Routes from or near Kirriemuir?

[Waspie]

May be up at Kirriemuir at the weekend and was looking for route suggestions.

I don't have the time/inclination/fitness for the snow roads audax route (although I do have half an eye on this for next year), but I've plotted a route that starts off following the audax route but cuts off on a minor road that runs more or less parralel to the A93 before joining it at Crathie before heading south past Glenshee. Comes in at 112 miles which is probably about as far as I'd want to go.

I really don't know the area at all, is the above a decent route or are there better options nearby?

Thanks in advance.

 

[ACS]

I'm sure Eck or Noodley will be along any minute with a definitive list:

For starters:

Deeside Loop 200km - Bottom half of the Snow Roads (Sleet Roads )

Moulin Moors - 150km

A Potter For Tea - 100km

 

[brockers]

You could follow the four and twenty virgins coming down from Inverness.

 

[aberal]

You'll have a ball...

 

[ACS]

and when its over there will be four and twenty less

 

[Waspie]

I'm sure Eck or Noodley will be along any minute with a definitive list:

For starters:

Deeside Loop 200km - Bottom half of the Snow Roads (Sleet Roads )

Moulin Moors - 150km

A Potter For Tea - 100km

Cheers. The Deeside Loop is very close to what I had plotted.

 

[Scoosh]

Mearns Meander - 160km

[my first ever audax]

 

[eck]

Hi Waspie,
Sorry I'm a bit late to this. I live in Kirrie, brilliant cycling country. Looks like you're sorted - the Deeside Loop is really the "must do" ride if you're ok about the distance. Beware the climb of Cairn o'Mount though: starts off ba$tard steep, ok in the middle then steep again near the top: take the LH hairpin as wide as you can. The only other significant climb is the Cairnwell after Braemar: more of a long drag up, followed by a screaming descent. After Braemar, it's about 60km to Kirrie. Stock up at the Hungry Highlander caff on the corner at Braemar. After that, there's only the cafe at the ski station at the top of Cairnwell, and the pub at Spittal of Glenshee.

Sorry I won't be around this weekend, I appear to have entered a 600km audax from Embra.

Let us know how you get on though?
ETA: There's a short clip of a video of last years Deeside Loop here. My link

 

[Waspie]

Hi Waspie,
Sorry I'm a bit late to this. I live in Kirrie, brilliant cycling country. Looks like you're sorted - the Deeside Loop is really the "must do" ride if you're ok about the distance. Beware the climb of Cairn o'Mount though: starts off ba$tard steep, ok in the middle then steep again near the top: take the LH hairpin as wide as you can. The only other significant climb is the Cairnwell after Braemar: more of a long drag up, followed by a screaming descent. After Braemar, it's about 60km to Kirrie. Stock up at the Hungry Highlander caff on the corner at Braemar. After that, there's only the cafe at the ski station at the top of Cairnwell, and the pub at Spittal of Glenshee.

Sorry I won't be around this weekend, I appear to have entered a 600km audax from Embra.

Let us know how you get on though?
ETA: There's a short clip of a video of last years Deeside Loop here. My link

Thanks. Think I'll aim for the Deeside Loop weather permitting.

600km audax?

 

[Waspie]

Thanks for the input everyone. I ended up doing a version of the Deeside Loop, except I skipped Forfar and stayed to the north of the A90. 117 miles all in.

Lovely route, Cairn o Mount was tough, but not too bad with only 30 miles or so in my legs. Felt fine until Braemar until I stopped for food, after getting back on the bike I realised I was feeling a little saddle-sore (not something I generally have trouble with) by the time I'd got up to the ski station I was in agony.

The rest of the ride wasn't much fun, couldn't really sit down without a lot of pain so was out of the saddle for most of the way back to Kirrie, at least it was mostly downhill.

Cracking area to cycle in though.

Hope you got on ok in your audax Eck.

 

[aberal]

Sounds like a good ride - pity about your butt probs...
I was reckoning on doing that route - or similar, in the coming months, but thought to do it in reverse. After Glenshee it's downhill(ish) till Banchory. OK, you then have the kick up the Cairn O' Mount near the end, but it's short. At least that's, my perhaps wishful thinking.

 

[eck]

Good to hear you got round the Deeside Loop, despite rear-end problems on the way back. As Noodley once famously observed, after Glenshee, it's all downhill to Kirrie, apart from the bits that go up.
Let us know if you're up this way again, we'd be happy to take you on a guided tour!


Hope you got on ok in your audax Eck.
Aye, it was ok, apart from the freezing descent from the top of the Lang Whang down through Balerno late on Saturday night, it seemed to take for ever - Today I have been mostly .

 

[Waspie]

I was reckoning on doing that route - or similar, in the coming months, but thought to do it in reverse. After Glenshee it's downhill(ish) till Banchory. OK, you then have the kick up the Cairn O' Mount near the end, but it's short. At least that's, my perhaps wishful thinking.

Definitley worth doing it. Couldn't comment on the direction having only cycled it one way. I did have a fair headwind from Braemar if that helps your decision, I don't know if that's usual or not.

I was certainly glad to get Cairn O' Mount over with at the start though!

 

[Waspie]

Let us know if you're up this way again, we'd be happy to take you on a guided tour!

Cheers, I may take you up on that.

Hope you got on ok in your audax Eck.
Aye, it was ok, apart from the freezing descent from the top of the Lang Whang down through Balerno late on Saturday night, it seemed to take for ever - Today I have been mostly .

I can imagine. I can't quite get my head round cycling 600km to be honest, not sure I would have the perseverance even if I got my fitness up to scratch.

 

[eck]

Definitley worth doing it. Couldn't comment on the direction having only cycled it one way. I did have a fair headwind from Braemar if that helps your decision, I don't know if that's usual or not.

I was certainly glad to get Cairn O' Mount over with at the start though!

Hi Aberal.
The direction you decide on is your choice. But (you saw that coming, didn't you?) I'd say it was much harder doing it "in reverse": from Kirrie it's a long long drag up to Glenshee before you even get to the climb of the Cairnwell, which is monstrously steep from the south side. OK, as you say, you get an easy ride down Deeside until you turn right to start climbing the Cairn o'Mount but, tbh, it's not that short from the north side, and while it's a fast descent down to Clatterin' Brig, it's too short too gain much time. But the clincher for me is that it's always felt a long weary slog back from Fettercairn to Kirrie in that direction compared to the lovely downhill finish from Glenshee and down Glenisla.

Waspie, aye, it's not uncommon to get a headwind on the climb of the Cairnwell, but you usually get shelter by the time you start coming down Glenisla.