Bikepacking Scotland 20 multi-day cycling adventures off the beaten track by Markus Stitz
THE BOOK 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
Wild About Bikepacking – A new film from Bikepacking Scotland launches a 496-km bikepacking route connecting the Argyll islands of Mull, Jura, Islay and Bute
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.The new Bikepacking Argyll’s Islands route, created by Bikepacking Scotland and commissioned by CalMac Ferries and Wild About Argyll, maps a 496km-journey (308 miles) connecting the Isles of Mull, Jura, Islay and Bute on a mixture of gravel tracks, singletrail, cycle paths and roads. The route also makes great use of ScotRail’s Highland Explorer, which provides space for up to 20 bikes, including tandems. The newly introduced train carriage offers a bike-friendly train connection between Glasgow, host city of the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023, and Oban, where the new route begins. Bikes travel free on trains and all ferries along the route. For new bikepackers and gravel cyclists Bikepacking Argyll’s Islands offers a
Dunoon Dirt Dash
UK Cycling Legends team up to bring a new gravel bikepacking event to Dunoon on Scotland’s Adventure Coast in SeptemberCharlie Hobbs, former Bikemonger and founder of the Dorset Gravel Dash, and Markus Stitz, mastermind behind Bikepacking Scotland and singlespeed round the world cyclist, have teamed up with Dunoon Presents and Wild About Argyll to create a brand new overnight bikepacking event in Dunoon on Scotland’s Adventure Coast. Entries for the event open on Monday 8 July at 8pm on www.dirtdash.cc/dunoon or https://www.entrycentral.com/dunoondirtdash.Part of the Summit to Sea Outdoor Festival on the weekend of 28 & 29 September 2019, which also features downhill legends Steve Peat and Greg Minnaar, the new event will send 150 riders on a scenic 81 mile (131km) course including singletrack, gravel paths, forestry roads, public roads, cycle paths and an old coffin road.Both organisers have a