The first waymarked trails in the UK dedicated to gravel riding have opened in Scotland.

Three new routes in the heart of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park start and finish in the picturesque village of Aberfoyle and have been created to promote the area as Scotland's premier gravel cycling destination.

The 10km, 20km, 30km waymarked routes venture deep into the Loch Ard Forest, exploring the areas surrounding Loch Ard and Loch Chon.  The routes have been designed to encourage more cyclists, everyone from families with an appetite for more relaxed off-road adventures to weekend warriors keen on longer distance challenges, to experience the joys and thrills of gravel riding in the area.

Aberfoyle - located on the edge of The Trossachs within easy reach of Stirling, Glasgow, Perth and Edinburgh - has become a hotspot for Gravel Riding. Within just a 12km radius of the village there is a network of over 200km of off-road, multi-surface forestry tracks and trails, gravel roads and paths in stunningly beautiful countryside.

“We have seen a definite increase in outdoor, active tourism in the area over the last few years, with cycling leading that change,” said Enda McLoughlin, Chair for Bike Trossachs CIC behind the initiative.

“We are harnessing this success, providing beautiful and safe routes for locals and tourists to explore the Loch Ard Forest.”