Where to go for a beginner’s gravel-biking adventure in Scotland

Galloway is a bit of Scotland that’s often overlooked by visitors. Across the border from England, this southwestern region (officially Dumfries and Galloway) is often bypassed in the rush north: to Glasgow, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, and the Highlands. Yet, the place couldn’t be more Scottish. This was the stomping ground of Robert the Bruce and William Wallace. Its wee towns are practical and unfussy, and there are castles left over from the English wars. The scenery — mountains ballooning from heather moors, swathes of pine forest, streams where otters tumble — has grandeur, sweep and romance. Put it all together, and it’s no surprise the area has caught the eye of travellers on gravel bikes, an increasingly popular form of cycling.

The experience

Gravel biking represents a middle way between two niche cycling disciplines. It involves rugged hybrid bikes that can hold their own on both dirt tracks and asphalt, marrying the adventure of mountain biking with the freedom of road cycling. That opens up a lot of terrain: on a bike able to tackle paved, gravel and forest tracks, trails are limited only by your imagination.

North of the market town of Gatehouse of Fleet in Galloway’s south west, Galloway Forest is Britain’s largest forest park at over 300sq miles — and it has almost unlimited gravel biking potential. Since 2023, Union Cycliste Internationale, the world governing body for competitive cycling, has held The Gralloch here. This annual gravel race sees around 2,000 cyclists tackling a brutal 70-mile track. Fortunately, amateur riders can pick from less arduous options.

One trail from Gatehouse of Fleet follows National Cycle Route 7 to the Cairnsmore of Fleet National Nature Reserve, a tweedy mix of heather, grasses and rowan berries, and the spectacular Big Water of Fleet viaduct (18 miles, there and back). Alternatively, Raiders Road Forest Drive descends from Clatteringshaws Loch, north of Gatehouse of Fleet, through pine trees and between hills, before crossing a viaduct and returning past Loch Grannoch (28 miles). Or for the most scenic route in the area, head from Clatteringshaws into the Dee River valley, then on to the village of Glentrool and back (35 miles). With brooding mountains and lochs the colour of beaten steel, the landscape here is a dead ringer for the Highlands.

The stay

In 1793, Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote Scotland’s first unofficial anthem, Scots Wha Hae, in The Murray Arms in Gatehouse of Fleet. The 18th-century coaching inn has improved considerably since his day. Renovated in 2023 by local couple Duncan and Vicki McConchie, it’s now prime weekender territory — and a stylish option for travellers looking for a base from which to explore the area’s gravel biking routes.

There are 14 individually furnished rooms to choose from, with single, double, family and dog-friendly options. The decor is an eclectic mix of rustic and modern — walls painted in inky colours, plants on old milking stools, tartan throws and mountain ranges of cushions arranged on four-posters. The modern Scottish restaurant is excellent, and dishes like Scotch beef and Guinness stew with horseradish mash or coconut and vegetable curry hit the spot after a long day on two wheels. There’s a small bar area for a post-ride pint, or put your feet up with a whisky in the snug lounge where Burns wrote his poem.