Summary
This route combines great off-road cycling with a fabulous quiet road with rewarding views, featuring parts of the Cateran Trail.
Scottish Outdoor Access Code: Know the code before you go
Please use the arrows on left/right side to go to previous/next route.
You can download our booklet, From Deep Time To Our Time, Cycling Across The Cateran Ecomuseum here.
Route Stats
Suitable for: Gravel and mountain bikes
Total Distance: 18.3 km
Total Ascent: 290 m
Terrain: A mixture of tracks, paths and quiet roads
Access: Some gates (which can be avoided)
Route Category: Straightforward
Riding Time: 2 - 3 hrs
Start/Finish: Kirkton of Glenisla Village Hall
OS Grid Ref: NO 21403 60404
Nearest Parking: At the start
Key Facilities on Route: Kirkton of Glenisla (accommodation, restaurant)
OS Landranger Map: 43/44/53 (or custom Cateran Ecomuseum map)
For information on local accommodation & services click here
Glenisla and Kilry Gravel Bike Trail (.GPX)
Please click on images to open slideshow.
Photographs: Markus Stitz
Route Description
The route starts at the Glenisla Village Hall, which provides car parking and picnic benches. It follows the B951 towards Kirriemuir for about 1.5 km, then following the track to the right for Whitehills and East Cammock after the East Mill House Pond. The route follows the Cateran Trail, one of Scotland’s great long distance paths, on a track to Loanhead Farm. The route turns right and climbs up Kilry Hill, where it flattens and passes a cattle grid, and peaks at the second cattle grid. It’s worth stopping here for a break as the views are spectacular.
Following the road down the Glenisla side of the hill, the route passes Auchenleish Farm and Brewlands. Turn right where it meets the B951 and back to the start in Kirkton of Glenisla, where the hotel is only 100m away from the finish for refreshments.
Find out more about some of the key Points of Interest below.
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Points to visit
Along the way you will find these points of interest:
The heart of Glenisla. Kirkton of Glenisla is an ancient farming community and little has changed over centuries in the way the land has been managed. The remains of Bronze Age and Pictish sites, small farms, shielings, and meal mills can still be...
Read more - "Kirkton of Glenisla"A popular wedding venue. The present church was built in 1821 replacing an older church known as The Blessed Virgin. This medieval church or chapel was located on the same site now occupied by the present church. It was dedicated to the Blessed...
Read more - "Glenisla Kirk"Site of an ancient well. The adjacent church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, implying a very feminine presence on this site, including this well. In Celtic times, wells, particularly those for the goddess Bridhe, would have played an important part...
Read more - "The Kirkton of Glenisla Lady Well"Built by Public Subscription in 1836. Brewlands Bridge (or Claypots Bridge) was built by public subscription in 1836. The subscriptions give a fascinating insight into the relative considered worth of the land and occupants in Glenisla at that...
Read more - "Brewlands Bridge"The oldest known bridge of its type in Scotland. Built in 1824 by engineer John Justice of Dundee as a prototype for a larger version at the Haughs of Drimmie, this bridge has a span of 19 metres and a sheep gate at one end. It is the oldest known...
Read more - "Brackny Bridge"