The (alternative) Cairngorms Loop
5
Days Riding
6
Nights Accommodation
230km
Total Distance
3781m
Elevation Gain
6/10
Overall Difficulty
£845
Total Cost
Prepare yourself for an epic 5-day guided adventure through the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, taking in all of the best bits of the established Cairngorms Loop with added sections and creative detours, not covered by the original route. This expedition is semi-supported. Our support vehicle will meet with us during the day, so that we can travel light and more efficiently. Towards the end of each day, we’ll load bikes with all of the necessary equipment to venture into remote valleys to wild camp and be self-sufficient. This style of expedition not only adds convenience and peace of mind, it allows us to travel further and get the most out of the five days together.
Our route travels through ancient Caledonian pine forests, along secluded lochs and into remote glens. You'll enjoy one of the UK’s true wilderness experiences with big skies and sublime vistas. With ever changing landscapes, this expedition will provide you with a physical challenge but also a profound connection with the untamed beauty of the Scottish wilderness.
sunday
Arrival Day at the Rothiemurchus campsite
Welcome to the Cairngorms. This is Scotland at its very best and it’s truly breathtaking. During the course of the afternoon and start preparing for the week ahead. We’ll fettle with kit and equipment and after a hearty meal, we’ll work through the expedition plan in detail.
monday (Day 1)
rothiemurchus to loch builg
48km
993M
Heading out of the campsite, we’ll follow the old logging road (now a superb cycle path) through the Queen’s Forest towards Loch Morlich. The trail turns north via the Ryvoan bothy and meanders through Caledonian pines with clearings that allow sublime views of the Cairngorm mountains as our backdrop. We now swap between singletrack and forest trails towards the small village of Tomintoul. As we swing south, the landscape changes to reveal vast, u-shaped valleys created over a millenia by the River Avon. We travel into the wilderness, towards its source and along the edge of Loch Builg. We’ll camp here for the night, amongst the ruins of Lochbuilg Lodge.
tuesday (Day 2)
loch builg to glas-allt shiel bothy
43km
411M
Most of today will be spent on well compacted 4x4 tracks lined with heather and with birds of prey circling overhead. We’ll make great progress on these fast trails and have time to soak up the atmosphere as we cruise along. The midway point today is the well-equipped town of Ballatar, with two bike shops and a range of amenities. We’ll have a spot of lunch here before departing along more easy to travel gravel tracks, climbing steadily to the truly majestic Loch Muick and Glas-Allt-Shiel bothy.
wednesday (Day 3)
glas-allt shiel bothy to the red house bothy
45km
763M
We’ll need a good breakfast today since our objective is accessing the trails through Balmoral forest into Braemar which lies beyond the slopes of Clais Rathadanon. This steep hike-a-bike section is the crux of the whole trip. Strong riders will manage some saddle time, most will need to push on steeper sections. The reward: big skies, views as far as the eyes allow and a huge sense of achievement, not to mention a 10 km non-technical descent. The smell of rich pine fills our nostrils once again as we turn west along the River Dee, famous for its world-class salmon fishing. We could so easily be in Canada. Civilisation greets us once again as we roll into Braemar. We’ll spend time refuelling before the final push through the Linn of Dee (another great swimming spot) and onto the Red House, a recently renovated bothy and a landscape to behold.
thursday (Day 4)
the red housE bothy to glen feshie
63km
1328M
Today’s route steps up in technical difficulty and by now our legs are starting to feel the mileage. Leaving the Red House bothy behind, we reach the source of the river Dee and ride south again, entering Glenn Tilt. The atmosphere builds as we navigate along wonderful singletrack with fantastic views of the valley system below. We’ll rest and fuel next to a beautiful bridge overlooking the Tarf Waterfall before the long descent into Blair Athol. After a short stint on General Wade’s Military Road we’ll start to head north along 4x4 tracks and along remote lochs. Our objective today is to access the Feshie valley system, certainly one of the most beautiful in all of Scotland.
friday (Day 5)
glen feshie to rothiemurchus
31km
286M
Our final day is another classic spent navigating ancient Caledonian pine forests along intricate trails and small loch systems. The terrain, whilst retaining its sense of wilderness, has a secure and familiar undercurrent and we'll all start to feel the finish line approaching. This landscape is breathtaking and completely energising. You'll arrive back in Aviemore having experienced something very special – a circumnavigation of the UK’s largest National Park and arguably its wildest.
Expedition Highlights
Cycling past An Loch Uaine (the green loch) within the first hour of starting the expedition.
The remote and wild Glen Builg and the sounds of birds of prey circling overhead.
The intricate network of singletrack through ancient Caledonian forest.
The tranquil waters of the river Dee and surrounding wilnedrness.
Wild camping beside Loch Muick and exploring the Glas-allt-Shiel bothy.
Reaching the source of the river Dee and then descending Glen Tilt and passing the Falls of Tarf.
FAQ
What trip paperwork will I need / recieve support with?
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We have extensive experience of working with schools and colleges to ensure that all aspects of our expeditions meet the highest standards of safety, safeguarding and are in line with local authority guidelines. We will share details of our risk assessments, code of conduct, emergency planning, liability insurance etc, and help you with any trip paperwork that is required.
What bike is best for The (Alternative) Cairngorms Loop?
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The route itself is really varied. Most of the time we’re on non-technical gravel, forest tacks, singletrack and 4x4 roads. We’ve designed the route to avoid sustained technical terrain. To that end, we recommend a lightweight hardtail mountain bike with a short travel fork or a rigid fork on plus tyres.
Do riders need their own bike?
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No, we can arrange rental for you and your students and it can be picked up and ready for you to ride. Please let us know if you need a bike and we’ll discuss options but rental prices start at £150 for the week.
Do riders need their own bikepacking bags?
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The short answer is yes. Our support vehicle will meet us each day but we’ll be travelling through some remote areas, where the support vehicle can’t access. So we’ll all need to be able to carry overnight kit at various points along the way. If you or your students don’t own any specific bikepacking bags yourself, don’t worry. You can also rent these and we’ll work through this together during the planning process.
What other clothing and equipment will riders need?
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You will need some basic outdoor clothing and some basic camping gear too. A clothing and equipment list can be downloaded by clicking download below.
We know that equipment can be expensive and part of the reason for coming along might be to learn about what to buy. We’re very happy to arrange a call to discuss all aspects of kit and equipment and can advise you on anything you may consider buying before the expedition, if this would be helpful?
How physically fit do riders need to be for the (Alternative) Cairngorms Loop?
You will need to be able to ride a bike at a steady state for most of the day, for 5 days consecutively. The fitter you are, the more scope you’ll have to enjoy the scenery. That said, each day of cycling will be interspersed with short breaks for refuelling, photos and where appropriate, sharing knowledge and top tips. You'll also need the mindset to tackle mixed terrain and mixed weather. The Scottish landscape is as beautiful as it is challenging and whilst the (Alternative) Cairngorms Loop follows mainly non-technical terrain, there are a few short sections that will require us all to push our bikes.
What sort of prior experience do riders need to have, to enjoy the (Alternative) Cairngorms Loop Expedition?
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Not that much really. As long as riders have a genuine desire, and the robustness to immerse yourself in a week-long expedition, they’ll be fine. The (Alternative) Cairngorm Loop is less about racking up the mileage and more about journeying through a wonderful landscape, adapting to the terrain. This expedition is perfect for learning from each other, developing expedition skills and having a great time and your guide will do everything they can to look after everyone's specific needs.
How many riders will make up the group?
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We require 6 fee paying riders to make the expedition viable and will never have groups larger than 8.
Where will the expedition start and what's the best way to get there?
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Our meeting and start point is the beautiful Rothiemurchus Campsite, near Aviemore in the Cairngorms. We’ll gather as a group, enjoy a meal together in the evening and prepare for the week ahead. If you're travelling by car / minibus, directions can be found by clicking...
If anyone is travelling by train, the nearest station is Aviemore which is roughly 20 minutes from the campsite.
When and where will we finish on Friday?
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Our final day will be spent making our way back to our start point at the Rothiemurchus Campsite and we'll aim to get back by mid-afternoon. We'll clean bikes, sort kit, have a shower and say our farewells.
Will spare clothes and equipment be transported during the trip?
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Yes. We'll get access to our spare clothing and equipment whenever we met up with the support vehicle each day. However, since we travel into remote valleys each day, we'll pick up our expedition equipment from the support vehicle each afternoon and carry it, on some days, well into the next day. We think this is a great way to journey as our support vehicle allows a degree of flexibility.
What will riders need to carry with them during the day?
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We'll need to wear appropriate clothing to suit the weather and once we leave basecamp on Monday morning, we'll be carrying everything we need for the day. This will include: spare clothes, some food and emergency equipment etc. We'll travel quite light for most of the day and then meet up with the support vehicle at pre-designated points. However, the nature of the (Alternative) Cairngorm Loop Expedition means that we'll need to be self-sufficient for significant parts of the trip, requiring us to carry tents, sleeping bags and cooking equipment each evening.
Is there a limit on what I can bring?
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The only limit we have is space within the support vehicle. All we ask is that you fit whatever you need transporting into one bag / holdall that is no bigger than 100cm x 45cm x 45cm. The clothing and equipment list above gives you guidance on what you need to take during each part of the expedition and your guide will help you with this before you set off.
What type of accommodation will we be using?
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We’ve opted for tented accommodation. This gives us the most flexibility and helps us develop a range of useful skills necessary for more adventurous expeditions in the future. You can bring your own tent or you can use one of ours, free of charge. Whilst at Rothiemurchus Campsite, we’ll have one large communal tent, where we can all meet, plan, chat and share meals together. Our support vehicle will meet us at designated points along the route but we will be wild camping, in one form or another each night, once we embark on the expedition.
What's the catering plan?
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We’ll provide all meals and snacks during the week. We love food and know how important it is during an expedition. All meals provided will be healthy and plentiful (cake will just be plentiful). A sample menu can be found by clicking
Once you're booked onto an expedition, we'll ask you for your preferences during the booking process.
Can we leave vehicles securely during the week?
Yes, we’ll meet up at the Rothiemurchus campsite on Sunday and you can leave vehicles at the campsite until we return on Friday afternoon.
What if we have allergies and / or dietary requirements?
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No problem. Let's discuss this during the planning process and we'll do our utmost to support your needs.
How do I book onto an expedition?
There are three easy steps to securing an expedition. See below.
If we've not covered an area you're keen to explore in the FAQ above, please do get in touch using the 'Ask Us Anything' form below and we'll answer your query as quickly as we can.
Book an adventure in 3 Easy Steps
Let's talk! If you've seen an expedition that looks exciting, fill in the 'Ask Us Anything' form below and we’ll get back in touch as quickly as we can to answer any questions you have and to arrange a convenient time to call you. We just need to make sure you’ve picked the perfect expedition for your group.
Once we've worked through the expedition plan together and you're keen to progress, we'll ask you for a deposit (50% of the total cost of the expedition), then we'll confirm your place, via email, and guide you through the rest of the booking process.
We’ll stay in regular contact as we prepare you for your expedition. We're happy to field any queries you have and roughly 14 days before your expedition is due to start, we’ll contact you to make sure you’re ready to join us. We’ll update you on any relevant information and finalise expedition practicalities. We'll be with you every step of the way!