back over the Royal
Bridge, straight ahead at Bridge Street into Ballater and
return to the car park. |
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4. Ballater:
Old Railway Line to Dinnet
(14 miles, 22.5km) Time 2 hours.
Moderate
An attractive circular tour following the old Deeside railway with fine views
of the River Dee and surrounding hills. The route is suitable for touring bikes
as far as Cambus O'May. Mountain bikes are recommended for the next section to
Dinnet as the track becomes much rougher. Start from Ballater station platform
follow the Old Railway Line to Cambus O'May suspension bridge, but do not cross
it. Instead, continue past the old Cambus O'May station following the signs to
Dinnet. Return to Ballater either back along the same route, or turn right (S)
at the crossroads in Dinnet crossing the river Dee, and turn right again (SW)
to return along the South Deeside Road (B976) to Ballater. |
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5. Dee and
Don
(50 miles, 80km) Time 4 hours. Hard
From Aboyne Green (shops, cafes), cross River Dee and turn right. Follow South
Deeside Road and turn Right at Dinnet bridge (8.0km). Cross the Dee, and straight
across the A93 at Dinnet (Victoria Tea-rooms) and cycle north on B9119. After
Big Foot Outdoor Centre (shown as Boultenstone Hotel on OS map) turn Right on
minor road signed Glenkindie. At Glenkindie, turn Right on A97 to Mossat. Turn
Right on A944 to Bridge of Alford. Turn Right on A980 signed Lumphanan. Cross
B9119 at Crossroads Inn. Turn Right on minor road signed Aboyne. |
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6. The Lecht:
Deeside to Grantown-on-Spey via the Lecht
(c.37 miles, c.60km)
Time 4 hours. Hard
A route over the hills from Deeside to Speyside, via the highest town in Scotland.
Ballater - Gairnshiel Lodge - Corgarff - Tomintoul - Bridge of Brown - Grantown-on-Spey |
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7. Dee and
the Angus Glens
Time 8 hours. Long and hard!
A classic audax circular route over the mountains linking the Dee to Glen Isla
and the Angus glens, with a number of ascents. From Ballater, take the B976 South
Deeside Road to Crathie. Follow the A93 North Deeside Road to Braemar (cafes).
Continue on the A93 over the Cairnwell pass to Spittal of Glenshee. At Clackavoid,
turn left on the B951 to Kirriemuir. Turn left on the B959 to Tannadice. Turn
left on minor roads to Edzell and the B966 to Fettercairn. Take the B974 road
over the Cairn o' Mount to Strachan. Then follow the B976 South Deeside Road
over the Corsedarder to Aboyne and back to Ballater. The circuit may be started
at any other point on the route. |
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1. Ballater:
Glen Muick
(19 miles, 30.6km) Time 2.5 hours. Moderate
Taking in spectacular forest scenery, the falls of Glen Muick and views of Lochnagar,
this is a great circuit to enjoy the wild beauty of Glen Muick. Cross the Dee
at Ballater Bridge and turn right on to the B976 South Deeside road for 1km turning
left after the plaque to the Gordon Highlanders and before crossing the bridge
over the River Muick onto a single-track road. Follow this road up the left-hand
side of the glen for 13km passing the Falls of Muick and out into the wilder
open moorland of the upper glen to the Spittal of Glen Muick and the visitor
centre (No vehicle access). Follow the un-made forest track to the right across
the glen to Allt-na-giubhsaich. Turn right returning down the glen where you
rejoin the tarmac road, keeping a careful eye for traffic, follow the road straight
on to Ardmeanach, turning right back to Ballater. |
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2. Braemar:
Linn of Dee
(17 miles, 27.4km) Time 4 hours. Moderate
A beautiful scenic tour through the upper Strath Dee by road and rough track.
From Braemar village follow the road to the Linn of Dee, passing the Victoria
Bridge entrance to Mar Lodge and the stone cottages at Inverey. (An alternative
shorter route is to cross Victoria Bridge and cycle past Mar Lodge using the
estate tracks provided.) Cross the stone bridge at the Linn of Dee and follow
the road along the north bank of the river eastwards passing Mar Lodge on the
right, until you come to a wooden bridge and informal car park at the Linn of
Quoich. Here the tarmac road ends but cyclists can continue along the north side
of the river following the estate road past old farm buildings. Once you enter
the dense pine woodland you should follow the green Scottish Rights of Way bicycle
signs, which will eventually bring you past Invercauld House and down to the
A93 opposite the Old Bridge of Dee. Turn right on to the main road, cross the
Invercauld Bridge and continue for a further 5km back to Braemar. |
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3. Pitfichie
and Durris Forests.
Easy to Hard
There are several mountain bike trails designated by Forest Enterprise in Durris
Forest (by Banchory) and Pitfichie Forest (by Monymusk). Some single track has
been constructed, and there are plans to create more single track in the near
future. |
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4. Shiel of Glen Tanar
(14 miles, 23km; 250m ascent) Time
2-3 hours. Moderate
From the Glen Tanar visitor centre, follow the trail past the church, keeping
along the south bank of the river. Pass Glen Tanar House, cross over the bridge
and continue through pinewoods to the sound of the river on your left. After
Half Way- Hut (7km) the track is more level, and the views open out toward Mount
Keen. Cycle as far as you choose. Vary the return by crossing the river at another
bridge. |
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5. Glen Tanar.
Other routes.
Moderate - Hard
There are many other routes in the Glen Tanar estate using the network of surfaced
tracks through the forest. |
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6. Glen Callater
(12 miles, 20km) Time 2 hours. Moderate
An exploration of a beautiful highland glen, along an old drive road - Jock's
Road - to Loch Callater. Leave Braemar along Clunieside [as on-road route 2 link].
Cross Clunie Water on bridge at Auchallater, cross A93 and follow estate track
alongside Callater Burn to Loch Callater Lodge and alongside Loch Callater. Return
by same route or down A93. Braemar - Clunieside - footbridge - cross A93 - track
up Glen Callater - return |
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7. Glen Derry
- Glen Quoich
(17 miles, 27km) Time 4 hours. Moderate
Glen Lui and Glen Quoich are two delightful glens, and they may be explored in
a variety of ways. From Braemar, follow the road through the village to Linn
of Dee.
a. Continue 0.5 km past the car park and turn sharp
left on estate road, to follow the Lui Water. After a further
2.5km, turn left on path through Clais Fhearnaig (push bike
here) to reach Glen Quoich. Return along Glen Quoich to Linn
of Quoich. Return via Mar Lodge (bikes and walkers only) to
Braemar.
b. Glen Quoich - the glen can be cycled on estate
roads on either side of the burn. Note that the 2 river
crossings that link the east and west routes may be difficult. |
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8. Glen
Gairn - Donside
(52km) Time 6 hours. Hard
A route into the remote area around Loch Builg and the Linn of Avon. From Braemar,
follow the road to Crathie, and turn left (7km) on the old military road B976
toward Gairnshiel. After climbing the hill out of Crathie, turn left and leave
the public road at Braenaloin (12km). Follow the estate road up Glen Gairn, past
Corndavon Lodge to Loch Builg (23km). Cycle or push for 11/2 km on the east side
of Loch Builg to regain the estate road, with some fine descents down Glen Builg
to the river Avon. Cross the Builg on the bridge to visit the spectacular falls
of the Linn of Avon only ½ km from the route. The turn left at Inchrory
Lodge (28km) and after a short sharp climb past the source of the Don, follow
Glen Feardar to Cock Bridge (37km). Return along the A939 via Corgarff, or take
the old military road along the south bank of the Don, to Gairnshiel and Crathie
(46km). The route may be shortened using a car to reach Braenaloin.
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9. Upper
Glen Gairn
Glen Feardar (38km) Time 5 hours. Hard
From Braemar, follow the road to Crathie, and turn left (7km) on the old military
road B976 toward Gairnshiel. After climbing the hill out of Crathie, turn left
and leave the public road at Braenaloin (12km) [as in Off Road Route 8 link].
Follow the estate road up Glen Gairn, past Corndavon Lodge to Loch Builg (23km).
Fork left between the lochans before Loch Builg, cross the bridge over the river
Gairn, and follow the estate road round the side of Culardoch, to descend to
Invercauld House (33km). Regain the A93 at Invercauld Bridge and return to Braemar. |
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