Many things make a Breeze ride special – the warm welcome and friendly atmosphere, the camaraderie of cycling with like-minded women, experiencing the joys and thrills of riding a bike, and enjoying a tasty coffee and treat at the café stop. Special mention must go to route choice, and the organisation and planning that goes into this. Our Breeze Champions are volunteers who dedicate their time, not only to leading rides, but also to risk assessing and recceing the routes, seeking routes that are fun, accessible and safe.
While what makes a good route can mean different things to different riders, our favourite Breeze routes often involve a beautiful view, a conveniently located café stop, and, where possible, quiet roads and accessible cycle paths.
In celebration of ten years of Breeze in Scotland, we asked our volunteer Breeze Champions and the women who come on the rides to tell us about their favourite routes. Here, we share ten favourites.
South West
Shirley McIntosh, Ayrshire
My favourite route is going up the Corraith Road, through Symington, down the Kerrix Road back into Troon. The views you get over to Arran are super and the colours of the gorse & other plants are lovely
Tracy Moynihan, Ayrshire
Breeze around Alloway along the shore, up by Greenan castle and through the new sensory garden tunnel where murals have started to appear, through Rozelle and Belleisle parks and back to the shore. There are lovely coffee stops in the cafes at either park.
Bev Kaye, Dumfries and Galloway
One of our favourite rides around Wigtown, especially in the springtime, takes us alongside the wartime airfield of RAF Baldoon and to the site of a haunted castle, Baldoon Castle, situated in the grounds of a farmyard near the airfield. Here, we can see the Galloway Hills in the near distance, where the planes used to take off towards. The route crosses the disused railway line from Portpatrick to Newton Stewart twice and leads us down into the picturesque Mulberry Harbour village of Garlieston, where we stop for a café break, looking out over the WWII testing harbour for the D-Day landings.
On the way down to Garlieston, we cycle along the most haunted road in the Machars, which enters a stretch of trees folding over our heads, forming a tunnel. It is alleged that a small girl in a white Victorian-style pinafore dress walks out in front of cars and disappears into the woods at the side of the road. Finally, on the way home, we visit Sorbie Tower, which is owned by the Clan Hannay. Regular medieval reenactments and banqueting events take place here, including waterfalls of poppies from the tower’s windows on Remembrance Day. It really is a lovely ride, and we’re lucky to have so much history on our doorstep.
East
Carole Paterson, Aberdeenshire
My favourite route is Westhill to Banchory for coffee and back. This route is really popular with all the women and always has a waiting list in the summer months. There are a choice of coffee stops there, but I like Ride Cafe as it has the best cakes, in my opinion. The route is relatively flat for the area but has great scenery and very quiet roads. It’s suitable for beginners who want to go that bit further, and also experienced riders who still want the distance without the hills. To be honest, there are actually a couple of climbs, however I always chat when we get to them so people don’t notice!
Kirsteen Ross, Perth and Kinross
My favourite route is around the rolling foothills of the Ochil Hills in Kinross-Shire, which are right on my doorstep. The Ochils offer many options for progression, from very manageable gradual slopes to build confidence, to slightly steeper ramps for those ready for a little more challenge.
Of course, there are also very steep options available, but we leave these out of Breeze rides and know these sections are something to aspire to in our own time. Each route around this extensive network of paths woven into the hillside offers something different each time we ride, especially with the changing seasons.
Angela Cantali, Dundee
My favourite route is by far my “Easy Carrot Hill” route. it gets you to the top of the infamous Carrot Hill, and the bragging rights that go along with saying you cycled up to the top – without having to go all the way up the long steep way!
South East
Pauline Capaldi, Edinburgh
My favourite route is any ride that takes in the Roseburn path as it is beautiful all year round and is an oasis whilst close to the City Centre. It is the gateway to so many areas including South Queensferry, Cramond, Silverknowes, Granton, Leith, Portobello, Ocean Terminal, and Stockbridge, to name a few!
Jan Riley, Edinburgh
My favourite route is one that I led on during the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling which I have named ’South Queensferry and Seafronts’. It is a favourite because the Breezers who have joined me on this route really like it! Also, it covers quite a good distance off road and on some lovely tree lined old railway lines. Plus, there are some good views of the iconic Forth rail bridge.
North
Annie Forwood, Highland
Loggers Trail from Inverdruie to Glenmore. Leaving the carpark at Inverdruie, follow the cycle path parallel to the road, turn right onto Loggers Trail, an undulating route, all the way to Glenmore. The trail is parallel to the road until Badaguish, where you enter the Glenmore Forest trails. This trail gives amazing views of the Cairngorm Mountain range as well as the majestic Loch Morloch. There are various ways to return to Inverdruie from here. An out and back trip is approximately 10 miles. There are three cafes at Glenmore and the Reindeer Centre.
West and Central
Julie Edwards, Falkirk
I really like the route between the Kelpies and Culross, which is about a 20-mile round trip. Helix Park is a great place to start a ride; there is plenty of parking, and it is easy to get to. It is always great to see the Kelpies, and we can cycle along a short section of towpath and then join quiet country lanes to ride to Kincardine Bridge. We get great views of the three bridges at Queensferry on the way.
After crossing Kincardine Bridge, we get onto cycle paths that follow the Forth and go through woodland. Along the way, we can see lots of bird life, especially when the tide is out, and get great views over the water. Culross is a really pretty village that has been made very popular by the Outlander series. There are two great cafes (Bessies and Biscuit) to choose from once we get there, and there are lots of photo opportunities.
Find out more about Breeze and search for a ride in your area here.
Interested in joining our volunteer team? Find out more here.
If you have any questions or want to discuss your interest in Breeze in more detail, please email: [email protected]