While Real World Riding operates all over Scotland, Clackmannanshire is Home
For anyone visiting Scotland, Clackmannanshire – Scotland’s Wee county’ is a great option. We’re situated at the foot of the Ochil Hills almost half-way between Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports if you fly, on the M9 if you drive up the M6 or the M1, and we even have Alloa Station right in the centre of the county, only 15 minutes by train from Stirling and connected to the West Coast and East Coast Main Train Lines, as well as the lines going further North.
Not that this makes it easy to ‘escape’ – merely easy to get to, in fact we even have accommodation suppliers in the county that are a cycle ride (almost all off road) from Alloa Station so if you want a wooded escape from it all (including the car) this is the place to come – but it’s not remote.
We have castles, nature reserves, Roman hillforts, fishing, Golf, Spa’s, quiet riverside walks, mad steep mountainbike trails, cafes , Retail outlets and much more scattered accross the county, all connected by a great cycle path system.
Of course, if you find you have time left from checking this all out, Edinburgh and Glasgow are close by, but not as close as the historic City of Stirling with it strategic and historic Castle, and the National Wallace monument.
Here are some examples of riding routes you can find in the Area:
Historic Touring trail (with Cafes!)
Starting In Alloa, the trail uses the NCR74 to circumnavigate the river Forth via Clackmannan (Named after Robert The Bruce lost a Glove there) via both Alloa and Clackmannan Towers, across the new Clackmannanshire Bridge and round the Medieval Port of Alyth then following quiet roads, track and railway to Stirling returning past Cambuskenneth (Burial Place of Scottish Kings) and back through the distilling areas of cambus on cyccle trail back into Alloa.
Varied XC or gravel trail around the heart of the county
Starting in Alloa, this trail uses a range of paths and trails to stay off the road as much as possible while visiting as much of the County as possible. It manages this while even packing in cafe’s an RSPB reserve, and some beautiful quiet singletrack with lovely views of the hills. While it is in the centre and lower part of the county, there are a couple of cheeky hills, and please note that there is active forestry on the way in Glen Devon too.
big day out in the hills with big climbs and long descents
This is a classic trail in the Ochils. Note: It can be shortened by starting in the Hillfoots Villages. It is also remote and sometimes boggy in places – there are some big climbs/pushes/carrys, but some really lovely remote trails, and choices in descent from wide grassy slopes to twisting singletrack and techy challenges, but all with amazing views of the Forth Valley Below
Guided riding
Get in touch with Real World Riding via the contact page if you’d like to discuss being shown the best of the trails in the area without the worry of finding the trails, or exploring further than the trails here – as big mountain specialist, the hills here are a great playground with some hidden steep techy gems as well as the traditional tree-dodging to be done in the woods, here – or of course further afield.
Stay In the area
Brucefield Estates
A cycle ride from Alloa (You can drive!) is a quiet exclusive estate with secluded small accommodation where you can enjoy the silence of the woodlands in luxury, or use it as a base for something a little more active.
get active
Scotland’s Canyons
As it happens, Clackmannanshire is a haven for high quality Canyoning – told you we have everything! – Book with Scotlands Canyons for an amazing experience exploring some of the deeper and more vertical canyons in the area.
Real World Riding 