Probably Neil's favourite glen for peace, lighting, scenery & wildlife.
19: Garbole to Coignafearn Lodge
This is a superb
18 mile mixed ride of great tarmac and then a really great, flat off-road trail in Strathdearn. You'll need OS Map 35 for this
ride. Our plan was to bike the length of the glen but we couldn't find a parking place on the single track road for miles, so
the starting point is a few miles into the glen at Garbole.
Drive to Tomatin on the A9, north of Aviemore and at Findhorn bridge (on
the left) turn into Strathdearn signposted Garbole & Coignafearn. As with many glens, this starts off very lush before heading
out into the wilds. We parked in the entrance to the woods just before Garbole.
Head off into the glen over the bridge.
The undulating road is quiet and well surfaced with superb views. There is plenty to enjoy with oyster catchers, deer, curlews, golden
eagles, salmon, mountain hare, feral goats and more.
After a few miles you will pass a small carpark on the left at the road end,
and the road now changes to flatish off-road. This is really spectacular scenery and easy biking.
Bike to Coignafearn
Lodge or further and then return to Garbole, but have a look at the variation below.
20: Strathdearn off-road
This is a
variation of ride {19} above. The starting point is the carpark at the end of the road in Strathdearn and the ride is completely
off-road. This is a superb wild, wild-life ride of 12-16 miles (it's up to you). With only 1 small hill in the whole ride it
is suitable for family off-roading, although it does get rougher the further you go.
Simply set off from the car park following the
wide off-road trail alongside the river. You'll see hundreds of deer on the hills. We were fortunate to have a couple
of golden eagles fly close by. Apparently there are red kite, white tailed (sea) eagle and osprey too, so this is a good
ride to take your binoculars.
Pass the renovated Coignafearn Lodge and continue to the cottage at Dalbeg. Here you are greeted
by a river but just above the cottage is a bridge. You'll have to push your bikes down to rejoin the trail so please be careful
not to damage the habitat. The river can be crossed in dry weather - see photo.
Now the trail becomes bumpier, narrower, slightly
undulating and has some great puddles, but be warned - some of them are deep enough to swallow you up! There are a few little
streams to negotiate too.
After a while you come to a fork in the road. The right hand trail has a stream flowing across it and continues
upbank into the wilds. Lovely waterfalls and a great place for lunch. The left hand trail crosses a bridge and continues
along the glen and up.
Although the OS Map lists the area as Coignafearn Forest, there are very few trees and the landscape
is beautifully wild. Return via the same route to the car park.
Variation {1} - suitable for both rides.
About one mile
from the end car park is a turning on the right into the Allt Calder. A stiff climb and another mile of biking takes you to
a ford but the views and extra distance is a great extension to the rides.
It's also a great 4 mile there and back walk from the end
car park if it's too windy for biking, for instance.
