Bikepacking Scotland - 20 multi day cycling adventures off the beaten track

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.

Markus Stitz is a German-born route designer, filmmaker, photographer and writer, based in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. He caught the adventure bug while living in New Zealand and has explored Scotland extensively since he moved here in 2009. Before cycling 34,000 kilometres unsupported around the world on a single-speed mountain bike, he mapped his first bikepacking route, the Capital Trail, awarded best new route in 2015 by bikepacking.com Shortly after his trip he founded Bikepacking Scotland (bikepackingscotland.com) has worked in many corners of Scotland, designing bikepacking and gravel routes for Wild About Argyll, Visit East Lothian, the Cateran Ecomuseum, VisitCairngorms and others. Markus is an ultra-endurance racer, with three successful finishes of the Highland Trail 550, along with single finishes of the Silk Road Mountain Race and the Atlas Mountain Race. Markus’s writing has appeared in a wide variety of magazines and online publications including Singletrack, Cycling UK, Cranked *and *Yellow Jersey. He is the author of Great British Gravel Rides and he also co-edited Big Rides: Great Britain & Ireland. Bikepacking Scotland is his second solo book.

If you are looking for bikepacking routes in Scotland, look no further. We will publish new routes here regularly. The following routes have been designed and tested by Bikepacking Scotland. You can also purchase ‘Great British Gravel Rides’, ‘Big Rides’ or ‘Bikepacking Scotland’ in our books section.

Cairngorms National Park Loop
While the Cairngorms are home to four of the five highest mountains in Scotland, there are no extreme climbs and descents on the route, which is suitable to ride on gravel and mountain bikes. Several businesses along the route offer bike hire and bike-friendly accommodation. You can find out more here.

Bikepacking Argyll’s Islands
Argyll’s islands, the Inner Hebrides and Bute, offer fantastic bikepacking filled with beautiful beaches, some of the world’s best distilleries, great gravel tracks and local food experiences. You can find out more here.

Bikepacking the North Coast 500
A shorter and more off-road orientated version, combining parts of the NC500 route with gravel tracks and a classic coast-to-coast route. You can find out more here.

Cateran Ecomuseum Trails
We worked with the Cateran Ecomuseum on the development of seven new road, gravel and mountain bike journeys of varying lengths. You can find out more here.

Explore your Boundaries
In a joint project with Mark Beaumont we have mapped gravel biking routes from 30 miles to 315 miles around the boundaries of Scotland’s Local Authorities. For more information click here.

The Go East Lothian Trail
At 63 km the Go East Lothian Trail is perfect for families, microadventures or a long day ride. The route is suitable for gravel, mountain and e-mountain bikes, and can be ridden in all seasons. For more information click here.

The Capital Trail
The Capital Trail is a 251 km route starting and finishing on Portobello Beach in Edinburgh, ideal for a long weekend expedition around Edinburgh, the Lothians and the Scottish Borders. For more information click here.

The Central Belter
The Central Belter is our longest route at 1200 km, starting and finishing on Portobello Beach, connecting the Capital Trail, the Highland Trail 550, Cairngorms Loop and Deeside Trail. Experience the very best of Scotland. For more information click here.

Wild About Argyll Trail
At 655 km (407 miles) this is Bikepacking Scotland’s first long-distance trail on Scotland’s Adventure Coast that is suitable for gravel and mountain bikes alike. For more information click here.

The Reiver Raid
The Reiver Raid is a 175 km weekend expedition in a wild part of Scotland. Starting and finishing at Tweedbank Station it crosses the beautiful Ale Water Valley in the Scottish Borders. For more information click here.

The Highland Perthshire Drovers Trail
An enjoyable off-road journey steeped in history through a wide variety of Scottish landscapes and small market towns and villages, featuring the remote and scenic glens in the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland’s longest river, Scotland’s smallest and oldest distillery, the last surviving oak tree from the wood that inspired Shakespeare’s Macbeth, waterfalls that heartened Robert Burns, Wade’s Military Roads, drove roads and some of the best gravel paths that the Highlands have to offer. For more information click here.

The John Muir Way
One of Scotland’s Great Trails, the John Muir Way offers a unique coast to coast bikepacking journey through Scotland’s landscapes, history and heritage, passing through Scotland’s first national park, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, and offers a journey of contrasts and the chance to connect with nature, taking advantage of the green spaces that link coasts, villages, towns and even the capital city, Edinburgh. For more information click here.