The Badger Divide: Complete Route Guide and GPX
Route by Stuart Allan
The Heart of Highlands
Traversing some of the country's most impressive and diverse landscapes, the Badger Divide has quickly established itself as one of the UK’s premier bikepacking routes. Roughly 200 miles of flowing gravel, it serves as a rugged, off-road artery stitched together to connect the Highland capital of Inverness with the urban cultural hub of Glasgow.
The journey begins in the shadows of the mountains, in the UK’s northernmost city. From here, the route heads south, linking a historic tapestry of globally renowned walking paths, iconic 18th-century military roads, winding singletrack, and forgotten backroads. While the terrain is diverse, every mile is carefully curated to be accessible on a gravel bike.
Forging a path through some of Scotland’s most dramatic and isolated landscapes, riders should expect challenging mountain passes, world-famous lochs and the best gravel riding in the UK through Scotland’s wild heart. It is a route of constant highlights, showcasing a true cross-section of the very best the Scottish Highlands has to offer — from the ancient Caledonian pine forests to the vast, open plateaus of the interior.
Ending in the cultural hub of Glasgow, the ride provides striking contrast, bridging the gap between total isolation and Scotland’s largest city, offering some of the UK’s finest riding, world-class wild-camping, and a deep sense of adventure with start and end points easily accessible by rail.
The Route
Route Highlights
The Great Glen Way
Along the shores of Loch Ness, The Great Glen Way is a tough challenge going in either direction. Due to the tough climbs, personally I think is the hardest section of the entire route, although with several towns and villages alongside the loch, it is one of the best sections for resupply options.
Rannoch Moor
Loch Rannoch, Corrour and Ossian make up the heart of the ride. Riding in either direction this area is truly special, from wide open moorland to incredible lochside gravel roads. The pub at Corrour Station has been an oasis to many riders over the years, I would recommend to everyone riding the Badger to stop at least just for some food.
Corrieyairack Pass
One of my favourite sections of the route, but for some it's their most hated few miles of the whole ride. The climb seems to go on forever and I've heard of riders tackling it over two days. There is a bothy mid-climb so splitting the climbing over two days definitely a good option if you're not a fan of big hills and check the forecast so you’ve got an idea of what you’ll find at the top.
Aberfoyle
The Queen Elizabeth Forest Park and Aberfoyle have become a gravel destination in recent years with various events and races under these pines. The gravel roads are fast and winding which makes a welcome change after some of the slower, more open and exposed scenery further north.
Accommodation & Camping
There's plenty accomodation options along the route but what to choose depends a lot on how many miles you intend to ride each day. The route has a ton of hotels, hostels and B&Bs as well as campsites and a couple bothies. The bothies are really close together so staying in both isn't practical for most riders. The hostel at Loch Ossian is a great stopping over point. A truly historic Scottish hostel and only a short distance away from the pub at Corrour.
Personally I've always preferred to ride the Badger with a bivvy bag, choosing to stop wherever felt right at the time. While it’s not for everyone, for me having that flexibility takes the stress out of making reservations. The rustic Kilvrecht campsite on the south side of Loch Rannoch is another special place, if you're travelling with a tent I would recommend staying the night.
Logistics & Planning
One of the main advantages of riding between Glasgow and Inverness is that both cities have major train and bus links, which makes riding in either direction easier than some other bikepacking routes around. The route comes close to the main Highland railway line regularly as you snake your way down the country, so if you end up having to bail it should be easy enough to get back to civilisation. But getting a bike reservation for the train is essential!
Resupply Points
Although the route passes through some remote areas, there is a ton of options for resupply. The longest stretch between shops is Fort Augustus to Loch Rannoch. Strictly speaking the shop at Kinlochrannoch is off route but only by a mile or so but it's worth the detour if you're desperate.
There's very few bike shops along the route so pack everything you'll potentially need. You'll find a few options in Inverness as well as general outdoor stores like Tiso and Alpkit. The next shop with be in Aberfoyle and then again as you close in on Glasgow at Killearn Country Cycles. If you're in a pickle you can go off route at Loch Laggan and get some essentials at Laggan Wolftrax.
Scottish Outdoor Access Code
If you're planning to wild camp along the way please check out the outdoor access code. A lot of the route passes through estate ground so please don't sleep in anything that's obviously an estate building close to any of their properties.
Scotland’s outdoors are open to everyone for recreation and education under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. These access rights apply to most land and water, provided they are used responsibly — respecting others’ privacy, safety, livelihoods, and the environment. While bikepacking routes like this are a fantastic use of these access rights, it’s imperative that we respect the key principles it’s built upon. For more information visit: www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot