Cairngorms - If you go down to the woods today

It's October and that means gorgeous autumn colours in the Scottish outdoors and that means I want to be down in the woods enjoying those colours. The north side of the Cairngorms, such as the Spey Valley, is peppered with woods linked by great off-road cycling trails so my friend Graham and I strung the trails and woods together into a three-day mini tour.

Arriving by train to Aviemore in mid-afternoon, we cycled north along the wonderful Speyside Way section to Boat of Garten. It swoops and undulates across heathery moor and open birch woods that were gold against a cobalt sky. 

A back road then took us to Carrbridge. Usually a quiet road, it was busy today as the village was hosting the world porridge making championships. We lingered a while at the precarious arch of the old pack horse bridge above the River Dulnain.

We followed the River Dulnain upstream on tarmac then track into a beautiful landscape of birch woods giving way to pine woods that themselves gave way to rolling hills. The tents were pitched by the river under the canopy of the granny pines above.

Next day we headed to Slochd Summit taking in the old Sluggan Bridge. The original bridge here was part of General Wade's military road but washed away by floods in 1829. The new bridge is still very old, built as replacement. The birch woods here were stunning, golds and greens that contrasted with the punchy reds of rowan and fly agaric. 

From Slochd, we turned back for Carrbridge and headed onwards for Boat of Garten, an off-road route this time, through the woods. We skirted the quiet waters of Loch Garten, quiet without its ospreys and attendant tourists, then cycled over the Ryvoan Pass through the forests of Abernethy.  

Another fine stand of pines provided another woodland camp spot in Rothiemurchus. Up early next morning, we cycled to Loch Insh and watched the rain pass over while nursing mugs of coffee. Then cycled another gorgeous section of the Speyside Way form Kincraig that took us back to Aviemore through the woods again.

Fact File

Start/Finish: Aviemore

Transport: Trains to Aviemore

Our route: we used the Speyside Way to Boat of Garten then turned left on the main street and followed the on-road bike route 7 to Carrbridge. At Carrbridge we turned left at the old bridge, still on bike route 7, and continued passed Sluggan Bridge to camp. There is road to the right a little further which becomes a dirt track then crosses a bridge. We took a trail to the left before the house which passes into the woods. Beautiful ride up this glen and great camp spots. Next day we followed the off-road bike route 7 to Slochd then on road route back to Carrbridge. We took the off-road route 7 to Boat of Garten then cycled on to Loch Garten and Forest Lodge before cycling over Ryvoan Pass. We took one of the many trails around Rothiemurchus to find a camp spot. Last day we cycled around Loch an Eilean then on the back road to Kincraig before returning to Aviemore off-road on the Speyside Way.

Trossachs - The green loch

Lochan Uaine is a common Gaelic name throughout the Scottish hills and means, the green loch. Perhaps the most famous Lochan Uaine is in Glen More in the Cairngorms. Surrounded by ancient pine woods, it's a dazzling aquamarine. Local folklore says it's that colour because the fairies wash their clothes in it. But I'm also going to re-name Loch Ard in the Trossachs and call it the green loch. On a day when the light of the sun, already low in the late September sky, reflected the lochside woods, the water appeared a vibrant pea green. How wonderful to be out on it in the packraft, my paddle cutting through the water with each stroke. I navigated little bays and rocky islets, and pulled into the woods to avoid a heavy downpour of rain. Each drop created a "plop" on the water and sent out concentric circles across the surface. The loch was not green then but the colour of the depths. However, the sun returned, Ben Lomond emerged from the clouds and I again floated on my green loch.

Fact File
Start: Aberfoyle
Transport: Train from Edinburgh to Stirling; bus from Stirling to Aberfoyle (a nice wee journey).
My route: From the bus stop in Aberfoyle turned left on the main street and continued to Milton. Crossed the bridge here and entered the Loch Ard Forest. The track soon split and I turned right. Just after the eagle sculpture is a small path heading down to the loch. There's a good space here for inflating the raft and putting it in.