Bikepacking Scotland by Markus Stitz features 20 great multi-day off-the-beaten-track cycling adventures across the Scottish mainland and islands.
The book features routes of different lengths which take in the best of the country, from the Ayrshire Alps, Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders in southern Scotland, through Perthshire's unique drovers' roads and the grand architecture of the Central Belt, across to Argyll's islands on ferry-hopping adventures around Islay, a paradise for whisky connoisseurs, and Jura and Mull to spot magnificent golden eagles. And, of course, the Scottish Highlands with an epic tour of the Cairngorms National Park, home to 25 per cent of Britain's rare and endangered species, as well as the author's own take on the North Coast 500 and more.
Researched and written by the founder of Bikepacking Scotland, and mostly accessible by public transport, each route includes all the information you need to help you plan your ride, with points of interest along the route, food recommendations and accommodation options, in addition to stunning photography and overview mapping. Downloadable GPX files of the routes are also available. Alongside further information on access, seasons and what to pack, and valuable insight from Scottish cycling personalities including Mark Beaumont and Jenny Graham, this book is full of practical tips and advice for both experienced bikepackers and those who want to try it out for the first time.
Introduction
Scotland's South (Ayrshire, Borders, Dumfries and Galloway)
1 Ayrshire Alps, Coast & Castles
2 Borders to Coast
3 Borders Three Abbeys Loop
Central Belt (East Lothian, Edinburgh, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk)
4 Go East Lothian Trail
5 Capital Trail
6 From Forth to Fife
7 Discovering Perthshire's Heritage
8 Explore Your Boundaries Clackmannanshire
9 Falkirk Adventure Route
10 The John Muir Way
Argyll and the Isles
11 Dunoon Dirt Dash
12 Wild About Argyll Trail
13 Bikepacking Argyll's Islands
14 Around Loch Awe
Central Highlands
15 Highland Perthshire Drovers Trail
16 The Cateran Gran Fondo
17 Cairngorms National Park Loop
18 From Coast to Barrell
19 A Scottish Hostelling Adventure
North of Scotland
20 Alternative North Coast 500