Start\/finish<\/strong> Linn of Dee
Distance<\/strong> 7 miles \/ 11km return
Time<\/strong> 1-2 hours
Terrain<\/strong> Path and Land Rover track
Map<\/strong> OS Landranger 43
Coffee & cake<\/strong> Bring your own! The Bothy in Braemar is a popular spot for post-ride refreshments<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Derry-Lodge-cycle-web-9.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1\")
The promise of hot dogs and hot chocolate at Bob Scott\u2019s bothy was more than enough to encourage the children to cycle this enchanting route in the Cairngorms. It meant I had a bit more to carry than I would usually on such a short ride, but the extra weight of stove and gas wasn\u2019t much of a hardship at this pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weather was set fair, so the glorious surroundings of the Mar Lodge Estate were at their best. The National Trust for Scotland took over the estate in 1995 and their work here has allowed the remnants of the ancient Caledonian forest to thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We spotted red squirrels and crested tits even before we\u2019d got going, though with a family of five to get ready there\u2019s no getting going quickly anyway!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was riding with the two girls, while my wife ran with the baby buggy. The route is mostly on an excellent estate track, though there were a few awkward steps as well as a section of boardwalk through the forest which we had to negotiate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the Linn of Dee car park, we followed the Glen Lui path signs to climb briefly through the pine trees before dropping down the steps and riding over the short boardwalk section to a gate. There\u2019s a great little climb after the gate before you bend right at the top for an easy section that soon meets the vehicle track, where you turn left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a straightforward cycle from here, following the clear track through the beautiful forest before it drops to cross the Lui Water by a wide bridge. As you veer left on the far bank, the view ahead opens up and you can see the high tops of the Cairngorms ahead, a dusting of snow visible on the very highest points as we enjoyed the warm sunshine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ahead, there are clear remnants of a number of old townships, with old stones arranged into rectangles and overgrown with lichens, moss and heather all that remains of the buildings that people once called home in this glen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An old wall running for quite a distance alongside the track is clearly part of the lives that were once lived here, though its purpose is less clear than its structure today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The glen is believed to have been cleared in the 1770s and is now a popular access route into the Cairngorms from the south. We soon reached the boarded-up Derry Lodge, once a grand shooting lodge and stopping-off place of Queen Victoria after her famous trip up Ben Macdui \u2013 on the back of a pony and reputedly in disguise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are now ambitious plans for the NTS to transform the derelict building into a hostel for walkers and cyclists with an outbuilding converted into public toilets to help deal with the ongoing issue of us humans not dealing with our own waste appropriately when out in the wilds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bothy is nearby, so after having a peek around the outside of the lodge, we rode a nice little path down to the river and walked along a narrow path to reach it. The bothy itself now has a septic tank toilet, flushed by a bucket of water taken from the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This simple shelter has a fascinating history. It is named after Bob Scott, who was the gamekeeper for the Mar Lodge Estate and lived at Luibeg Cottage across the water from 1947 until he retired in 1973. A wooden shed beside the cottage had been used as a shelter by walkers and climbers and Bob was happy to continue this tradition. When he retired enthusiasts persuaded the estate to keep the bothy open and helped to maintain it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, in the winter of 1986 it was accidentally burned down. A replacement bothy built further down the glen also burned down in 2003, but the Friends of Bob Scott\u2019s group raised money and built the current structure on the same spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today\u2019s bothy is a great little shelter, built of wood with stone cladding around the base in a beautiful stand of pines beside the river. It has a wood-burning stove, a porch and a sleeping platform which can apparently sleep six \u2013 though four may be a tad more comfortable in my opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That said, my girls weren\u2019t impressed. Despite the hot dogs and hot chocolate, they didn\u2019t like the rustic old chairs, dirty floor and simple accommodation. The youngest, however, took it all in his stride, grabbing the brush and sweeping the floor like he does at home \u2013 perhaps we\u2019ll be the ones enjoying more bothy trips together in future!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Refuelled and ready to go, we walked up another little path that leads up to the track and set off for an easy ride back to Linn of Dee, following the same route but this time the very gradual descent made it even more of a pleasure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" An exciting easy cycle through Glen Lui from the Linn of Dee, near Braemar, to reach a famous bothy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6004,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Cycle to Derry Lodge and Bob Scott's bothy: An exciting easy cycle through Glen Lui from the Linn of Dee, near Braemar, to reach a famous bothy","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[158],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-scottishcycling"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Derry-Lodge-cycle-web-17.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5M0xs-1zj","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6031,"url":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/2020\/08\/28\/jocks-road-to-callater-stables-bothy\/","url_meta":{"origin":6033,"position":0},"title":"Jock’s Road to Callater Stables bothy","author":"John Davidson","date":"August 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A testing cycle for the family with a break at the bothy, before an easier return through Glen Callater - a popular route with the Royals Jock's Road to Callater Stables bothyStart\/finish\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Auchallater, two miles south of Braemar on the A93 (car park, charge)Distance\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6 miles \/ 10km returnTime\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1-2\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Scottish Cycling"","block_context":{"text":"Scottish Cycling","link":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/content\/scottishcycling\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Glen-Callater-web-9.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Glen-Callater-web-9.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Glen-Callater-web-9.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Glen-Callater-web-9.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3347,"url":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/2017\/09\/24\/from-city-to-seclusion\/","url_meta":{"origin":6033,"position":1},"title":"From city to seclusion","author":"John Davidson","date":"September 24, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Bikepacking is becoming a popular way to travel through the wilds with minimal gear. John Davidson heads for the hills in the first of this two-part mountain biking adventure travelling from Inverness to Ullapool Dragging the wheels through, over and occasionally into the thick black bog, it felt like the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Active Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Active Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/content\/active-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Inverness-Ullapool-via-Glen-Beag-for-Active-30.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Inverness-Ullapool-via-Glen-Beag-for-Active-30.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Inverness-Ullapool-via-Glen-Beag-for-Active-30.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Inverness-Ullapool-via-Glen-Beag-for-Active-30.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Inverness-Ullapool-via-Glen-Beag-for-Active-30.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":492,"url":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/2010\/11\/30\/suardalan-bothy-beinn-sgritheall\/","url_meta":{"origin":6033,"position":2},"title":"Suardalan Bothy & Beinn Sgritheall","author":"John Davidson","date":"November 30, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"I spent a great but tiring weekend recently in the west with Peter Evans, staying in Suardalan Bothy in Glen More, near Sheil Bridge, then in the Kintail Lodge bunkhouse. On the Saturday we ventured up Beinn Sgritheall from its more dramatic north side, which has a much less demanding\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "John's blog"","block_context":{"text":"John's blog","link":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/content\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/Ben-Sgritheall14.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6149,"url":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/2020\/01\/17\/my-pick-of-photos-from-2019\/","url_meta":{"origin":6033,"position":3},"title":"My pick of photos from 2019","author":"John Davidson","date":"January 17, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Looking back on a few of my favourite photos and adventures from 2019.","rel":"","context":"In "John's blog"","block_context":{"text":"John's blog","link":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/content\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoPro-Cairngorms-4000ers-WEB-50.jpg?fit=1000%2C750&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoPro-Cairngorms-4000ers-WEB-50.jpg?fit=1000%2C750&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoPro-Cairngorms-4000ers-WEB-50.jpg?fit=1000%2C750&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoPro-Cairngorms-4000ers-WEB-50.jpg?fit=1000%2C750&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3398,"url":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/2017\/10\/01\/remote-route-makes-for-an-exciting-ride\/","url_meta":{"origin":6033,"position":4},"title":"Remote route makes for an exciting ride","author":"John Davidson","date":"October 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Bikepacking from Inverness to Ullapool, John Davidson concludes his coast-to-coast mountain bike trip, taking up the tale after an overnight stop at the remote Glen Beag bothy","rel":"","context":"In "Active Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Active Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/content\/active-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Inverness-Ullapool-via-Glen-Beag-for-Active-38.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Inverness-Ullapool-via-Glen-Beag-for-Active-38.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Inverness-Ullapool-via-Glen-Beag-for-Active-38.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Inverness-Ullapool-via-Glen-Beag-for-Active-38.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Inverness-Ullapool-via-Glen-Beag-for-Active-38.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2712,"url":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/2017\/02\/10\/battling-the-forces-of-nature-in-glen-feshie\/","url_meta":{"origin":6033,"position":5},"title":"Battling the forces of nature in Glen Feshie","author":"John Davidson","date":"February 10, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"In search of a walk into the wilds while the clouds hung low on the mountains and the wind would be blasting over the high tops, I found the perfect escape. 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