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Dead Rabbit Run - The Lecht Cairngorms
283 Miles
This is an excellent day trip in either direction, taking you through a wide variety of scenes, jagged highland scenery at the north most point and lush forests and valleys towards the south (with inverness in the middle if you want to stop for lunch). This has quickly become one of our favourite and most returned to day trips. The name was coined due to the abundance of roadkill we noticed on our first trip this way - perhaps not the most appealing aspect, but certainly made up for by the rest of it! We start in Ullapool but you could easily start further south and make Inverness your end point for the day if you are coming up from further South, though we still recommend trying to get in a bit of north highlands riding if you can. It also serves as an excellent detour for anyone coming up to do the NC500 proper.
The run starts in Ullapool (or Glenshee if you decide to come up from the South) and takes you first through the winding and open stretch of road between Ullapool and Inverness. Depending on the season you will often see large herds of deer roaming this area and deep purple hues of heather on either side. Of note is the dam at loch Glascarnoch which submerges the ruins of an old road, bridges and crofts.During a dry spell these occasionally re-emerge, a very interesting and unique sight if you're lucky enough to see it.
The Cairgorms are best enjoyed with some company
After passing through Inverness and a quick blast down the A9 - where you will often see red kites overhead - you will arrive at the Carrbridge for the Cairngorms leg of the journey. The Cairngorms offer some spectacular scenery, with plenty of densely wooded areas and sweeping hills. Snow and deer will again be abundant depending on the season. You could spend as much time as you wanted here as there is plenty to see, but we like to make a pilgrimage down to cock bridge for a photo to send to your favourite chum before heading to Braemar to finish at the Linn of Dee, a particularly scenic bridge and water feature that is the perfect place for a sandwich stop and a cup of coffee. Overall this is a great little run that offers a lot of the best of the highlands in one swoop. Remember to prepare for occasional showers or cold spells as you never know what you're riding into when you cover this much latitude in Scotland.
Stopping for a snack at the Linn of Dee
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