# Best place to rent/hire and ride in Scotland, N Ireland, or Ireland



## brownBEAR327 (Oct 8, 2017)

My wife and I will be on vacation in Scotland (Edinburgh and Glasgow), N. Ireland (Belfast), and Ireland (Dublin but will rent a car) soon and we would like to spend at least one day of our trip on mountain bikes.

Where is the best place to rent/hire two full suspensions and ride? We are not afraid to climb to earn the downhill. We like single track and she really likes good scenery.

Would love some suggestions on places to rent, bike parks, trail systems, and even back roads that are worth it for the view.

Thanks!


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## doogie (Sep 24, 2006)

*N Ireland*



brownBEAR327 said:


> My wife and I will be on vacation in Scotland (Edinburgh and Glasgow), N. Ireland (Belfast), and Ireland (Dublin but will rent a car) soon and we would like to spend at least one day of our trip on mountain bikes.
> 
> Where is the best place to rent/hire two full suspensions and ride? We are not afraid to climb to earn the downhill. We like single track and she really likes good scenery.
> 
> ...


Hi, If your visiting N Ireland check out Rostrevor...really good S/T and I believe you can still rent there however check it out before hand. Stunning scenery with a wide variety of runs to complete. Personally I believe you'll not be disappointed.. Enjoy your stay in the UK/Ireland. Cheers.


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## woodyak (Jan 20, 2004)

Also interested in this data. I'm looking to setup a riding/exploring trip with a couple/few riding couples in Scotland. We're all experienced technical riders that can go all day. A mix of climbing/shuttling/park would be ideal but we're not afraid to climb every day. The ideal trip would involve the ability to ride pretty much every day but also see some of the sites and experience the local culture. I'll spend money if I have to but I'm not looking to break the bank. I have some basic questions:

- How is the weather late May?
- Best area to fly into to get all the goods?
- Rent or bring bikes?
- Any can't miss rides? DH parks?
- Any can't miss site seeing?
- Best way to lodge?
- Anything else to consider?

Thanks in advance for any help given.

Cheers!


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## POAH (Apr 29, 2009)

Glentress is the obvious place to hire and ride


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## brownBEAR327 (Oct 8, 2017)

I feel like I should update this.

We ended up cutting N Ireland and Ireland from our trip due to logistics and time issues. So our mountain biking was done in Scotland in the Cairngorm National Park. We stayed in Grantown on Spey at a local Bed and Breakfast and rented bikes from Base Camp Bikes. We hired a bike guide from Nine One Six Guiding (They also do mountaineering courses) who was a great guide and a great coach.

We hired a guide because we wanted to get out into the countryside and not just at a bike park. This was for two reasons: My wife is still a beginner to mountain biking; we wanted to see the scenery and countryside. We were not disappointed. The trails were not always single track and made for shredding but were a lot of fun with lots of good climbs and fun long descents down secluded trails through the mountains, pastures, and alongside the lochs. 

If there is any interest I can whip up a full ride report and post it as its own thread.


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## tubored (Mar 13, 2012)

brownBEAR327 said:


> I feel like I should update this.
> 
> We ended up cutting N Ireland and Ireland from our trip due to logistics and time issues. So our mountain biking was done in Scotland in the Cairngorm National Park. We stayed in Grantown on Spey at a local Bed and Breakfast and rented bikes from Base Camp Bikes. We hired a bike guide from Nine One Six Guiding (They also do mountaineering courses) who was a great guide and a great coach.
> 
> ...


I would be very interested in your writeup. We're trying to plan a tour of the Scottish Highlands with a group of 21, ranging in age from 4 to 84. I'll be looking for every opportunity to escape and fit in a ride wherever I can.

Thanks!


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## Crankyone (Dec 8, 2014)

I would also like to see as much info on your ride as possible. 
I have requested some tour info on riding the canal route to Inverness from Port William in Sept. We were up there a couple of years ago in the same timeframe, and really enjoyed the region. 
The route itinerary looks pretty tame in mtn bike terms, but it is beautiful country with great hospitality! The ride would be supported, but not guided....
It would be great to see your itinerary and your wife's perceived satisfaction! My wife is very athletic but not so enthusiastic about riding, let alone on dirt. If we were running the whole thing she would be all in!
Last time in Scotland, we caught a repositioning cruise out of Dover for the trip to Florida with a flight to Seattle. Worked out way cool! Probably try that again.


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## cyclonesurveyor (Oct 15, 2013)

I would also like to see more info please! We will be moving to NI or western England this summer!


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## tubored (Mar 13, 2012)

I just returned from my trip to Scotland. We started in Peebles, solely so that I could ride at Glentress. It was a lot of fun. It's a bike centre and they rent bikes on the spot. The bikes are in very good shape, and they have some nice options, but they can get pricey for the higher end models. If you are from the states, remember that the brake levers are switched over there, left is rear. Alpine bikes (https://www.tiso.com/shops/glentress) is the outfit on site, if you want a high-end bike you should probably reserve it in advance. There is another bike shop in Peebles, but I have no idea if they rent.
All but the black trails are very groomed, but fun. There are no lifts, but the climbs are gradual and fun. I had my family with me, and even though they're beginners they had no problem with the blue routes. Spooky wood is a lot of fun, you should do it at least twice so you can learn the jumps/obstacles, but it isn't life-altering or anything like that.
If you stay in Peebles, it's very easy to ride directly to the trails. I kept my bike overnight and was able to ride into the evening and get an early start the next morning.

I also rode in Fort William at the Nevis Range bike centre. I had to stick to bike centres as I had limited time and usually had my family in tow. Having a cafe handy meant I could ride for longer. This area hosts the 10 under Ben race/ride. There aren't a ton of trails here, but they are fun. You could probably cover the whole mountain in a day if you're a fit rider. There is a lift with groomed jumps as there is a world cup DH hosted here. I rented a hardtail and just rode from the bottom. I did do most of the reds and some of the blacks. Even the blues are fairly fun.
Nevis Cycles (https://www.neviscycles.com) handles the rentals on site. There is ample parking here. If you're in Fort William, you likely have a car. Alpine bikes also has a rental location in the main town. I imagine from there you could hit some of the trails in Glencoe. I bet that would be some awesome XC riding with beautiful views, but I didn't make it out there on a bike.

Isle of Skye - I didn't actually get to ride here. But I did find a small business that appears to rent decent bikes and he's very knowledgeable about the area, with GPX routes on his website. If you are on the island and want to mountain bike, this is the guy to talk to. He runs the bike shop and a B&B out of his property conveniently located near Portree at the center of the island. Skye Bike Shack: Skye Bike Shack | Isle of Skye

Hope that helps. I know I'm looking forward to my next opportunity to get to Scotland and hopefully do some more riding.


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