Strathaven High Kype Training Run Cycle Route

This is a route me and my mate Mike use in the evenings after work for a quick blast, its 50/50 up and down, good roads and well kept fire roads so i'll give it a 3 on the difficulty scale.

The fire roads have been put in recently for access to the forest so are not on o/s yet, but there is only one route, from which you cant go wrong!

You can also do this route from either clockwise or anti clockwise directions, these directions are from a clockwise point of view.

1: Head up lesmahago road, over the bridge at the river avon, round the bend and take the ash track on your left after the brewery.

2: Follow this track to its end in sandford, take a right turn at the t junc, straight over the cross roads, up the hill to the next cross roads, take a left and head to the next t junction.

3: Take a left here and follow this road to its end, take a right at this junction, you will pass a farm (castlebrocket) on your right, pass through some bends, past a private driveway, then take a right into the next back road that leads up to a farm.

4: Follow this road, you cannot go wrong on it, ride up the hill, right hand bend past a farm on your left, heading downhill through some bends, over a cattle grid at the top of a small climb, through a farm where the road goes sharp left, over a cattle grid, travel 300-50 yds downhill, you will see a slightly overgrown fire road on your right.

5: Take this fire road, it doubles back slightly, after 150 yds, cross over a gate and continue along this road, it is about 2.5-3 miles, all in forest, you will pass through a tree tunnel, with a huge pit at the end on your right, shortly after this you will come back into open land, where the fire road takes and obvious sharp turn to the right with the old road visible as a left turn, take this right turn and follow to its conclusion at a gate with a small group of houses over the way.

6: Once though the gate, youre back on the road, through the houses, ride the road to the first junction at the old house, take the right up the hill past some houses on your left, follow to its conclusion to a t junction, turn right, ride 150-200 yds, take a left down a dirt track at some houses, down, then up to a crossroads.

7: Straight over here, down to a small hamlet called "priestgill" as you get to the end of the road, you will see a small set of garages on your left, shortly after i front of a house on the left, a small downhill opening, take this and the short trail will deliver you to a small iron bridge called the "shoogly brig"

8: Cross the Shoogly brig across the avon and turn the obvious right onto a track with a KILLER technical climb.....Climb it!
Through the gate at the top, straight on and onto the road.

9: Turn right, onto the road, follow to the bend, bear left at the houses and follow this road into town, its conclusion will bring you out at the fire station.