Great North Trail (Grampian Mountains)
The Great North Trail (Grampian Mountains) runs from Bearsden to Fort Augustus over 3 stages: 258 km and 3,089 m of climbing in the UK. Every stage has a map, elevation profile, road facts and a GPX file.
Route at a glance
- Distance
- 258 km
- Climbing
- 3,089 m
- Stages
- 3
- Countries
- 1
- Average stage
- 86 km
- Longest stage
- 100.7 km
- Most climbing
- 1,331 m
- Riding time
- ~22 h
- Surface
- Mixed, much unpaved
- Bike
- Gravel or mountain bike
- Best months
- May to Sep
- GPX
- Every stage + whole tour
- Start
- Bearsden
- Finish
- Fort Augustus
Full route map
Itinerary: 3 stages
Average 86 km and 1,030 m a stage. Longest day: stage 1 (100.7 km). Most climbing: stage 2 (1,331 m). Shortest: stage 3 (57.8 km).
| Stage | Route | Country | Distance | Climbing | Surface | Difficulty | Time | GPX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bearsden to Killin | UK | 100.7 km | 969 m | Mostly unpaved | Hard | 8 h 24 min | GPX |
| 2 | Killin to the end of the Great North Trail | UK | 99.8 km | 1,331 m | Mixed, much unpaved | Hard | 8 h 19 min | GPX |
| 3 | Roybridge to Fort Augustus | UK | 57.8 km | 789 m | Mostly unpaved | Moderate | 4 h 49 min | GPX |
How difficult is this tour?
258 km and 3,089 m of climbing over 3 stages: 86 km and 1,030 m a stage on average.
The longest day is stage 1, Bearsden to Killin (100.7 km); the most climbing is on stage 2, Killin to the end of the Great North Trail (1,331 m); the shortest is stage 3, Roybridge to Fort Augustus (57.8 km).
At 86 km a day on average, it suits riders used to back-to-back days of 70–110 km.
Riders can go faster or slower than the documented itinerary: the same 258 km is 5 riding days at 60 km a day, 4 riding days at 80 km a day and 3 riding days at 100 km a day.
Surface and traffic
Mixed surface: 40% is mapped as paved and 59% as gravel or unpaved.
29 km (11%) is on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane; 12 km (5%) is on main roads without one, and 32 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more.
The longest stretch without a café, shop or water is 63 km, on stage 2.
Signed routes this tour follows
- Great North Trail (Grampian Mountains) - stages 1, 2, 3
Best time to ride
From ten years of weather at the stage towns, May to Sep are good for riding along the whole route.
Logistics
- Maryhill (station) and Kelvindale (station) are near the start in Bearsden.
- 2 of 3 stage finishes have a hotel, guesthouse or campsite mapped within a short ride of the finish.
- The longest stretch without a café, shop or water on any stage is 63 km, on stage 2.
What it was actually like to ride
About this tour
The Great North Trail (Grampian Mountains) runs over 258 km in three stages through the Grampian Mountains, beginning at Bearsden and finishing at Fort Augustus. It covers a total ascent of 3,089 m over the course.
Stage 1 runs 101 km from Bearsden to Killin. The terrain steadily climbs with three main ascents: a 3.2 km climb at 4.2% average gradient reaching 187 m, a 4.6 km climb at 5% average reaching 251 m, and a shorter 2.3 km climb at 3.6% average up to 217 m. The highest point here is 294 m. There are 28 water or food stops on this stage, which is the longest of the tour.
Stage 2 covers just under 100 km from Killin to the trail’s end in the Grampian Mountains, with a climb total of 1,331 m. This stage includes five climbs, the largest reaching 488 m after 3.6 km at 8.1%. Other climbs include 3.4 km at 7.8%, and a longer 7.3 km climb at 3.8% average gradient reaching 546 m. The highest elevation for this stage is 547 m. Water and food stops are limited to 3 along this stage.
The final stage is 57.8 km from Roybridge to Fort Augustus with 789 m of climbing. It has three climbs: a short 1.7 km ascent at 4.8% average, followed by smaller ascents of 2.1 km and a longer 6.8 km climb averaging 6.3% with a max of 15.6%, reaching 765 m, the highest point on the whole tour. There are 14 water or food stops on this shorter final stage.
The tour is entirely within Great Britain, with no border crossings. No specific months or temperatures are noted, so conditions may vary. You will find ample water or food stops early on but fewer between Killin and the end of stage 2, so plan accordingly.
Photos from the road
Stage 1 · Bearsden to Killin 
Stage 2 · Killin to the end of the Great North Trail (Grampian Mountains) 
Stage 3 · Roybridge to Fort Augustus
Questions riders ask
How far is Bearsden to Fort Augustus by bike?
258 km along this route, in 3 stages averaging 86 km.
How long does it take to cycle from Bearsden to Fort Augustus?
Moving time is estimated at about 22 hours. At 60 km a day it is 5 days, 80 km a day it is 4 days and 100 km a day it is 3 days.
How much climbing is involved?
3,089 m in total. The most climbing in a day is 1,331 m on stage 2, Killin to the end of the Great North Trail.
How difficult is the route?
At 86 km a day on average, it suits riders used to back-to-back days of 70–110 km. The longest day is 100.7 km.
Is it suitable for a road bike?
40% of the route is mapped as paved and 59% as gravel or unpaved (1% has no surface data). Based on that: gravel or mountain bike.
Is there a GPX file?
Yes. Every stage has its own GPX download, and the whole tour is available as one GPX file with a track per stage.
What is the best time of year?
From ten years of weather at the stage towns, May to Sep are good for riding along the whole route.