Cyclists.com

Stage 6 of 6 · Scotland Trail← Stage 5

Ballater to Montrose

86 km gravel route986 m climbing7 h 08 minGPX

Ballater, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom · Gravel

A hilly 86 km gravel route from Ballater, Aberdeenshire to Montrose through Tullich, Dinnet and Millden, with 986 m of climbing. The first 62 km has no café, shop or water. Mixed surface: 62% is mapped as paved and 38% as gravel or unpaved.

Signed route The waymarked Scotland Trail (regional route), traced from OpenStreetMap and measured against the terrain model; no member has recorded it yet. Stage 6 of 6 of the Scotland Trail. Ridden it? Add your recording and photos.

Download GPXMap

At a glance

Best for
Hilly days out for fit, experienced riders
Distance
85.7 km
Point to point
Elevation gain
986 m
12 m per km
Riding time
7 h 08 min
moving time, estimated
Difficulty
Hard
Bike
Gravel bike
from the mapped surface
Surface
Mixed surface
62% paved · 38% unpaved
Traffic
Mostly minor roads
10.5 km on main roads without a cycle lane · 7.3 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more · 9.3 km on cycle paths or lanes
Food & water
Longest gap 62 km
41 cafés and restaurants · 9 shops · 3 water points · 3 petrol stations · 7 public toilets · 2 bike shops
Best months
Jun to Aug
Ballater climate, 10 years
Navigation
GPX download
free, no sign-in
Start → finish
Ballater → Montrose

Map and elevation profile

Motrose Pavilion
Photo: Orit Kislev · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Elevation profile

Total ascent
986 m
Distance
86 km
02004006008001,000m0 km20406086 km913 m · highest, at 29.1 kmStartFinish

Route description

  1. Ballater
  2. Tullichkm 2
  3. Dinnetkm 10
  4. Milldenkm 49
  5. Westsidekm 65
  6. East Mains of Keithockkm 68
  7. Burnside of Keithockkm 69
  8. Muirshade of Gallerykm 76
  9. Hillhead of Hedderwickkm 78
  10. Montrosekm 86

The route starts in Ballater at 0 km, passing through Tullich (2.3 km), Cambus o' May (4.2 km), Dinnet (10.4 km), and Tanar (15.4 km). Early climbs include a 2.1 km ascent gaining 80 m starting at 11.1 km with a max gradient of 10.4%, followed by a 4.2 km climb of 104 m average 2.5%. The main climb begins at 22.8 km, rising 592 m over 5.8 km with an average 10.2% gradient and a steepest 500 m section at 24.3%. The highest point is 912 m at 28.6 km near Mount Keen. From here the route descends for 4.9 km dropping 603 m towards Tarfside (43.4 km).

Why ride this route?

  • Tops out at 912 m, 28.6 km in.

Highlights

  • Mount Keen near 28.6 km at 912 m
  • Longest descent 4.9 km dropping 603 m
  • Knockie Viewpoint near 15.7 km

Along the route

Measured from the route line, the Copernicus elevation model and OpenStreetMap.

Places passed

  1. Tullich 2.3 km
  2. Cambus o' May 4.2 km
  3. Dinnet 10.4 km
  4. Tanar 15.4 km
  5. Tarfside 43.4 km
  6. Millden 49 km
  7. Gannochy 60.3 km
  8. Edzell 62.2 km
  9. Westside 64.8 km
  10. Inchbare 65.6 km
  11. Newtonmill 67 km
  12. East Mains of Keithock 67.8 km
  13. Trinity 68.5 km
  14. Burnside of Keithock 68.5 km
  15. Templewood 68.9 km
  16. Huntlyhill 70.8 km
  17. Muirshade of Gallery 75.7 km
  18. South Hill of Craigo 76.3 km
  19. Three Laws 76.8 km
  20. Hillhead of Hedderwick 78.4 km
  21. Rosemount 78.8 km
  22. Hillside 80.1 km
  23. Montrose 83.1 km

Climbs

Climbs in ride order: where each starts, what this ride climbs, and the full named ascent
ClimbStarts atOn this rideTop on this ride
Unnamed climb11.1 km2.1 km · 80 m · 3.8 % · max 10.4 %238 m
Unnamed climb17 km4.2 km · 104 m · 2.5 % · max 3.7 %302 m
Unnamed climb22.8 km5.8 km · 592 m · 10.2 % · steepest 500 m 18.6 %912 m

High point 912 m at 28.6 km; low point 4 m. Passes beneath Craigendarroch, Mon, Belrorie Hill.

A point maximum far steeper than the climb’s average is usually an elevation-data spike, so the steepest 500 m of the profile is shown instead (or nothing, where the profile is too coarse).

Traffic, surface and gradient

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

Mostly minor roads and streets on the map; 10.5 km is on main roads without a cycle lane.

Roads
42% minor road · 24% track · 12% main road · 11% cycle path · 11% other roads and tracks
Main roads
10.5 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
Fast roads
7.3 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
Cycle paths
9.3 km on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane
Main roads used
B966 (8 km)
Surface
Mixed surface: 62% is mapped as paved and 38% as gravel or unpaved.
Gradient
18% climbing · 19% descending · 63% flat
Steep sections
3.9 km over 5% · 3.4 km over 8% · 2.9 km over 10% · steepest 500 m averages 24.3% at 28.4 km
Longest descent
4.9 km from 29.2 km, dropping 603 m

Food, water and services

Within a few hundred metres of the track, from OpenStreetMap. Opening hours change — treat this as where to look, not a promise.

The longest stretch without a café, shop or water is 62 km, from the start. Along the route: 41 cafés and restaurants, 9 shops, 3 water points, 3 petrol stations, 7 public toilets and 2 bike shops.

Food, water and shops in ride order

  1. 0 kmOrka Artisa Cafe & Bistro · café · 100 m off route
  2. 0 kmCo-op Food · supermarket · 140 m off route
  3. 0 kmTop Up Tap · drinking water · 130 m off route
  4. 0 kmToilets · 230 m off route
  5. 0 kmBike Station Ballater · bike shop · 70 m off route
  6. 0.1 kmBallater Clinic · clinic · 90 m off route
  7. 0.2 kmRiverside Garage · petrol station · 240 m off route
  8. 14.3 kmToilets · 80 m off route
  9. 43.4 kmToilets · 50 m off route
  10. 58.5 kmToilets · 60 m off route
  11. 62.1 kmSinclair's Larder · café · 50 m off route
  12. 62.1 kmDrinking water · 100 m off route
  13. 62.1 kmEdzell Pharmacy · pharmacy · 30 m off route
  14. 62.2 kmHamish A MacKay · petrol station · on the route
  15. 82.3 kmLidl · supermarket · 80 m off route
  16. 82.3 kmAsda · petrol station · 40 m off route
  17. 83.1 kmDavidsons Chemists · pharmacy · 390 m off route
  18. 84.4 kmTraill Pavillion · café · 30 m off route

Need to bail out?

  • 83.1 km — Montrose (station), 490 m off route

Whether bikes are carried depends on the service — check before relying on it.

Worth a stop

  • 15.7 km — Knockie Viewpoint (viewpoint)
  • 28.6 km — Mount Keen (peak, 939 m)
  • 37 km — Invermark Castle (castle)
  • 51.7 km — Colmeallie (archaeological site)
  • 62.6 km — Dalhousie Arch (attraction)

Stay after this ride

  • Grey Harlings · hotel · 460 m from the finish
  • Park Hotel · hotel · 930 m from the finish
  • Links Hotel · hotel · 960 m from the finish
  • Star Hotel · hotel · 1.2 km from the finish
  • George Hotel · hotel · 1.2 km from the finish

Start and access

Starts at Ballater. Mapped within a short walk of the start and finish, from OpenStreetMap.

At the start

Bikes and repair
Bike Station Ballater (70 m)
Food and coffee
Orka Artisa Cafe & Bistro (100 m), The Bothy Ballater (120 m), Rothesay Rooms (20 m)
Shops
Co-op Food (140 m)

At the finish

Food and coffee
Traill Pavillion (30 m), East Coast Burgers (100 m), Roo's Leap (390 m)

Know before you go

  • Longest stretch without café, shop or water 61.9 km
  • 10.5 km on main roads without cycle lane
  • 7.3 km on roads with speed limits of 80 km/h or more
  • 38% of route is gravel or unpaved

Routes are for inspiration. Roads, surfaces and conditions change — check locally and ride within your limits.

2 photographs from the road

Photo: Orit Kislev · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Stanley Howe · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Russel Wills · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Stage of

About this route

Route line
Traced from the waymarked route’s relation in OpenStreetMap.
Elevation
Recalculated from the Copernicus GLO-90 terrain model every 50 m, not the device’s barometer.
Roads, surface, services
Measured along the line from OpenStreetMap extracts.
Best months
Ten years of ERA5 weather for Ballater (Open-Meteo).
GPX
Generated from the route line: track points only, no timestamps or personal data.
Page added
Page last updated

See something wrong with this ride?

Less climbing