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Pure NATURAL MAGIC...
Pure NATURAL MAGIC...
Welcome to the Balquhidder Mountain Bike Trails!
Here, local riders and trail builders share their pick of the best wild and natural singletrack trails and MTB routes in and around the area.
You'll also find our top tips on parking, 4G, great food stops and the nearest local bike repair shops.
For those interested, you can also learn how to join our local Trail Association and muck in with our crew of trail builders who work tirelessly to try and maintain and improve the network of local trails keeping them clear of debris and as safe as possible.
WHAT'S HERE...
WHAT'S HERE...
For just about any mix of riders on either electric or analogue bikes there's a pretty decent selection of riding here in Balquhidder that'll fill a day if you want, including:-
7 x wild and natural downhill singletracks - The Bigfoot, Ogre, Troll, Hobo, Hippy, Goblin and Yeti ranging from blue to black.
A 1.1k rolling woodland singletrack called the Elf with a 600m B road uphill section that combines for a great 1.7k cross country loop.
2 x 16-20k scenic mountain loop routes that take in a host of other ascents and descents with easier/harder routing options
LATEST TRAIL NEWS
LATEST TRAIL NEWS
A FEW TASTER VIDEOS - YEP! on a fat bike :-)
A FEW TASTER VIDEOS - YEP! on a fat bike :-)
YES YOU CAN EXPECT a fun day of riding. The singletracks are all natural trails, originally sculpted out of the rugged Scottish landscape by deer, sheep or walkers... but over the years our small group of volunteers have worked away to clear them, make them safer and more robust and enhance their natural features. Every month we're out there doing our best to keep them in decent condition.
BUT DON'T COME EXPECTING a managed trail centre with smooth groomed runways, as Balquidder certainly doesn't offer that! This is an all-natural wild rooty and rocky venue and we want to keep it that way. Whilst we might try, these are fundamentally all UN-MANAGED trails so please remember that you'll be riding under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC) entirely AT YOUR OWN RISK and that around any corner there could be a fallen branch, boulder, washout or other hazard or even a local walker with a loose dog. So, as always, ride safely and with courtesy to other trail users! Here is some guidance from Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland.
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STUFF YOU MIGHT NEED
STUFF YOU MIGHT NEED
It helps to be in the know, so here are our handy tips that we think will make for a better visit.
PARKING: Limited parking is available for free at Balquhidder church by Rob Roy's Grave, but just 100metres further along the road there is a decent car parking space at Balquhidder village hall. Whilst this too is free, if you can make a small donation, and bang something into the donations box in the village hall door that always puts visiting bikers into the good books :-)
FOOD + TOILETS: There's great food at Mhor 84, The Broch in Strathyre and also at the Golden Larches on the NAT7 cycle route, just north of Mhor 84.
They also all have toilet facilities and do coffee to go...
HOTSPOT: Unbelievable I know, but we have a 1Gb open hotspot at the Balquhidder village hall carpark! So ping all your messages from here as 4G soon deteriorates as you venture onto the trails.
4G: At road level you should get 4G on EE. O2 and Vodafone have voice but virtually no data. Reception from others providers is pretty sketchy.
NOTE: Once you start heading up the hill signal deteriorates quickly so don't be daft, tell at least one person where you're going.
NEAREST BIKE REPAIR + HIRE:
Roll Outdoors and Wheels are 14miles away in Callander. They both do sales, hire and repairs and hold a good stock of parts.
Comrie Croft Bikes is 19miles away just beyond Comrie. They also do sales, hire and repairs and hold a good stock of parts, and you can always hire a bike and ride their trails while they fix yours!
SO WHERE IS BALQUHIDDER
SO WHERE IS BALQUHIDDER
Balquhidder is nestled in the glens of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park (map) just over an hour and quarter from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Oban. The scenery is pretty stunning but it's probably most famous as the historic home of Rob Roy MacGregor.
GETTING HERE
GETTING HERE
Pretty straightforward! Get onto the A84 between Stirling and Lochearnhead and turn off at the Mhor84 motel. Then drive just 2 miles up a small single track road until you see the sign indicating the start of the village of Balquhidder. 100metres further on you can park up on the right at Rob Roy's Grave (in front of the church) or go on a further 100m to the village hall car park. Postcode FK19 8PA
RESPECT
RESPECT
If you're not local and coming from further afield, please respect our small rural community, beautiful landscape and hard earned trails. The riding is free so you won’t be paying for your fun, but please do us a favour, don't tear up the trails with your back brake constantly locked (!) and go and spend a few quid while you're here. Every penny helps our small rural community.
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