CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK – SCOTLAND
Pitlochry – Balleter – Grantown-on-Spey – Pitlochry
Scotland, along with Wales, is the other biking gem on our wee isles, and it is frankly incredible that it’s a destination on our own shores, which many bikers have yet to experience. Exactly the same as many rural routes, expect the same kind of potential issues, especially with road surfaces given how much colder it can get up there (and therefore how much more ice and snow it has to deal with). This being said, we’ve mostly enjoyed excellent surfaces whenever we’ve been, with shell-grip usually in all the right places, too.
This particular route is set just north of Perth and Dundee, skirting around the Cairngorms National Park surrounding Cairn Gorm mountain which, incidentally, is where the UK’s highest funicular railway operates, er, apparently…
Starting off from Pitlochry, head east on the A924, a lovely little road curving north and then south down to the Bridge of Cally. Once there, turn north again (left) on the A93 and follow this all the way up past Blacklunans and Dalnaglar Castle, where the road will start to climb a bit more. It gets faster and starts to swoop beautifully from side to side, the scenery becoming more stunning with every mile.
You’ll pass both Braemar and Balmoral Castles on your way to your next turn, which is just above Ballater at the Bridge of Gairn, turning left on the A939. Keep an eye out for where the A939 does a hard about north (otherwise it’s straight on to the B976) to the right, taking you on the ‘Old Military Road’, which is a single track affair, so keep wits about you for oncoming hazards. You’ll also be turning left with the A939 again a little while later at Colnabaichin, go over blatant silly photo opp’ Cock Bridge (tee hee…) and keep going on the 939 past Tomintoul, and bridges Brown and Nethy until you reach Grantown-on-Spey.
Once there turn left on the A95, which is faster fare but also more of a regular route for locals and tourists, so it’ll either be busy, or it won’t, but it’s still great to ride. It’ll eventually become the A9, so join that heading south but be aware there are (probably) less busy, smaller roads on your left that skirt some of the A9 (the B9152 and B970) between Aviemore and Kingussie which may be more to your liking, or not, your choice. And then, my friends, you stick on the A9 until you return to the starting point at Pitlochry.
When we put out a call for this route, few replied! Likely because there are so many routes and roads to enjoy in Scotters, it’d take a good couple of weeks to experience every single one of them.
Wilson Black, though, had this to say: “Brilliant bit of roads from Banchory to Braemar and up to the Glenshee ski centre. Watch out for the sheep after Braemar though!” James Thompson adds: “Try Applecross on the NW500!”
Keep an eye out on www. fastbikesmag.com, because we’ll post a stack more routes from these parts very soon indeed!
SCOTLAND IS AN INCREDIBLE DESTINATION FOR A BIKER, WHEN THE WEATHER’S NICE...