Moray is ideally suited to cycling and there are routes for all the family
After such a lovely warm and sunny summer, the colder autumn mornings have come as a bit of surprise, but what a wonderful surprise autumn brings. The scenery around Moray has been magically transformed into a fusion of golds, reds and greens as the leaves put on a final show before closing for the winter.
At Ace Taxis we cover the region and see the best of the views, at all times of the day (and night but the colours aren’t so great then!). But whilst we would thoroughly recommend a tour in one of our comfortable cars, this month we are recommending swapping four wheels for two and getting some exercise before the weather turns considerably colder and we are tempted to stay indoors in the warm.
Moray is ideally suited to cycling and there are routes for all the family, for all abilities and at all levels. Whether it’s a family cycle through Elgin’s town centre following the river Lossie, passing the Cathedral and through Cooper Park or taking part in the heart in the mouth stuff on thrilling mountain bike routes such as the Forestry Commission’s Monster Trails, there’s something for everyone.
The Monster Trails, start at the Winding Walks forest trail at Fochabers and have a number of routes depending on your skill and bravery although I doubt any are for the faint-hearted. Check them out on the Moray Monster trail map (PDF 1.6MB).
The Forestry Commission also has fairly flat, family friendly routes at https://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/images/pdf/rec_pdfs/ma-culbin-leaflet-final-web.pdf Forest where you can cycle to the Hill 99 viewing tower offering sweeping views across the Moray Firth; Roseisle forest where you can access the beach and see WWII coastal defences, have a bbq or picnic (and a playpark) and Sanquhar Woods just outside Forres has some family friendly mountain bike trails and others offering something a bit more challenging.
You don’t even need to have a bike – as Outfit Moray in Lossiemouth www.outfitmoray.com can help you out with hiring bikes
For the serious cyclist we suggest heading down to Glenlivet Mountain Bike Trails. Purpose built, fun filled mountain bike trails at the heart of the Glenlivet Estate, hidden in the depths of the Cairngorms National Park. The stunning glens, trails and winding roads of Tomintoul and Glenlivet, look fantastic at the moment in their autumn colours and are breathtaking for any visitor, particularly (and literally) for the cyclist.
Or for those with more time to spare, the Dava Way https://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/the-dava-way is a 24 mile walking and cycling trail linking the towns of Forres and Grantown-on-Spey along the route of the former Highland Railway. The route links with the Moray Coastal trail at Forres and with the Speyside Way at Grantown offering numerous options for a circular walking or cycling holiday in the area.
To get to these areas you can cycle, or drive, a few are on bus routes (some buses have adaptions for bikes too) or you can contact us at Ace Tours to take you there in comfort. Our cars have adaptions to take bikes so we can pick you up from any location including train stations, take you to your destination and then stop off on the way home for a refreshing and well deserved drink on the way home. What a rewarding end for a weekend exercise! Or what a great way to spend a stag weekend or hen party with Ace doing the driving so you don’t have to.
For information on marked trails, local cycling groups and bike hire & repair, download the Moray Speyside Cycle Guide here. And contact us at Ace Tours to help plan your day!
