Merely an extension to your stride? Getting around Glen Tromie and beyond using a bike.

From what I recall Lord MacKay gave a ruling on the challenging of cyclists using Glen Tilt just a short distance from  these Glens.  He stated, in his judgement,  that the cycle was not a vehicle but using one was merely an extension to your own stride...must have been sometime in the nineteenth century?

But the same Glen was the scene of an earlier confrontation when Botanists were refused access to the Glen.  The Scottish Rights of way Society sorted out that little problem.  

  The old barracks at Ruthven close to Kingussie that I cycled past to reach the Turn off at Tromie bridge to gain entry to Glen Tromie. Before the Barracks were built there was a stronghold for the Comyns.

Apparently the troops based at the barracks followed a diagonal path from here to bypass the earlier section of the current way into the Glen....Information at the Tromie bridge turn off for reaching both the Minigaig and the route trough to the A9.

Glen Tromie lends itself to the use of an off-road cycle to reach many of the attractions to be found in the area. A quiet area with only the occasional estate vehicle to meet while cycling here.  I can't recall reaching anywhere in the glen, over the years, other than with the aid of a bike.

An early part of the Glen with Croidh-la left of the track and a fine renovated wall.

Some hard woods at the base of Croidh la where it meets the track

One of a few fine houses in the Glen.

Several renovated at the old farm at Killiehuntly that are probably rented out to visitors.

A tasteful restoration of these old buildings

Life here in a past age....between Lynaberack and the river.

Lynaberack.

The Footbridge at Dailriach has been damaged...no crossing here.

However the ford below Bhran Cottage now has a vehicle bridge.

Meall Chuaich could be reached from here and a Corbett that of Meallach Mhor is easily reached from near here.

Bhran cottage....I remember this building as the place where the vehicle was kept to take beaters onto the slopes of Meall Chuaich for the grouse.  I think that Tromie is no longer a sporting estate.

A cyclist heading down the Glen.

The track heading up to a wee dam and access to the Minigaig Pass one of the several glens used for over seven hundred years to walk cattle from the North down to the markets in the South.

In part the Tromie is a kind of parallel Glen to the Feshie with both the Minigaig and the ancient Comyns so called 'road' in between the two.  

The Black Officers memorial near to Gaick Lodge.  He apparently did not have a good reputation in Badenoch. He perished in an avalanche from the slopes above along with others.

Yesterdays conditions were in contrast to the end of winter found thirty years ago. Now a plaque on the base of the stone giving information of the person and the avalanche at the end of the year of 1799.

The Hydro dam at the Northern end of Loch an t-Seilich that is more that a barrage also the intake to the tunnel taking water from here under the Munro Meal Cuaich to Loch Cuaich.

There is a small Hydro station close to  loch Cuaich then afterwards the water reaches Loch Ericht by way of a canal like structure then onto more electric generation at Rannoch and beyond.

The approach to Gaick Lodge.

 Loch an t-Seilich.

Loch Bhrodainn from Sron Bhuirich.

Several streams have to be crossed that are easy to deal with on a summer day.

A look back to Loch Bhrodainn.

Does anyone know who Domingo was?

Above Loch an Duin a path can be followed to reach Sronphadruig.

Looking back from near to where the fine wee path joins the estate track.

During my day out I met two camping bikers heading towards Tromie bridge, two anglers heading to Loch an Duin and in the distance a walker decending from An Dun and of course estate folks getting on with work in Glen Tromie and not forgetting the 'wall building folks' restoring and maybe extending the walls in Tromie. 

Sronphadruig Lodge ….this image and the one of the Black Officers stone were taken on the earliest trip through the Glens when first the off road Muddy Foxes became available.

We cycled up from Dalnacardoch to get to the two Corbetts on either side of the Loch an Duin before the days of off road bikes.

The Lodge at Sronphadruig as seen at the end of June 2019.

A look back to the two Corbetts above Loch an Duin….....An Dun and Maol Creag an Loch.

From here the dualled part of the A9 can quickly be reached where the turn off for the minor road to Trinafour is at Dalnacardoch.

Now after a grand day out all that remains to be done is to pedal back to the Wildlife Park entrance.

For me a bit of a disorganised day with the essentials that should have been in my sack...a cap with a brim, a water bottle and no sun-cream.  I had not intended to travel all the way to the A9 but having reached the area around Gaick Lodge ….the weather and the lure of getting deeper into the terrain was too much to resist...…..well at least I could get a cold drink in Dalwhinnie.

The Lifting Stone in Dalwhinnie.  The rounded granite one must be elsewhere when this image was taken however the one with the quartz St.Andrew's cross is interesting.