COAST TO COAST - NORTH ROUTE
Your riding ability
On our long distance rides we will be travelling many miles a day in the saddle, riding up and down hills and over rough terrain so you must be capable of riding in a balanced manner for your horses sake! Our horses health and happiness is always a priority to us and because of the long days in the saddle, we require all riders to be competent in riding with a light seat (i.e posting the trot and light seat in canter) to minimise stress on the horses back. We will be crossing rivers, galloping along beaches and may need to jump small natural obstacles, like ditches or fallen trees - nothing too big, but you need to be a capable rider and able to control a horse at speed. It is also important that you are practised in leading a horse over difficult terrain as there may be times when this is necessary. We require all our riders to be at a walk/trot/canter level.
Get to know a little about the trails and our minimum age/experience requirments
Before You Book Your Holiday
Your riding ability
On our long distance rides we will be travelling many miles a day in the saddle, riding up and down hills and over rough terrain so you must be capable of riding in a balanced manner for your horses sake! Our horses health and happiness is always a priority to us and because of the long days in the saddle, we require all riders to be competent in riding with a light seat (i.e posting the trot and light seat in canter) to minimise stress on the horses back. We will be crossing rivers, galloping along beaches and may need to jump small natural obstacles, like ditches or fallen trees - nothing too big, but you need to be a capable rider and able to control a horse at speed. It is also important that you are practised in leading a horse over difficult terrain as there may be times when this is necessary. We require all our riders to be at a walk/trot/canter level.
Get to know a little about the trails and our minimum age/experience requirments
Before You Book Your Holiday
7 days riding, 6 nights accommodation
COAST TO COAST - NORTH ROUTE
7 days riding, 6 nights accommodation
COAST TO COAST - NORTH ROUTE
7 days riding, 6 nights accommodation
MAR LODGE TO AVIEMORE
4 days riding, 3 nights accomodation
Riding Difficulty: Intermediate (click for more information)
Approximate Distance Covered: 60 Miles
The listed price includes accomodation and meals (B, L, D). Please note, this route requires that all riders must be able to ride at walk, trot, canter and gallop. Terrain can sometimes be boggy or steep and guests may have to lead their own horse periodically. Riders are encourage to help out with the morning routine of catching, feeding, grooming and saddling the horses for the day.
This ride is perfect for those who want to get a taste of what riding in the Cairngorms is like! Due to the popularity of our longer Cairngorms holidays, we have created a perfect 4 day route to show those of you who only have a few days to spare some incredible views in this vast and varied landscape. This trip is ideal for those looking for a short break jam packed with adventure and amazing scenery.
Day One
Mar Lodge circuit: 15 Miles
We start our ride by exploring some of the stunning around Mar Lodge - a 19th century sporting lodge set on an idyllic estate of over 29,000 hectares.This is an incredibly beautiful area with so many sights to see so we decided to spend a day relaxing, getting to know our ponies and exploring this beautiful, remote location. The wild beauty of the Cairngorms unfolds around us as we begin to explore Britain's largest national nature reserve with a stunning 15 Munros, endless heathered moors, Caledonian pine forest and a wonderland of Scottish wildlife.
Day Two
Mar Lodge to Tomintoul: 20 Miles
Here the real adventure begins as we say goodbye to Mar Lodge on the banks of the Dee and begin our climb to the remote heathery hills in the distance. The track leads higher and higher and soon we are rewarded with phenomenal views over the hills to the crags of the famous Lochnagar and beyond. You have a real feel of true wilderness and it isn't unusual for us to have this wild and remote landscape to ourselves. After crossing open moorland we descend into Glen Avon and follow the river to the village of Tomintoul, the highest village in the Highlands.
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Day Three
Tomintoul to Glenmore: 18 Miles
Leaving Tomintoul behind, we continue our journey into the hills again, this time following an old drove route. Our trail takes us through rivers and streams before we find ourselves riding through a steep sided pass. We reach the forest of Abernethy nature reserve, a great place to keep an eye out for red squirrels, capercaille and osprey. We reach the Ryvoan pass with its myserious deep green fairy lochan and twisted Scot's pine trees before emerging from the forest at Glenmore where we leave the horses for the night. We drive to our accomodation at Aviemore for the night.
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Day Four
Glen More to Inshriach: 10 Miles
We ride through the forests of beautiful Rothiemurchus estate beside Loch Morlich, exploring beautiful native Caledonian pine forest with its sprawling Scots pines and heathery undergrowth. We are surrounded by the shadows of big hills and pass beautiful lochs along our trail. We take a small and winding lochside trail through the heather and emerge in a forest where we will get some good canters before saying goodbye to our horses.
Price: 1465 GBP
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Price based on sharing a twin or double room - single rooms may be available (but cannot be guaranteed) at an extra cost. Single supplement is £180. If you are travelling alone and willing to share a room, you do not need to pay a single supplement as we often have other riders doing the same who are happy to keep costs down by sharing with another lone traveller of the same sex and wherever possible we try to match sharers by age etc too. Payment can be made by cheque, bank transfer or credit/debit card via PayPal below. Please contact us if you require our bank details for transfer.
Please email or phone us to check availability on the ride before paying deposits.
