Cairngorm crackers — mountain biking deep in the Highlands

If you want true solitude, true wilderness and true mountain experiences in the UK, and you're coming (as most will be) from the south, your safest bet is to head north, and then north and finally north some more. Then head a little east, and eventually you'll find yourself in the Cairngorms mountain range.

For mountain biking, in sheer scale and scope, there's nowhere to rival the Cairngorm range in the UK. Indeed, for potential height gain, potential distance and potential weather experiences the region is unique, but the rewards are similarly colossal. Originally much higher and more forbidding, ice ages and weather have eroded the mountains to relative stumps in comparison to their previous glory - but they're still pretty forbidding. And of course, the somewhat more rolling shape affords many more exquisite possibilities for mountain biking.

There are no roads through the range; it's approached by skirting it from the south, or from the north; likely as not you'll find yourself on one of the settlements on the River Spey. The prime location is probably Aviemore. It's the most developed, and the town with the most facilities for tourists - although this can mean it gets busy, even in the summer. There's a train station, lots of accommodation options and plenty of outdoor shops and bike hire places. But although it's busy, as soon as you head more than a mile or two into the hills things become markedly more quiet.

Other alternative places stay include Kingussie (which also has a train station) to the south and Grantown to the north. They're both a little smaller, but they all offer suitable amenities to bikers - and of course, they all have excellent mountain biking opportunities on their doorsteps.

And what opportunities they are! From the quiet loch side pottering around Loch Gynack just north of Kingussie to the preposterously epic Lairig Ghru or the summits of Two to Five (which denotes the second, third, fourth and fifth highest peaks in Scotland) there's something here for everyone, but especially for those with a mind for real, honest to goodness isolated mountain riding.

Especially on those longer rides, there will inevitably be occasions when you'll need to carry your bike; make no mistake, these Tours aren't for the faint of heart, and it's essential that you follow proper mountain safety procedures. Take extra clothing, appropriate equipment, download offline maps (but make sure to take paper ones as backups), take a first aid kit and emergency rations and know where you are at all times. The weather can be extremely changeable, especially on the tops, so leave information about your route with someone - even if it's someone at a local bike shop or cafe, it's better to be safe than sorry. And the bothy shelters which can be found in the area - originally shelters for rangers and gamekeepers - have saved many lives in the past.

The weather is a key issue in the Cairngorms - they have experienced the highest winds ever in Britain (176mph, 283kph) in the winter of 1993 and temperatures as cold as -27℃ have been recorded. A lot of riding happens higher up on the plateau - but this should be avoided if the weather is poor; there are many more fantastic opportunities further down the valleys which don't offer nearly as much exposure.

But for all this doom-mongering, the Cairngorms can offer a variety of unique and glorious experiences you'll be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the world, let alone the UK. Make adequate preparations, plan properly and you'll be rewarded with two-wheeled adventures that you'll never forget!