Scotland Trail
The Scotland Trail runs from Kyle of Lochalsh to Montrose over 6 stages: 402 km and 4,953 m of climbing in the UK. Every stage has a map, elevation profile, road facts and a GPX file.
Route at a glance
- Distance
- 402 km
- Climbing
- 4,953 m
- Stages
- 6
- Countries
- 1
- Average stage
- 67 km
- Longest stage
- 88 km
- Most climbing
- 1,093 m
- Riding time
- ~34 h
- Surface
- Mixed, much unpaved
- Bike
- Gravel bike
- Best months
- Jun to Sep
- GPX
- Every stage + whole tour
- Start
- Kyle of Lochalsh
- Finish
- Montrose
Full route map
Itinerary: 6 stages
Average 67 km and 826 m a stage. Longest day: stage 2 (88 km). Most climbing: stage 2 (1,093 m). Shortest: stage 1 (41.3 km).
| Stage | Route | Country | Distance | Climbing | Surface | Difficulty | Time | GPX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle of Lochalsh to Glenelg | UK | 41.3 km | 632 m | Paved | Moderate | 3 h 26 min | GPX |
| 2 | Glenelg to Fort Augustus | UK | 88 km | 1,093 m | Mixed surface | Hard | 7 h 20 min | GPX |
| 3 | Fort Augustus to Kingussie | UK | 56.9 km | 928 m | Mixed surface | Moderate | 4 h 44 min | GPX |
| 4 | Kingussie to Tomintoul | UK | 75 km | 785 m | Mostly unpaved | Hard | 6 h 15 min | GPX |
| 5 | Tomintoul to Ballater | UK | 55.4 km | 529 m | Mixed, much unpaved | Moderate | 4 h 37 min | GPX |
| 6 | Ballater to Montrose | UK | 85.7 km | 986 m | Mixed surface | Hard | 7 h 08 min | GPX |
How difficult is this tour?
402 km and 4,953 m of climbing over 6 stages: 67 km and 826 m a stage on average.
The longest day is stage 2, Glenelg to Fort Augustus (88 km); the most climbing is on stage 2, Glenelg to Fort Augustus (1,093 m); the shortest is stage 1, Kyle of Lochalsh to Glenelg (41.3 km).
At 67 km a day on average, it suits riders used to back-to-back days of 50–90 km.
Riders can go faster or slower than the documented itinerary: the same 402 km is 7 riding days at 60 km a day, 6 riding days at 80 km a day and 5 riding days at 100 km a day.
Surface and traffic
Mixed surface: 59% is mapped as paved and 41% as gravel or unpaved.
12 km (3%) is on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane; 70 km (17%) is on main roads without one, and 140 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more.
The longest stretch without a café, shop or water is 62 km, on stage 6.
Signed routes this tour follows
- Scotland Trail - stages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Best time to ride
From ten years of weather at the stage towns, Jun to Sep are good for riding along the whole route.
Logistics
- Kyle of Lochalsh (station) is near the start in Kyle of Lochalsh.
- 6 of 6 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 62 km, on stage 6.
What it was actually like to ride
About this tour
The Scotland Trail runs through Scotland in six stages from Kyle of Lochalsh to Montrose, covering 402 km with a total climb of 4953 m. The route heads generally east and crosses varied terrain.
The first stage from Kyle of Lochalsh to Glenelg is 41.3 km with 632 m of climbing, including two main climbs: a 3.6 km ascent gaining 171 m at an average of 4.8% and a steeper 4.6 km climb gaining 332 m at 7.2% average gradient. Stage two from Glenelg to Fort Augustus is the longest day at 88 km covering 1093 m of ascent with multiple climbs ranging from 44 m to 217 m gain with average gradients up to 8.3% and some short steep sections over 13%.
Stage three from Fort Augustus to Kingussie covers 56.9 km with 928 m climbing, the hardest climb being 4.4 km gaining 398 m at 9% average and max 11.7%. Stage four from Kingussie to Tomintoul is 75 km and less demanding, with climbs mostly under 100 m in gain and gradients below 7.5%, the highest point being 463 m.
The fifth stage from Tomintoul to Ballater is 55.4 km with 529 m climbing, including one climb of 247 m at 6.3%. The final stage from Ballater to Montrose is 85.7 km and features a major climb of 5.8 km with 592 m gain at 10.2% average and a max gradient of 26%. Each stage passes numerous places with available water or food stops—from 12 to 29 per stage—so there are frequent opportunities to replenish supplies. Recorded temperatures and months are not specified.
Photos from the road
Stage 1 · Kyle of Lochalsh to Glenelg 
Stage 2 · Glenelg to Fort Augustus 
Stage 3 · Fort Augustus to Kingussie 
Stage 4 · Kingussie to Tomintoul 
Stage 5 · Tomintoul to Ballater 
Stage 6 · Ballater to Montrose
Questions riders ask
How far is Kyle of Lochalsh to Montrose by bike?
402 km along this route, in 6 stages averaging 67 km.
How long does it take to cycle from Kyle of Lochalsh to Montrose?
Moving time is estimated at about 34 hours. At 60 km a day it is 7 days, 80 km a day it is 6 days and 100 km a day it is 5 days.
How much climbing is involved?
4,953 m in total. The most climbing in a day is 1,093 m on stage 2, Glenelg to Fort Augustus.
How difficult is the route?
At 67 km a day on average, it suits riders used to back-to-back days of 50–90 km. The longest day is 88 km.
Is it suitable for a road bike?
59% of the route is mapped as paved and 41% as gravel or unpaved. Based on that: gravel 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, Jun to Sep are good for riding along the whole route.