Cycling Scotland: Towpaths, Old Railways & Gravel Rides

Overview — Scotland is brilliant by bike

Some of the best days we’ve had in Scotland were on two wheels. Between the canal towpaths, the converted-railway paths, the quiet single-track lanes and the National Cycle Network, you can string together flat, traffic-free, genuinely beautiful rides all over the country — and where there’s water in the way, the ferries take bikes (which opens up the islands, too).

This is our growing collection of routes — all ridden by us, mapped from GPS, with GPX files you can download and follow.

Our routes (with GPX)

🚲 Crinan Canal towpath — Ardrishaig ⇄ Crinan (gravel, easy)

The star of the collection: a flat, mostly-good-gravel run along the Crinan Canal towpath, past every lock and swing bridge, from Ardrishaig on Loch Fyne to Crinan on the Sound of Jura — with the Crinan Coffee Shop as the perfect turnaround. ~18 miles round trip. Ideal on a gravel or hybrid bike.

→ Full write-up + map on the Crinan Canal page. GPX: download the ride.

🚲 The Alloa–Dunfermline Circle (mixed, ~50km)

A proper day-ride circular route linking two historic towns — out on a disused railway line, back along the Forth coast, taking in Culross for coffee. Mostly flat, largely traffic-free.

→ Full write-up on its own page. GPX to follow once the exact route’s confirmed.

🚲 Tighnabruaich & the Kyles of Bute (gravel lanes & shore paths)

Quiet, scenic gravel riding around the Kyles of Bute in west Cowal — lanes and shore paths, flat-ish and largely traffic-free, with one of Scotland’s great views thrown in. Perfect off a wild-camp base.

→ On the Tighnabruaich page. (Ask Kevin for the exact route to add a GPX.)

(More routes to come — this list grows as we ride.)

Types of riding in Scotland

  • Canal towpaths — flat, traffic-free, scenic (Crinan; the Forth & Clyde/Union; the Caledonian Canal).
  • Old railway paths — converted lines, gentle gradients, often part of the NCN.
  • Quiet lanes & single-track — beautiful, but you’re sharing with cars (see etiquette below).
  • Gravel & forest tracks — Argyll and the Highlands are made for a gravel bike.

Practical tips

  • 🚲 Bike choice: a gravel or hybrid bike is the sweet spot for towpaths and mixed surfaces; a road bike is fine on sealed lanes. E-bikes make the hilly bits and the headwinds a lot friendlier.
  • ⛴️ Bikes on ferries & trains: CalMac carries bikes (usually free, no booking) — brilliant for island-hopping; ScotRail carries bikes (some services need a reservation). (Mind the wider ferry reliability — see the CalMac ferry crisis.)
  • 🛣️ Single-track etiquette: on shared single-track roads, the same passing-place manners apply — help traffic get by, and expect the odd impatient driver.
  • 🦟 Midges & weather: west-coast summer evenings can be midgy; always pack a waterproof — Scottish weather turns fast.
  • 🐕 Dogs: towpaths and traffic-free paths are great with a dog under control; keep off busy roads.