Having grown up in Canada, and with my family still residing there in Calgary, Alberta, summer usually sees me jetting back across the Atlantic to ride with my brother Tom. What began as a one‐off trip for the two of us a few years back has become an annual pilgrimage to explore the trails of British Columbia. This summer was never going to offer that opportunity. With 2 week mandatory quarantines on either side of a cross‐pond journey, it was clear that I would be sampling UK trails and Tom would have to be replaced by fellow UK riders. So, naturally, Scotland it was!
My girlfriend and I had already planned a trip up North to visit with friends and I brought my HB130 along with little planned. Turned out to have been a great decision as friends – new and old – came out to guide me around their various locals. I was humbled by their hospitality and the incredible quantity of quality riding that was to be had.
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In 2015/16, while I was studying in Glasgow, I must have been living under a rock. It wasn’t until my program ended that I began to realise just how many great trails there are a short distance from where I lived near city centre and, as we were staying near Stirling – just north of Glasgow – I figured a great place to start was where I had left off almost 5 years previous.
Cambusbarron was not on my radar then and wouldn’t have been this trip either if not for my good friend James (more on him later) who pointed me in the right direction. The flowing single‐track of the North Third loop deposited me at a generous raspberry bush before I sampled the loamy goodness of Killer’s Secret Trail & Route 77. These latter two were so good I went back for seconds! I rounded off my first riding day with some loose laps on the dirt jumps and Streetfighter.
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A couple of days later a local lad Luke was kind enough to give me a tour of Aberfoyle. We rode Rodeo, Noodle Soup, and a handful of other trails in the slop making it extra loose! I was thankful for my formative years riding the steeps of Nelson, BC.
I had reached out to a friend from Edinburgh, Jason, who invited me on a tour of Dunkeld with himself and his friend Nick. At this point the weather was being very cooperative and the Scottish riding had yet to disappoint so, naturally, I jumped at the opportunity! The trails were in great condition so we did a lap on each of the three hills: Pink Floyd, Plan B (plus some other bits??), and Footloose. I really enjoyed the variety of trail styles in Dunkeld from slack and fast to steep and tech, you really get the full riding experience! Many thanks to Jason and Nick for their tour guide services!
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At this point in the great Northern adventure, my girlfriend and I visited friends on Lewis for a few days followed by Glasgow and the riding was put on hold. My friend Sam (Glasgow based) and I have wanted to collaborate on a short video for a while and made plans to meet up for a day of riding and shooting. I convinced him to accompany me on a trip to Pitlochry where Ben Cathro dug in a new DH trail. Ben’s trail is simply brilliant! Fast single‐track interspersed with well‐built berms, jumps, and the odd drop or steep feature, it served as a perfect playground for the HB.130. I’m really happy with what Sam and I put together for a final edit and I’m sure I’ll have fun looking back on it in years to come.
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This whole time I had been carting my surfboard around with me in hopes of catching some swell without luck. James had recently moved to Campbeltown and I had caught a few great waves on a previous trip to Machrihanish (nearby) and figured I should pay him a visit! Turned out there was no swell to be had and James had a flexible work schedule so I hopped back on the HB130 and James graciously showed me just about all that Campbeltown has to offer. Of all the surprises on this grand Scottish adventure, I would say the riding on the North slopes of Beinn Ghuilean was the biggest. Tight trees, beautiful beds of moss, and brilliant off‐piste corners made this stop particularly memorable. James, ever the over‐stoked, was a top‐notch host and we had a blast getting loose in the mud (I don’t know if that place ever dries) and hitting the pub afterwards. Thanks James!
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Alas, it was time to wind down the great Scottish adventure and return to North Wales… but not before swinging through the Tweed Valley! One very wet day exploring some of the Golfie (another five‐star venue I neglected to visit while studying in Glasgow) and I was back on my way South.
A huge thank you to all those who made this trip so special. Scotland has some world‐class riding and I cannot express my gratitude enough to the people who took the time to show me about.
Words & Pictures: Harry Widdowson
Video: Sam Scriven