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Bridge of Tilt to Braemar

113 km gravel route873 m climbing9 h 26 minGPX

Bridge of Tilt, Perth and Kinross, United Kingdom · Gravel

A rolling 113 km gravel route from Bridge of Tilt, Perth and Kinross to Braemar through Baluain, Pitagowan and Calvine, with 873 m of climbing. There is a 67 km stretch without a café, shop or water (km 8–74). Mostly unpaved: 61% is mapped as gravel or unpaved, 39% as paved.

Signed route The waymarked Cairngorms Loop (part), traced from OpenStreetMap and measured against the terrain model; no member has recorded it yet. Stage 1 of 2 of the Cairngorms Loop (part). Ridden it? Add your recording and photos.

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At a glance

Best for
Rolling day rides for fit, experienced riders
Distance
113.2 km
Point to point
Elevation gain
873 m
8 m per km
Riding time
9 h 26 min
moving time, estimated
Difficulty
Hard
Bike
Gravel or mountain bike
from the mapped surface
Surface
Mostly unpaved
39% paved · 61% unpaved · 1% no data
Traffic
Mostly minor roads
3.8 km on main roads without a cycle lane · 27.2 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more
Food & water
Longest gap 67 km
12 cafés and restaurants · 1 shop · 2 water points · 2 public toilets · 1 bike shop
Best months
Jun to Aug
Bridge of Tilt climate, 10 years
Navigation
GPX download
free, no sign-in
Start → finish
Bridge of Tilt → Braemar

Map and elevation profile

Path crossing Allt Fhearnagan
Photo: Andy Waddington · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Elevation profile

Total ascent
873 m
Distance
113 km
0200400600m0 km255075100113 km562 m · highest, at 87.2 kmStartFinish

Route description

  1. Bridge of Tilt
  2. Baluainkm 4
  3. Pitagowankm 6
  4. Calvinekm 7
  5. Cluneskm 10
  6. Feshiebridgekm 62
  7. Achleankm 68
  8. Carnachuinkm 73
  9. Invereykm 103
  10. Braemarkm 113

The route starts at Bridge of Tilt and passes through places including Bailanloan, Old Blair, Baluain, Pitagowan, Calvine, and Clunes before reaching Feshiebridge at 61.5 km. It continues past Achlean, Carnachuin, Inverey, and finishes at Braemar. The course includes five climbs, with the longest climb of 2.9 km starting at 15.4 km, gaining 119 m at an average 4.1% gradient. The highest point is at 563 m at 84.6 km. The profile features 20% climbing, 16% descending, and 65% flat terrain.

Why ride this route?

  • Tops out at 563 m, 84.6 km in.

Highlights

  • Climb starting at 15.4 km (2.9 km, 119 m gain)
  • Highest point at 563 m near 84.6 km
  • Braemar town facilities at 110.4 km
  • Peaks near the road: An Dùn (827 m) and Srion Bhuirich (847 m)

Along the route

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

Places passed

  1. Baluain 4 km
  2. Pitagowan 5.8 km
  3. Calvine 7.3 km
  4. Clunes 10.1 km
  5. Feshiebridge 61.5 km
  6. Achlean 67.7 km
  7. Carnachuin 73 km
  8. Inverey 103 km
  9. Braemar 110.4 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 climb15.4 km2.9 km · 119 m · 4.1 % · max 7.1 %391 m
Unnamed climb24.6 km1.8 km · 40 m · 2.3 % · max 4.6 %496 m
Unnamed climb51.1 km1.6 km · 55 m · 3.4 % · max 7.5 %335 m
Unnamed climb77.9 km3.4 km · 71 m · 2.1 % · max 6 %487 m
Unnamed climb81.6 km2.2 km · 63 m · 2.9 % · max 3.9 %556 m

High point 563 m at 84.6 km; low point 143 m. Passes beneath Tom na Croiche, An Dùn, Srion Bhuirich.

Traffic, surface and gradient

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

Mostly minor roads and streets on the map; 3.8 km is on main roads without a cycle lane.

Roads
41% track · 25% minor road · 16% quiet street · 15% path · 3% other roads and tracks
Main roads
3.8 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
Fast roads
27.2 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
Main roads used
C1M (9 km), Achlean Road (7 km)
Surface
Mostly unpaved: 61% is mapped as gravel or unpaved, 39% as paved.
Gradient
20% climbing · 16% descending · 65% flat
Steep sections
1.4 km over 5% · steepest 500 m averages 13.4% at 0 km
Longest descent
4.8 km from 91.4 km, dropping 88 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 67 km, from km 8 to 74. Along the route: 12 cafés and restaurants, 1 shop, 2 water points, 2 public toilets and 1 bike shop.

Food, water and shops in ride order

  1. 1 kmTullibardine Restaurant · restaurant · 320 m off route
  2. 5.5 kmCafé · 80 m off route
  3. 74.2 kmSpring · 90 m off route
  4. 100.6 kmToilets · 180 m off route
  5. 110.3 kmGordon's Tea Room & Restaurant · café · on the route
  6. 110.3 kmThe Co-operative Food · supermarket · 40 m off route
  7. 110.3 kmBraemar Pharmacy & Newsagents · pharmacy · on the route
  8. 110.4 kmTop Up Tap · drinking water · on the route
  9. 110.4 kmToilets · 80 m off route
  10. 110.4 kmBraemar Mountain Sports · bike shop · 100 m off route

Need to bail out?

  • 0 km — Blair Atholl (station), 1.1 km off route

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

Worth a stop

  • 1 km — Blair Castle (castle)
  • 5.6 km — House of Bruar (attraction)
  • 34.1 km — Remains of Gaick Both (ruins)
  • 94.5 km — Aultannich (ruins)
  • 100.4 km — Linn of Dee (attraction)
  • 110.4 km — Braemar War Memorial (monument)

Stay after this ride

  • Fife Arms Hotel · hotel · 40 m from the finish
  • Ivy Cottage · guest house · 80 m from the finish
  • Rucksacks Braemar · hostel · 110 m from the finish
  • Invercauld Arms Hotel · hotel · 240 m from the finish
  • Callater Lodge · hotel · 300 m from the finish

Start and access

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

At the start

Food and coffee
Tullibardine Restaurant (890 m)

At the finish

Bikes and repair
Braemar Mountain Sports (100 m)
Food and coffee
Gordon's Tea Room & Restaurant (80 m), The Old Bakery (80 m), Farquharsons Bar and Kitchen (60 m)
Shops
The Co-operative Food (60 m)
Pharmacy and medical
Braemar Pharmacy & Newsagents (100 m)

Know before you go

  • 61 km without café, shop or water from 7.6 to 74.2 km
  • 27.2 km on roads with speed limits 80 km/h or more
  • 3.8 km on main roads without cycle lane
  • 61% gravel or unpaved surface

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

2 photographs from the road

Photo: Andy Waddington · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Neil Williamson from Dundee, Scotland · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Adam D Hope · 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 Bridge of Tilt (Open-Meteo).
GPX
Generated from the route line: track points only, no timestamps or personal data.
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