A big day out, Loch Muick

Distance 24.3km (15.1 miles) Climbing 955m (3,133ft) Time 2hrs to 3hrs

Route summary A rough, tough and remote ride out in the hills, with some technical trails and hike-a-bike sections, which can be adapted to make it easier or harder Start/ inish Spittal of Glenmuick car park (grid ref NO 310/852, postcode AB35 5SU)

Getting there From Ballater, take the B976 over the bridge and turn right. After half a mile, take a left just before a bridge. Follow this single-lane road for eight miles, to the end

1

Join the track towards Loch Muick, forking left to climb up the hillside on the Capel Road track.

NOTE You can miss out the next section to Glen Clova by continuing along the southern edge of the loch to a bridge. Cross this and bear left, uphill, on a track known as the ‘Lightning Strike’ trail, to Corrie Chash.

2

Descend Capel Mounth on a mix of grassy and rocky trails. Head through the woods to the bottom of Glen Clova and turn right, along the valley bottom. Keep right of Moulzie farmhouse and go along a wooden boardwalk before the trees. Join a section of singletrack along the eastern side of the River South Esk.

3

Follow this track up the valley, cross a wooden bridge over the river and continue to Bachnagairn Forest, heading over another bridge and hike-a-biking up the hillside. The track improves and becomes ridable nearer the top. Turn right at a junction, past the hut, then soon after bear o left onto the ‘Corrie

Chash’ singletrack descent (or keep ahead/right on the main track for an easier descent on ‘Lightning Strike’).

4

Stay on this trail as it gets steeper and techier, with drainage ditches to bunnyhop along the way, and heads back down to Loch Muick. Go left to follow the edge of the loch around its northern side for an easier finish. Alternatively, turn right for some technical, stop-start singletrack along the southern edge. Both lead back to the car park to finish.

NOTE For a bigger, tougher and more remote route, head left at the junction before the hut, to hike-a-bike through the boulder field up over Broad Cairn. Continue over Cairn Bannoch to Carn an t-Sagairt Mor and bear right here, climbing past Carn a’Choire Bhoidheach to Cac Carn Mor (by Lochnagar). Follow the track south-east, beside Glas Allt. Things get super-technical here, before returning to Loch Muick.