BikepackingTrails

Glenha
Bikerafting
Trail

The Glenha Bikerafting Trail starts and finishes in Inverness. It links up three of Scotland’s remote and scenic glens and follows some of its stunning rivers. The route follows mixed surface trails which bring you to points where your bike is not useful anymore and it's time to pick up your paddling skills until the next ride!

With more than 30,000 freshwater lochs, Scotland is a perfect country for rafting. And with thousands of miles of double and singletracks linking those lochs together, it becomes an even better country for bikerafting. Glenha Bikerafting Trail runs through Glen Strathfarrar and Glen Cannich and links them up by passing through the East part of Glen Elchaig.

These glens are packed with impressive features, with the central section of Glen Strathfarrar designated as a National Scenic Area. You'll pass Monar Dam and Mullardoch Dam, both the largest dams of their kind in the UK. Glen Strathfarrar contains several areas of ancient Caledonian Forest. The Scots Pines of the Caledonian Forest are directly descended from the first pines to arrive in Scotland around 7000 BC.

Glens Strathfarrar and Cannich are surrounded by high mountains, including four munros which stand between them. Rivers Cannich and Farrar are outflows of Lochs Mullardoch and Monar. Farther down, these rivers join forces with River Glass to create the mighty River Beauly, which will carry you down to Aigas gorge; one of the most scenic sections of our trail.

The name of the trail is a mix of Scottish and Persian language (in Persian, 'ha' is the plural suffix).

DISTANCE

DIFFICULTY

RIDABLE

DAYS

ASCENT

114.5mi

22.5mi

(184-km)

(36.3 km)

7700'

(2347m)

advanced

3-4

75%

RAFTINGS

(timewise)

DOWNLOAD GPX

DIFFICULTY

The Glenha Bikerafting Trail is rated Advanced. The trail has 2,347m of climbing with a max. gradient of 23.6%. There is a short section of hike-a-bike and there are some lengthy sections of pushing. The trail will take you to remote locations. The trail has long sections of rafting which require good technical ability and physical fitness.

The Dams

Mullardoch Dam Is the largest concrete gravity dam in the UK. Monar Dam is the largest arch dam in the UK.

Falls of Glomach

One of the most magnificent waterfalls in Scotland, with a single drop of 113m 370 ft. Glomach is also known as being one of the most remote waterfalls in Scotland (to get to the waterfall and back requires a 20+ miles walk from the nearest road). With this route taking you through Glen Elchaig, this is your best opportunity to visit this waterfall: from the Iron Lodge, cycle southwest for 1.24 miles through the glen until you reach another lodge called Carnach, take the single track on your left for 1.36 miles to walk to the falls.

The Munros

This route is a great opportunity to climb some of Scotland's more difficult-to-reach munros, which otherwise have very long walks in and out. Beinn Fhionnlaidh, Carn Eige and Mam Sodhail are highly recommended.

There is no shortage of good spots for camping. Four that I recommend are:

41.5-mile by Loch Monar

54.80-mile in Glen Elchaig near Iron Lodge.

(Iron Lodge is an abandoned lodge. The building is in a deteriorating condition and seems quite unsafe).

60-mile by Loch Mullardoch

89.7-mile small peninsula in River Beauly

There are also two campsites in Cannish (opening hours vary around the year).

Bikerafting knowledge is necessary.

This trail is only possible with a pack-raft.

Scottish Outdoor Access Code

“Access rights extend to non-motorised water-based activities, such as canoeing, rafting, rowing and sailing. Make sure that the river, loch or reservoir is appropriate for your activity and the numbers involved, take care not to interfere unreasonably with other interests and avoid going close to water intakes, abstraction points or spillways.”

Put-ins and Take-outs

The map shows you the rough points where you can put in or take out your raft. You may need to have a look for the best spot, which may be different to what is shown on the map due to the changing nature of the lochs’ sides and the rivers' lefts and rights. For the take-out of River Beauly, I have marked a few points on the river's right where you can take out your raft.

Mullardoch Dam Overflow slipways

The closest distance you get to the dam and its power station following the route is one mile, which is a very safe distance. Getting too close to the dam, especially when the water level is high, can be very dangerous.

Wild Life Protection and Safety

Kilmorack Community Council has a sign in Aigas Power Station car park asking paddlers to avoid the gorge from 1st of March to 15th of August. This is to protect the gorge’s wildlife, particularly nesting birds such as ospreys. (Canoeing adventure organisers in the area follow these restrictions only until mid-May).

Bikerafting of the Aigas Gorge

Aigas Gorge is a very popular location for paddlers with regular kayaking and canoeing adventures going through it but there are a couple of things to note. You must remember that after entering the gorge, the only spot for take-out is 100m to the Aigas Dam and Power Station. The power station has a sign near the dam warning paddlers of “Extreme Increase in Surface Currents” that “May Occur At Any Time.” (I have marked this spot on the map). I have also marked a couple of take-out spots which you could take before entering the gorge, if you wish to.

SEPA Water Level Data

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency is in charge of monitoring and recording water levels on lochs, rivers and coastlines. Water levels for River Glass are collected regularly from stations Fasnakyle and Kerrow Wood. For River Beauly they are collected by stations Erchless and Red Bridge.

By checking the SEPA website you will be able to monitor the water levels around the date of your trip. It is good practice to check each station individually in the days leading up to your trip. The lowest and highest levels on record for Rivers Beauly and Glass recorded at these stations are as follows;

Beauly@Erchless; Low: 0.91m, High: 4.461m

Beauly@Red Bridge; Low:0.189m, High: 3.571m

Glass@Fasnakyle; Low: 0.174m, High: 2.816m

Glass@Kerrow Wood; Low: 0.435m, High: 3.116m

Deer Management

Stalking and fencing are the main deer management methods currently used in Scotland. Red deer stag (male) stalking currently takes place between 1st July and 20th October, with increasing activity from August. The first three weeks of October are the busiest time of the stag stalking season and a key period of the year to achieve reductions in deer numbers. Red deer hind (female) stalking takes place from 21st October to 15th February, with the end of the season often being a key period when deer managers work hard to achieve their cull targets. General advice for visiting the hills during this period is to plan ahead and pay close attention to signage on arrival and throughout your visit and use established roads and tracks. The Ten Peaks Trail only uses established routes.

Stage 1: Inverness to Iron Lodge (90km)
Glenha Bikerafting Trail starts in Station Square in Inverness. After cycling through the streets of Inverness and crossing River Ness and the Caledonian Canal, you will join a track (which is mostly single-track) that takes you to Newtonhill. From here you are on a rural paved road for 7km before turning onto the A833 and coming to the village of Kiltarlity. From Kiltarlity, you’ll take a paved road for 12.5km before making it to Struy. After crossing River Farrar, turn left onto Glenstrathfarrar Road which takes you through the glen all the way to the Monar Dam and Loch Monar over paved and hard-packed gravel. From the dam, you will ride 11km on a 70% rideable single-track by the side of Loch Monar to your first put-in spot. Here you have a 1.25km crossing of Loch Monar which brings you to the beginning of a coffin road. Now you have 4.5km of gravel, then a single-track that lasts for 5.5km before joining a double-track. This double-track passes Loch Mhoicean and will take you all the way to Glen Elchaig and Iron Lodge. The descent to Glen Elchaig has a breathtaking view. If you want to visit the Fall of Glomach, take the diversion at Iron Lodge.

Stage 2: Iron Lodge to Cannich (36.5km)

This section starts with a push up the side of Càrn na Breabaig. You then have a mix of riding and pushing for 6.5km to Glen Cannich and the Loch Mullardoch put-in (which is after the crossing of Amhain a’ Choilich). If you would like to climb some of the Munros, this is a good spot to camp to do these.

Now get ready for your 11.6km rafting of Loch Mullardoch. After your take-out and 1km of gravel, you will be on Glencannich Road (paved) for 15km which brings you to Cannich.

Stage 3: Cannich to Inverness (55.5km)
At Cannich, find the put-in spot marked on the map and prepare for your 23.3km rafting of River Glass and River Beauly to Aigas Gorge (find additional info about rafting Aigas Gorge in the Things to Know section). After entering the Aigas Gorge the only take-out spot is within 100m of Aigas Dam. Take out & pack your raft here & cycle for 3km on the A831 to Kilmorack Junction. Turn left here, cross over Black Bridge & cycle 3.9km to reach Rosebridge.

If you decide not to go through the gorge, there are take-out spots at Eskadale Church and another shortly after, which are all marked on the map. From these take-out spots, you can join a paved road and cycle 4.7km to rejoin the trail at Rosebridge.

Shortly after Rosebridge you’ll be in Kiltarlity, you will then be retracing your steps/wheels over 26km of mostly paved road back to Inverness.

Trail Created by Nima Khorshidi

As I was trying to come up with a route that travels through the North West of the Highlands, parallel to Glen Affric, I noticed that existing trails disappear and don’t make it to the other side of the hills or if they do, this comes at the cost of pushing and carrying your bike for hours. It was then that I packed my raft.

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