Mountain Biking in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs

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The best places for MTB in Loch Lomond (Sina Sadeqi/Unsplash)

With dozens of forest trails, lochside paths and thrilling mountain climbs, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park is a top destination for mountain biking. Home to Aberfoyle – widely regarded as the top place for gravel biking in all of Scotland – the park has many places where you can fill your days with MTB outings or hire a bike to explore for a few hours. Keep reading to find out more about some of the mountain biking adventures you can get up to in Scotland’s most accessible national park. 

Best gravel biking location in Loch Lomond

Aberfoyle, Scotland’s gravel biking hub (Abhishek Banik/Unsplash)

It’s a tough call, but in our opinion (and that of many previous visitors) the best place for gravel and mountain biking in Loch Lomond has to be Aberfoyle.

While these two styles of cycling are closely related, the village is best known for its gravel biking scene (which is less focused on jumps and drops).

On the edge of the Highlands, Aberfoyle is very accessible and can be reached from Glasgow in under an hour by road. The village has a bike park with blue, orange and black-graded areas, and good car parks at places like Queen Elizabeth Forest Park and Loch Ard Forest  give direct access to miles of fantastic trails, most of which are clearly waymarked.

If you only have time for one trail, consider making it Lomond View, a challenging 18-mile (30-kilometre) loop with stunning views over Ben Lomond and Loch Ard – just follow the purple arrows from the village centre. 

For more information about the village and route ideas, check out the Gravelfoyle website – it’s packed with useful information to help you get started. 

Honourable mentions

View of Loch Voil near Balquhidder (Efraimstochter/Pixabay)

Looking for other places to go mountain biking in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park? There are plenty of great options around. 

Balquhidder on Loch Voil is the region’s top location for mountain biking. While nearby Aberfoyle is all about gravel bikes, this pretty Perthshire spot is home to downhill single-track routes designed with mountain bikes in mind. The area has a great cycling community group, the Balquhidder Trail Crew, who build and maintain the trails – you can check out the great work they do on their website. As all of the official MTB routes in the Balquhidder area are pretty challenging and graded red (with some having optional black variants), this isn’t the best place to take beginners. 

Stank Glen is another local favourite, with a mix of gentler paths and more exhilarating single-track downhill routes. Located in the shadow of Ben Ledi, the area has some great views over Loch Venachar and Loch Lubnaig – and if you’re feeling adventurous and fit enough, it’s also possible to ride up Ben Ledi before starting the very technical route down. Check out the video below to get an idea of what descending this stunning Corbett is like.

For a challenging route to the west of Loch Lomond, head to the village of Arrochar at the head of Loch Long and set off on the Glen Loin Loop, an 11-mile (18-kilometre) trail that passes through the forest of Allt Coiregrogain and skirts mountains like Beinn Narnain, The Cobbler and Creag Tharsuinn. The route includes everything from easy forestry roads to technical descents and (if you have the energy) can be extended north to Loch Sloy and its huge hydroelectric dam. 

While it’s located just outside the national park, Comrie Croft Trail Centre near Crieff is also well worth a visit. With 13 miles (21 km) of blue, red and black trails to explore, this popular mountain bike centre in rural Perthshire has around a dozen designated routes, plus an on-site café, shop and repair workshop. Individual and group coaching sessions are also available, making this a great spot for beginners and improvers.

Family-friendly mountain biking options

Bracklinn Falls Bridge, just outside Callander (Neostalgic/Unsplash)

Looking for easier mountain biking routes to do with the kids? We recommend the following: 

  • Callander Crags – A network of easy to moderate trails with well-marked paths, gradual climbs and manageable descents. Located by the pretty village of Callander, kids will love highlights like the Bracklinn Falls waterfall and bridge, and the chance to spot red squirrels leaping between the trees.
  • Loch Ard Forest – Loch Ard Forest has several waymarked trails, including an easier route that’s manageable for kids. As well as its great mix of scenery, this quiet area is home to a sculpture trail featuring squirrels, salmon and birds of prey.
  • The Rob Roy Loop – This easy 8-mile (12-kilometre) route starts and finishes in Strathyre. Part of the trail runs along the traffic-free National Cycle Route 7, which passes through mixed scenery featuring mountains, lochs and woodlands. While the route could take a few hours to complete with kids, there are plenty of places to stop off for breaks, and there’s very little uphill pedalling involved – just 100 metres over the whole route.

Check out more family-friendly activities in Loch Lomond National Park  

Bike rental and services

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park has a wide range of mountain bike hire and repair shops. We recommend booking in advance, especially if you need to hire kids’ bikes – these are often in high demand.

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A campervan at Trossachs Pier

Ready for your Loch Lomond off-road adventure? Pitchup has plenty of campsites, glampsites and holiday parks to choose from across the national park. Whether you’re looking for top-of-the-range facilities or back-to-basics wild camping, you’ll find it here. 

Looking for more bike routes? Check out our road cycling guide to Loch Lomond.