International cycling has been a major focus over the past year and it was thrilling to see the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships come to Scotland and especially to our doorstep.
International and home grown cycling enthusiasts experienced the beauty of Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park and Stirling and saw why they rank so high as a tourist destination. In short, the World Championships was a great success!
Now, with new and exciting Scottish cycling events and routes (road, mountain and gravel biking) in and around Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park, Cardross Estate is very fortunate to be situated at the heart of the go-to destination for Scotland’s cycling, drawing a welcome influx of visitor from near and far.
Our central Scotland position makes us the ideal events venue and holiday accommodation base, to explore these new cycling routes. And in summer 2023, Cardross was delighted to play host to a new and exciting gravel biking event; Aberfoyle Gravel Epic organised by The Glorious Gravel. This was also part of The Wild Westie gravel weekend, which connected two of the best gravel biking regions in the UK – Aberfoyle and Dunoon.
The Glorious Gravel events are a well respected and long established fixture in the gravel biking calendar in England and Europe, but last year saw their first Scottish cycling event.
“Aberfoyle is tipped by many as the UK’s premier gravel location and it is easy to see why. The gravel is forestry tracks throughout and peppered with climbs, descents and views that can only be reached by travelling under your own steam” The Glorious Gravel.
We were delighted to be seen as the perfect fit to be their first Scottish gravel biking event base, when they were looking for a venue with accommodation close to Aberfoyle and the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park.
Fantastically, due to it’s huge success and popularity Aberfoyle Gravel Epic will return bigger and better next year and once again Cardross Estate will play host on the 24th – 26th May 2024, more information to follow.
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park has always had so much to offer locals and visitors, from it’s magnificent lochs and stunning walking and road biking routes, so it’s wonderful to see a growing number embrace off road gravel biking routes, which weave through the beautiful lochs and glens.
This builds on another local established event not to be missed, Dukes Weekender (so named after the iconic Dukes Pass) which brings a carnival atmosphere to Aberfoyle. This year the Dukes Weekender is having a break, however there will be a new event on 11th May called The Grand Old Dukes and promises a brand new monster route, predominantly off-road. There is also the Gravelfoyle 10 (14th & 15th September 2024).
These events guarantee to reward those participating with open vistas and panoramic views of our iconic lochs and mountains and of course, excellent riding.
