With the winter bivvy now behind us we need something to look forward to through the bleak months of January & February, time to organise the traditional (we've been doing it every year since last year ) Scottish Spring Thing.

A couple of suggestions have been a visit to the bleakest bothy in Scotland via a route around the Pentlands or a visit to Fife, perhaps reverse the Central Belter route from Edinburgh up through the Lomonds and return via the Coastal path? Open to any other route suggestions that folks are keen to ride, we will be travelling at a social pace and all are welcome

As for the date how would either the 24th of March or the 14th of April suit people? I'm going on holiday so can't do the bit in between!

***Edit***

Riding on April 14th by unanimous decision!

14/04 as I planned to do the Dirty Free'ver in March

+1 for 14th April - it will be proper spring by then!

April sounds good as I'm also hoping to do the Freever.

April it is!

Where would everyone like to go?

What's the bleakest bothy in Scotland then?
Happy to do Fife natch but happy to go elsewhere too

Somewhere Ray knows, he says it's fairly grim but a good spot to bivvy outside of

htrider wrote:What's the bleakest bothy in Scotland then?

It's in the Pentland Hills. An old wooden building that has not been looked after so the roof leaks, has some rotten floorboards and generally pretty run down. I felt a bit depressed whilst sitting in it on my only brief visit. Would rather go elsewhere now I think about it.
Blair, what's that place in Fife you and Phil went to that you mentioned?

Aye it's an great spot to bivvy out, near to Falkland so we could grab a couple of pints and some food there before heading off to set camp. If it's occupied there's plenty other nice spots around the Falkland estate. The coastal path would make a nice return back to Edinburgh, fairly easy going with nice veiws and plenty wee cafés to stop at along the way, hopefully no as fancy as last year's mind, I was looking for a fry up!

Happy to stick a route together and see what folks think, I'll revert back in due course

14th would suit me too.

How does this look?

https://www.gpsies.com/map.do;jsessioni ... tuwhtgbyiz

80 miles from Dalmeny train station on a circular route into the Lomonds returning via the coastal path, few pints in Falkland and a bivvy hopefully where Phil and I went in November. A couple of decent climbs and a nice bit of Hike a Bike to make Ray feel at home!

Ray Young wrote: It's in the Pentland Hills. An old wooden building that has not been looked after so the roof leaks, has some rotten floorboards and generally pretty run down. I felt a bit depressed whilst sitting in it on my only brief visit. Would rather go elsewhere now I think about it.

I've been wondering what it would take to get it sealed and borderline habitable, but I agree it's quite grim. I'll perhaps start a 'bothy book' when I'm next there to see who actually uses it.

Yesterday I was informed of another unlocked shelter in the Pentlands that may or may not have a fireplace, and I'm unsure of the quality of the chimney. I'm going to scope it out some time.

Put me down as a maybe* as I'm being less grumpy and more sociable this year

*there is a chance I will be out of the country

Blair512 wrote:How does this look?

Happy for you to route set Blair.

AlasdairMc wrote:Yesterday I was informed of another unlocked shelter in the Pentlands that may or may not have a fireplace, and I'm unsure of the quality of the chimney. I'm going to scope it out some time.

Mucho interested Alasdair, let me know your findings please.

Looks like a nice route, and I am back in Scotland that weekend, but sadly have a wedding to attend. I suppose there is still time for them to fall-out...

Just leave after the service and come riding!

Ooo.. Ooo... I'm actually on the mainland then with family in North Yorkshire and my lovely darling wonderful wife just said I could get the train up for it and she'd pick me up on the Monday on her way to Aberdeen.

Don't count me in yet as there's many logistics to figure, but I'm hopeful.

BTW It would need to be a social pace for me with my knackered knee, but if needs be I'm a big boy and could carry on on my own and meet up at the camp.

Will check out the route...

Moder-dye wrote:Ooo.. Ooo... I'm actually on the mainland then with family in North Yorkshire and my lovely darling wonderful wife just said I could get the train up for it and she'd pick me up on the Monday on her way to Aberdeen.

Don't count me in yet as there's many logistics to figure, but I'm hopeful.

BTW It would need to be a social pace for me with my knackered knee, but if needs be I'm a big boy and could carry on on my own and meet up at the camp.

Will check out the route...

Would be good to have you along, always nice to meet new faces. Keep us updated

Cheers, will do, just family logistics to sort out first, plus I'll have to get there on the Friday and stay on afterwards.

Sadly I'm working that weekend but will see if I can get it off if not will keep an eye out for any future ones.

Looks good Blair, I would tweak it a bit from Markinch to Pitcairn as you can cut through Balbirnie park and pick up an easy trail from Balfarg to coul res so missing out a bit of road riding. Plus there is an ace single track over Benarty hill from the top of the new trail from Loch Leven to the Meedies so we could throw that in as well. When I have a minute I'll do a gpx file and let the collective judge

Sounds good Phil, I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

I'm a possible for this.

pushbikemike wrote:I'm a possible for this.

Be good to see you again Mike, .

And I'm a more than likely