(Photos – thanks to Jakub Iwanicki + Danny MacAskill [“The Ridge”, Skye])

             Secure bike storage

One of the reasons the Cairngorm area is an all-year-round hotspot is due to the fantastic cycling on offer.  The cottage location could hardly be better, as the garden opens onto the Speyside Way!  There are literally hundreds of potential on and off-road routes to ride for cycling enthusiasts, young and old, directly from the front gate.

So, we have made sure everything is as cycle-friendly as possible to allow cyclists the maximum enjoyment of this cycling haven, from clothes washing / drying facilities to purpose-built cycle store with shelter from the elements and high security.

The village also has a great bike shop (Ride Cairngorms).  Cycle equipment, repair and rental (including e-bikes) are all available, along with fantastic local advice.

Routes

Boat of Garten itself is ideally situated for a huge variety of national and local cycling routes.

These range from the SHORT + EASY – for example, from the cottage:

  • Loch Garten / Mallachie
  • Speyside Way to Nethy Bridge or Aviemore (with steam train option for those just wanting to go one way!)

          (Photo Courtesy of Jakub Iwanicki)

To the LENGTHY + CHALLENGING – eg.:

   

There are really too many to list here, but plenty of sources to help you find YOUR cycle adventure!  Try starting with:

We have blogged many times on cycling related local + interesting info, including combining the fun of cycling with the fun of a festival!!

In 2024, Cairngorms business / recreation groups have launched digital tools that provide self-guided cycling routes for visitors, with turn-by-turn instructions to minimise the impact on nature and highlight visitor experiences along the routes.  So you can rapidly “get inspired – not lost”, according to Ride With GPS.

(And if you liked Danny MacAskill’s eye-watering “cycle ride” on the Cuillin Ridge, as a friend of the village, check out his more “leisurely” Wee Day Out around Boat of Garten to give you some inspiration!!)

Wee Day Out | Watch Danny MacAskill's brand new edit

             

New in 2022 – Woodland Wheels Pump Track!

The amazing energy of the Boat of Garten community managed to raise funds and build a state-of-the-art Pump Track in the village. See “Woodland Wheels” facebook page for more information on this fantastic village asset. For more on this achievement and other developments see our “Big Up The Bikes” blog post!

New in 2024 – Cairngorm Mountain Biking Trails!

With completion of the state-of-the-art Pump Track in the village in 2022, we didn’t think there was much more we could promote on the brilliant cycling in the area.  But, Cairngorm Mountain, more famous for its winter sports and climbing opportunities, has just recently opened a whole range of trails in a Mountain Bike Park. We’ve blogged a wee bit about it in Cairngorms Adventures + Music To Our Ears! too.

Cycle Practicalities

As keen cyclists ourselves, we would like to encourage others to enjoy this perfect base for both serious cycling and learning (some of the safest traffic-free routes you will find in Scotland).  So, we think we have provided all the information, and done everything possible, to make it easy to enjoy this cycling haven.  A few things that might help, include:

  • Main national rail network to Aviemore and local Stagecoach bus services (eg. Aviemore to Boat of Garten) allow carriage of bicycles
  • Cycle rental, repair and advice shop, Ride Cairngorms, our experts in the village with a huge range of advice and bikes (including E-bikes)
  • Maps, reference, WiFi accessible WWW information all available at the cottage (OS Grid Ref: NH93791812, Poscode: PH24 3BP)
  • Purpose-built cycle store with shelter from the elements and high security (internal secure cycle hoop and external locking doors) – we realise some people’s bikes are their pride and joy!
  • New washing machine (with provided eco/allergy-friendly wash powder)
  • Outdoor clothes hanging line (for warmer weather!) and a large indoor clothes drying rack which will dry cycle clothing overnight
  • Both restaurants in the village serve meals until later in the day (for those who might return later after riding some of the more challenging routes)
  • Local shop / Post Office is open very early, does great filled rolls, sandwiches, pastries, etc. for your ride, so you can hit the track early!

If you’re still not inspired to jump on a bike right now and head off towards adventure, these quotes will do the trick………

“Ride as much or as little, as long or as short as you feel. But ride” – Eddy Merckx

“It never gets easier, you just get faster” – Greg LeMond

“Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike” – John F Kennedy

“The best rides are the ones where you bite off much more than you can chew, and live through it” – Doug Bradbury

“To me, it doesn’t matter whether it’s raining or the sun is shining or whatever: as long as I’m riding a bike I know I’m the luckiest guy in the world” – Mark Cavendish

“I don’t ride a bike to add days to my life. I ride a bike to add life to my days” – Unknown

“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking” – Arthur Conan Doyle