Description
High Burnside is a community-built trail network situated in the woods to the north-west of Aviemore, accessed via the High Burnside residential area. The trails are tight, steep, rooty and rocky in character — classic woodland singletrack built and maintained by the Badenoch and Strathspey Trail Association (BASTA), who hold maintenance sessions on the second Sunday of every month. The majority of the network is unsanctioned.
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The Trails
- The network covers green, blue, red, black and pro-level trails across 20+ routes on Trailforks. The High Burnside Loop route (16 miles, red) covers the majority of the trails in one ride with 3,472ft of climbing.
- Skull Trail (red): The most popular and most ridden trail on the hill. Highly rated singletrack with uphill primary use — the key climb for most sessions.
- Christ Almighty (black): One of the standout descents. Highly rated, downhill primary.
- T.H.R. (black): A technical singletrack descent well suited to wet conditions. One of the classics of the network.
- Side Pipe: Another popular descent that rewards a loose, light riding style.
- Fluffy Gobbler (blue): A new sanctioned trail built by BASTA between 2024 and 2025 in collaboration with the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project and Seafield and Strathspey Estates. Named after the critically endangered Capercaillie that inhabit the forest. Upper and Middle sections are now open, with a third section planned to extend the trail to the lower fire road.
- Wolf Cub (green): The beginner trail on the network. Recently fully upgraded by BASTA.
- Resurrected: Reopened February 2026 following forestry works. Now clear and open.
Capercaillie
- High Burnside sits within Capercaillie habitat. Riders are asked to stay on marked trails, keep dogs under close control, and be especially mindful of disturbance during the breeding season from April to mid-August.
Getting Here
- High Burnside is accessed from the residential area of the same name, north-west of Aviemore town centre. From the A9, take the Aviemore junction and follow signs into town. The trails are a short ride from the town centre. Street parking is available in the High Burnside area off Old Meall Road, PH22 1UN. Alternatively, the Sender Bike Park Fishery car park is the most commonly used dedicated parking for the area.
- Aviemore is well served by rail on the Highland Main Line from Inverness and Perth. The station is a short ride from the trail network.
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