Get the lowdown on mountain biking in Scotland, including where to ride and tips on MTB gear and techniques.
Scotland is one of the world’s leading mountain biking destinations. This isn’t because we have the biggest bikeparks, best competition results, highest mountains or steeziest riders (although we have all of those to a degree). It’s because Scotland has a range of great trails, a passionate community of cyclists, genuine government support and miles of world-class scenery. Read on to find out more about riding in this great destination.
Go to
Biking in Scotland
Great riding for everyone
Miles of singletrack, great bike shops and trail centres, pump tracks, remote wilderness rides and family-friendly cycle paths.
Scotland has earned an international reputation for mountain biking. To start with, Highlands native Danny MacAskill has put Scottish mountain biking on the map with his world-famous stunts. But Scotland’s got heaps of riding for mere mortals too! In fact, thousands of people visit every year, from holidaying families to hardcore riders. All the different MTB disciplines are represented. There’s an active race scene, including stages of the Downhill World Cup and Enduro World Series (with local riders achieving top results). The Scottish government is bringing lots of investment to MTB routes and facilities across the country, largely via Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS).
Where to ride in Scotland
Freedom to ride
Legal riding on many different trails thanks to our ‘responsible access’ laws.
The Scottish Highlands has some great riding areas, including Torridon, Fort William and the Cairngorms. There’s also some proper adventurous riding on the Scottish islands too. Other great areas outside the Highlands include Aberdeenshire, Moray, Dumfries and Galloway and Dunkeld in Perthshire. For more info, check out The best mountain bike/MTB trails in Scotland.
Trails for all riders
Scotland has trails for all levels of rider. For instance, there are bike parks, pump tracks and trail centres offering visitor facilities and waymarked routes. Good quality hire MTB and ebikes aren’t too hard to find and some bikeparks provide uplift as well (eg: Fort William, Wolftrax and Cairngorm Mountain).
🤝 Apps like Strava and Trailforks are great for showing you new trails. But they don’t provide coaching, encouragement, jokes, stories or practical help (see my MTB leading and coaching).
Scottish mountain biking is famous for its natural trails, especially forest singletrack. Developed over years by local riders, these hand-built routes offer awesome riding in beautiful places. Most established trail networks are supported by sympathetic landowners and passionate trail builders.
A Scottish Highlands speciality is ‘rideable Munros’: 3000ft-plus summits offering quality riding up and down. Ebikes are good to have for this, but need careful handling to avoid path erosion. In contrast, a hike-a-bike with an acoustic MTB can get you to some extraordinary places. Scottish riding isn’t all intense singletrack and big mountains though – there’s great bikepacking and gravel riding too. For example, the Burma Road, Speyside Way and An Turus Mor. For a Scottish destination that encompasses just about all these types of riding, come and visit the Cairngorms National Park. Learn more in my guide to Cairngorms MTB routes.
Ride responsibly
In Scotland, we have access to far more land than in England and Wales. But these rights come with responsibilities, laid out in the Outdoor Access Code. That means respecting other trail users, avoiding damage, protecting wildlife, not dropping litter, etc. A good example is the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project, which has done great work in helping local mountain bikers avoid disturbing rare capercaillie.
MTB clothing and kit for Scottish conditions
Scotland has changeable weather, rough terrain and tough vegetation, so choose your MTB clothing carefully. On some days, you will be glad to have a decent waterproof biking jacket (and maybe waterproof MTB trousers too). Scotland-based mountain bike clothing brand Endura is highly recommended. They do a model of bike shorts with a waterproof butt panel specifically for Scottish conditions! Get tips in our post What to wear for mountain biking.
Gnarly descents and local-built jump lines means gloves are a good shout to avoid blisters and scrapes. A fullface helmet makes a lot of sense if you’re into jumps or enduro-style rides (see my review of the Bell Super DH). MTB riding in the Highlands of Scotland can be challenging: watch out for tough vegetation, sharp rocks and epic bogs!
🔧 Riding different trail types means its important to have your bike set up right. A digital tyre pressure guage is handy for dialling in tyre pressures to suit the terrain ( see SKS Airchecker 2 review ).
So, take food and emergency and spares gear. In summer, you’ll want to get your layers right to avoid overheating, carry enough fluid to stay hydrated and take repellant that works against midges and ticks. You might even need UV protection! On winter rides, or in rainy weather, follow our tips to both stay warm on the bike and avoid cold feet when cycling. See our mountain biking kit list for more advice.
Skills for mountain biking in Scotland
With so many great natural trails in Scotland, it’s worth dialling in specific mountain bike skills like:
- Rear wheel lift or bunnyhop over drainage ditches
- Keeping grip on steep rooty and muddy climbs
- Finding flow and pumping
- Cornering on twisty singletrack
Consider booking a guided mountain bike ride to make the most of your time in the Scottish Highlands. Guides love showing off the best trails, and also educating riders about their surroundings. So you’ll learn more, as well as improving your MTB skills.
Top tips for mountain biking in the Highlands of Scotland
- Ride within your abilities
- Respect the weather
- Respect other trail users
- Watch out for wildlife
- Beware midges and ticks
So, mountain biking in Scotland is amazing for lots of different reasons. There’s plenty of different types of trail, lots of good facilities and heaps of interest along the way. For more inspiration, read our other mountain biking posts.
Leading and coaching near Aviemore and beyond
