Mountain biking in Cairngorms & Moray

Cairngorms & Moray combines two substantial destinations with different strengths: Laggan Wolftrax and Bike Glenlivet. Wolftrax sits in Strathmashie Forest beside the A86, where rock features and a wide spread of grades make a compact network feel varied. Glenlivet adds longer hill loops, flowing blue riding and a separate freeride choice on the estate. A two-day trip can give each a full day, while a third is best used to revisit the centre that suits the group rather than demanding another increase in difficulty.

Laggan’s introductory options deserve their own place in the itinerary. Gorstean is a low-level green gravel connection, 2 km each way or 4 km return. Wolf Cub Green is a 3.5 km circuit with a gentle climb and singletrack return. Its widening, resurfacing and drainage improvements give a more welcoming introduction, while work on parts of the Give & Take climb has accommodated a wider range of adaptive bikes. Those improvements support equipment-specific planning rather than a blanket promise that every higher trail will suit every cycle or rider.

The blue network uses short sections whose distances should be understood separately from a complete loop. Give & Take is a 0.85 km climb, Blaeberry Flapjack a 0.4 km return, and Slaba-Dabba-Doo and The Pict are 0.5 km and 0.33 km respectively. Alpha Red is a 3.8 km red route with technical climbing and slabs; Rib Rattler Red + Spare Rib is 2.5 km of narrow riding and natural features. Air’s Rock is an optional black slab with a bypass. The 3.9 km Wolf of Badenoch Black is an expert rock outing, whose short distance conceals a considerable handling commitment.

Bike Glenlivet offers clear full-loop alternatives. Green Loop is 4 km, Original Blue Loop 9 km and Bazza’s Berms Loop 5.5 km, with the latter emphasising more challenging blue berms and rollers. The 22 km Red Loop is the substantial cross-country choice towards Carn Daimh, with optional black features. The 2.5 km Orange Loop links berms, jumps and rollers for experienced riders and includes connections rather than describing the length of each freeride descent. Upper Mini DH is red and Lower Mini DH black, so continuing between them is a conscious step up in difficulty.

The centres’ hubs help mixed groups organise their day. Wolftrax has a community-run café, toilets, hire and coin-operated showers; Glenlivet has a café, hire, pump track, skills area and mapped bike wash. Staffed services have seasonal hours even where trails remain available through the year. Choose Newtonmore for a Wolftrax evening or Tomintoul for Glenlivet, then arrange meals and secure bikes around your actual plans. A gentle loop, a longer hill circuit and jump practice can coexist within the same holiday without becoming one shared itinerary for every rider. Check current official notices and centre operating information before finalising the regional programme.

Cairngorm Mountain adds managed gravity riding above Glenmore to the region’s forest circuits. The lower conveyors serve short green runs such as Blaeberry Bumblebee, while Vole Valley introduces blue progression. Confident riders can reach Stoatally Awesome using the funicular and short Adder climb or pedal the climbing tracks. Red alternatives include Wobbly Wagtail and Ouzels Delight. Start on the lower trails before deciding whether the upper terrain fits the group.

Aviemore brings a different rhythm to a Cairngorms riding trip: estate tracks, pinewoods and loch circuits can fill several days from one base. Rothiemurchus’s Three Lochs Trail is a gentle 10.8 km loop, while the Ancient Forest Trail extends the outing to 19.8 km. The Old Logging Way heads towards Glenmore and the Green Loch. Burma Road is a separate, strenuous choice for riders prepared for a steep climb and exposed ground.