Balquhidder MTB Trails

Balquhidder MTB Trails

Kirkton Glen above Balquhidder holds six wild, hand-built downhill singletracks graded red to black, a short 1.7km cross country loop, and two big mountain loops of 16km and 20km that run mostly on forest road and hill track, giving Balquhidder a genuine gravel riding option alongside the singletrack. Every trail here is natural, rooty and rocky rather than machine-shaped, set among heather-covered hillsides with views down Balquhidder Glen. Trails are unmanaged and ridden entirely at your own risk under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, so download a route or use GPS navigation before you set off.

The Trails

Downhill

• Six downhill singletracks graded red to black: Bigfoot, Troll, Hobo, Hippy, Goblin and Yeti.

Bigfoot - Red

• The final 500m of the old walkers path down from the head of Kirkton Glen, stretching to 1.2km if you start from Irishman's Loch above the deer fence and stile. Rocky, solid singletrack that copes well even when wet.

Troll - Red

• A tight 330m trail on the east side of the glen with a few steeper, testing sections. Loops back onto the forest road for repeat runs.

Hobo - Red

• 400m on the west side of the glen. Fast and flowing, starting with a roll through a dark tunnel of spruce trees, a burn crossing and a rocky section before opening out into turns and berms.

Hippy - Red, with optional black lines

• Just over 1km across three linked sections: a loamy, rooty upper woods with a technical rock quarry, a fast flowing middle, and an even faster lower section over drops, including the "Le Big Mac" boulder. An optional diversion runs out to the Turic Rock viewpoint.

Goblin - Red/Black

• 420m from behind the church down to the glen floor, technical and twisty alongside a deep gorge. High consequences for mistakes, so ride within your limits.

Yeti - Black

• 482m from the Turic Rock viewpoint down to behind the church, with blind drops, rock, a narrow dyke crossing and several techy sections.

Elf - Red

• A 1.1km rolling, mostly downhill woodland singletrack combined with a 600m road climb up Glen Buckie to make a 1.7km loop. The trailhead is on the right just before the cattle grid, about 6 minutes up the Glen Buckie road from the village hall.

Strathyre Loop - Blue/Red, 16km

• A 1.5 to 2 hour mixed loop of B-road, forest road and optional singletrack over to Strathyre, taking in the summit of Ben Shian with two descents of around 400m. Refreshment stops at the Broch Cafe and Mhor84 en route.

4 Glens Loop - Blue, 20km

• A bigger 1.5 to 2.5 hour loop climbing to around 600m through Glen Kendrum, Glen Dubh and Glen Dochart before returning along the old railway line through Glen Ogle. Mostly forest road and hill track, scenic enough that golden eagles are sometimes seen. Finishes at Mhor84.

Gravel Riding

Both mountain loops at Balquhidder run mostly on forest road, hill track and quiet B-road rather than singletrack, and the approach up Kirkton Glen itself follows a wide forestry track. The 20km 4 Glens loop and the 16km Strathyre loop are the pick for a gravel-style day out, climbing to 500 to 600m through Glen Kendrum, Glen Dubh, Glen Dochart and Glen Ogle with only occasional singletrack diversions, so a gravel bike or hardtail handles them comfortably. As with the singletrack, these are unwaymarked hill routes, so download a route or use GPS navigation before you set off.

Local Organisation

The trails are built and maintained by the Balquhidder Trail Crew, a volunteer trails association set up in 2015 and registered with Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland since 2016. The Crew works with local landowners, Forestry and Land Scotland and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park rangers to agree access and keep the trails sustainable, so ride considerately and stick to the lines.

Facilities

• There are no toilets or food at the trailhead itself, but Mhor84, The Broch in Strathyre and Golden Larches on the NAT7 cycle route are all close by.
• Free WiFi is available at the village hall car park, useful given mobile signal drops out quickly once you climb into the glen.
• Nearest bike shops are Roll Outdoors and Wheels in Callander (about 14 miles) and Comrie Croft Bikes beyond Comrie (about 19 miles).

Getting Here

From the A84 between Stirling and Lochearnhead, turn off at the Mhor84 motel and follow the single track road about 2 miles into Balquhidder. Park at Balquhidder Kirk (Rob Roy's Grave) or continue 100m further to the village hall car park, where a donation is appreciated. Postcode FK19 8PA.

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