"We've got a Scotland special edition coming up. Would you mind submitting the material for a six of the best feature?" or words to that effect were what Andy Waterman from MBR asked. "Aye, nae bother" said I before thinking too much about how you do choose six from what's available. Hmmmmmm?
During 2009, MBR had a round up of the ten best UK trails. Scottish routes loomed large in it. Andy MaCandlish chose the Coire Fionnaraich Loop. Danny Milner opted for the Ciaran Path. The latter was ultimately elected top UK trail by the magazine. Both of those routes first came to print in Mountainbike Scotland the Highlands and have since become classics. Being from the book and featured so recently I didn't feel they should be included. Also, Andy McKenna was taking the MBR crew round some gems for the same edition. So, the wonderstuff that might be used there was excluded. In the end some criteria to thin out the field had to be set.
Most would agree that the single most distinguishing thing about Scottish wilderness routes is the scenery. All routes would have to be relatively easy to follow from short descriptions (with a bit of homework). The bulk had to be achievable for a range of fitness and ability levels but not all be pushovers. A spread right over the country also seemed like a good idea. Singletrack hungers needed to be fed.
For better or worse, the selection was made. The pick is in the August 2010 MBR. They'll be in the new book and they're accessible from the links here. Will everyone agree that this was the definitive six? Not a chance!
But, hey, any informed opinion will never be able to argue that they don't contain great riding in amazing surroundings!
You know the drill, click a pic to go! Or choose the button below
Mountain biking is an adventure sport with associated risks. It is the responsibilty of all riders to be fully conversant with the risks to themselves and the risks to others. The activity also has impact on the land. This impact not only extends to wear and tear on trails but also how it affects on agriculture and ecology. You must at all times be mindful of these factors. Any route suggested should only be accessed within the provisions of the Land Reform Scotland Act and conform to the concept of responsible access within the terms of that act . See http://www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/default.asp?nPageID=12&nSubContentID=0 for more info and guidance. No route published by Mountainbike Scotland should be undertaken without adherance to all of the foregoing.
