Scotland - Off Road

[Steve 63]

Planning a trip around Scotland for end on June.
Just wondering of there are any easy going off road routes or gravel tracks, we will be on a Tiger 800 and 650 vstrom

Going up across the Ciarngorms heading up to Tongue backdown West Coast, Skye finishing Oban and then Galloway.

Seen the 3 Lochs Forest drive and the Galloway Forest drive, but there must be loads of tracks about/

Any suggestions?

Cheers
Steve

[Steve T]

No legal byeways or BOATs up here so the ones you have already mentioned are about it.

There is a small, legal, old road that takes you to a cleared village. Go north from Laide (A832) onto a unclassified road and then just north of Achgarve you will see a track off to the left that takes you to Slaggan ruins. Long time since I rode it and back then the puddles were wide and at times deep.

Steve T

[johnnyboxer]

There is a move to try to get some of the old Scottish tracks opened up to vehicles, as in England and Wales, via an offroad group with an appeal to Parliament
Whether is succeeds?

[Steve 63]

Sounds like that's why all my googling failed to come up with anything
All that great open space

I've found quite a few roads with grass up the middle via street view so will be fun anyway

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

You'd think some enterprising Scottish landowners would open up some of those lanes and tracks through that empty countryside, wouldn't you...but so many of them are not Scottish, and only visit to shoot 'grice' for a couple of weeks a year.

[daveuprite]

I had no idea. So there are basically almost no dirt trails in all of Scotland you are allowed to ride on? The place is bloody huge! That's amazing, and very sad.

[crofty]

The upside of Scotland is there is a "right to roam" There are literally hundreds of trails and rivers that you can walk, bike, e bike, canoe, horse ride anywhere and usually at the end of the day wild camp. completely protected by the law. its not a bad system.

[Dark Knight]

A suggested route with various possible options, not off road but pretty wild.
It all depends on how much time you have and availability of overnight options.
Just not sure how busy it will be up north, there are reports that accomodation is available.
Have a good trip and luck with the weather, I am going up to Ballahulish at the end June with the wife which means using the car.

[daveuprite]

The upside of Scotland is there is a "right to roam" There are literally hundreds of trails and rivers that you can walk, bike, e bike, canoe, horse ride anywhere and usually at the end of the day wild camp. completely protected by the law. its not a bad system.

Well that's a great thing. It's a glorious country and everyone should have the right to explore it. France has the 'right to roam' too, but thankfully it includes motorcycles. We all share the chemins (trails) - ramblers, horses, mountain bikes and motorbikes - and everyone respects the rights of everyone else to use and enjoy the trails. It's a major motivation for living here IMO.

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

Yes, the French get a lot of stick, but the 'don't give a damn' attitude has something to recommend it.