A sunny bike ride from Aviemore to Inverness, using Sustrans Route 7 and other bits and pieces of road and track along the way.
Train to Aviemore – and ride
The sun is surprisingly warm and the sky is promisingly blue at 9.30am when my friend Maggie and I alight the train with our bicycles at Aviemore Railway Station
We also discover there is a delightful tailwind as we pedal north through the bustling tourist town and then on to a gravel track.
We grin with delight and discuss that the conditions could not be more perfect for a day of cycling in the Scottish Highlands.
Having caught an early train from our home city of Inverness, our aim is to make the return by pedal-power alone.
We’ve mapped a route that follows quiet roads, tracks and paths for a day’s ride that we expect to total between 40 and 45 miles.
The first section follows a long-distance trail, the Speyside Way, to reach the pretty village of Boat of Garten. The track is wide and almost flat, which means we make speedy progress on our off-road bicycles.
Beautiful moorland and mountain views
The views also change from shops and houses, through a woodland of native birch trees, and then to a vast vista of heathery moorland, scattered Scots pines and mountains that form part of the magnificent Cairngorms National Park.
At Boat of Garten, also known as the Osprey Village, we turn off the Speyside Way and head west on to a peaceful minor road.
Crossing the busier A95, we ride on to an even more tranquil and narrower road that takes us between farmland fields, past a few spaced-out houses and eventually to a rough track
The OS map reveals this 1.5 miles of track as a line of orange dots, which indicates a designated off-road cycle route.
We reach Carrbridge on the B9153, which impressively claims to be the home of the World Porridge Making Championships.
Route 7, The Lochs and Glens Way, is a mapped route of 214 miles between Glasgow and Inverness and follows quiet roads, tracks and paths.
Carrbridge to Slochd
It’s possible to ride the Sustrans National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 7, which is also part of the so-called Lochs and Glens Way, north of the village but this route travels close to the A9 and we are keen to avoid the noise of heavy traffic.
Instead, we make up our own route and turn left in Carrbridge centre on to Station Road.
We soon return to pastoral surroundings, riding between wide open fields and mixed woodlands with a backdrop of rolling hills and moors.
Five minutes later, we realise we’ve missed a vital turn on to a track that will lead to a small bridge to cross the the River Dulnain. No doubt we were chatting too much, or looking out at the views rather than keeping an eye no the route, but we need to make a return.
The bonus of the inadvertent detour is a fabulous old Scots pine with a display of gnarly roots where the ground has worn away, as well as fine twisted branches overhead, where we stop to take photos.
Once on the right track, we cycle through more countryside and into denser woodlands of tall pine trees, heading west and then north.
Again, the route is marked on a map by orange dots and this section is more undulating although rarely challenging.
Slochd to Tomatin – Route 7
Just before Slochd, a high point of 1315ft on a mountain pass, our route finally merges next to the A9 and the Highland Main Line Railway.
This is where we join Route 7 and while we do find ourselves cycling at times parallel with the motorway, there are enough plantations of trees and shrubs to mask a lot of the transport rumble.
Again, the cycling is easy-going on a mostly tarmacked surface. We stop for lunch at a cafe in Tomatin and enjoy sitting in sunshine at outdoors benches.
Cycle to Inverness
Refuelled, we cycle on with renewed energy and at Moy, we join the B9154 and head away from the A9 again.
Route 7 travels north and then joins NCN Route 1 east of Inverness to return to the Highlands capital city.
Our day had passed remarkably quickly and pleasantly although as I step off my bike at the end, I can definitely feel the 43 miles in my leg muscles.
Details:
- NCN Route 7.
- Lunch stop: Three Bridges Cafe at Tomatin
- Make sure you book one of limited bike spaces when making a seat reservation on the train. See ScotRail. I made use of my Club 50 rail card for a discount.