Moto Ride Routes - The Freedom Trail

Our route begins in Cumbernauld, conveniently, at the Tim Horton's to the West of the town centre - so feel free to stock up on hot drinks and sugary snacks before you set off.

Our route begins on the B8048, heading North through Auchinstarry and Kilsyth before reaching Tak-Me-Doon Road - which winds North towards Carron Bridge. Remember to be mindful of the surface conditions along this stretch of road, as they are not always ideal.

Continue straight ahead across the junction when you reach the intersection with the B818 - the road may not look initially inviting, however the quality improves and the skies open shortly after joining the carriageway.

Once you pass over the first bridge at Buckie Burn, keep an eye out to your right for Loch Coulter - a rather unassuming body of water, fed by the vast quantity of burns that run throughout the area.

Continue along this stretch until you reach New Line Road on the way into Whins of Milton.

You will enter Whins of Milton on a side road - turn right onto Fairhill Road, and then a left shortly after to get onto the A872, one of the main thoroughfares into Stirling.

We aren't on the A872 for long however, as we're taking the first left once you join the road, heading into the Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre. The site is expansive, and has a paved walkway out towards the Battle of Bannockburn Monument, and subsequently a Statue of Robert the Bruce. This is a great opportunity to stretch off and get into a good headspace before heading off to visit more iconic historical sites.

From the monument, you have excellent views of the rolling fields where the battle took place, and plenty of places to sit on the grass and have a wee drink of juice (weather permitting).

When you've seen everything, hop back on the bike and take a left back onto the A872, heading towards Stirling itself.

Continue along the A872 through St Ninians until you join the A9 at Burghmuir Road - where you will arrive at the Craigs Roundabout.

Take the first exit, heading uphill towards Wellgreen Road and then taking a right through Stirling's town centre on Port Street. Follow the single-route traffic control system until you reach the Albert Halls on your right, where you will be turning uphill on Corn Exchange Road. From here, the road towards the castle is fairly self-explanatory. Continue your journey uphill onto Castle Wynd until you reach Stirling Castle at the very top.

Here you will encounter another, smaller, statue of our pal Robert the Bruce - set against sprawling hills and unrivalled views of Stirling and the River Forth. Even if you do not intend to visit the castle itself, this stop is worth it for the view alone.

The oldest part of Stirling Castle was built in 1496 for King James IV, and is very appropriately named the King's Old Building. The newest of the four main buildings is the Chapel Royal, commissioned in 1594 by James VI - making it one of Scotland's oldest and best preserved historic structures.

Leaving the Castle, we continue downhill towards our next location. Take extra care on Stirling's cobbled streets, especially in the wet. Keep the speed low you'll be back onto smooth tarmac in no time.

Follow Castle Wynd downhill as it turns into the one-way on Broad Street, and then take a left onto St Mary's Wynd towards the roundabout at Union Street. 

Cross straight over Customs Roundabout and over New Stirling Bridge - look to your left to see the original bridge, which still stands proud to this day. Follow Causewayhead Road to the roundabout at the William Wallace pub, taking the second exit uphill towards the Wallace Monument.

You can still get a lot out of the Monument without going inside - which is often overbooked, but very worthwhile. The walk towards the monument is unregulated, so feel free to make the climb to the top of the hill for some stunning panoramic views of the countryside. Note that flying drones in the area is banned - if you have one, save your batteries for another location.

Once you've had a look around, head back down the way you came in, this time taking the third exit at the roundabout towards the University and Bridge of Allan.

Continue along this road until you reach the roundabout at the foot of the A9. Take the second exit onto the B824 - keeping an eye out to your right for our next landmark, The Sir David Stirling memorial.

Sir David Stirling founded the Special Air Service, also known as the SAS - and the memorial was erected in 2002 to commemorate both his work and members of the SAS who lost their lives in active service.

The memorial is set against the stunning backdrop of Stirling's hills, and similarly to our other locations, offers incredible views of the surrounding landscape.

The memorial is an excellent place to stop and take in Stirling's beauty, whilst taking a moment of remembrance for fallen soldiers. When you're finished at the memorial, continue West along the B824 towards Doune.

Doune is as far north as this route will take us - as we begin the journey south again upon reaching the A84 at the Bridge of Teith. Follow the A84 south until your reach an offshoot to the right onto the B8075, leading onto the A811.

From here, the route takes some rural roads which we have touched in previous ride routes, through Kippen and Fintry on the Crow Road. At Gonachan Cottage, turn left onto the B818 - following the isolated carriageway all the Carron Valley Reservoir. At Carron Bridge, take a right back onto Tak-Me-Doon Road - heading back towards Kilsyth and Cumbernauld.

Once you arrive back at Tim Hortons, have a hot drink and a snack - especially if you managed this route on a 125!

We hope you enjoyed this route! You can access the Google Maps file here to ride the route yourself - let us know what you think!