48 | Cycling World
Located in the geographic heart of The Kingdom of Fife , Balbirnie House is a perfect base for cycling .
Fife certainly has a most comprehensive cycling network ; with over 350 miles of sign posted routes , you are therefore guaranteed to find your destination .
For road bike cycling , within a few minutes of Balbirnie House lies the gateway for a particularly wonderful area to the south of The Howe of Fife , incorporating rolling hills which stretch all the way to St Andrews , and back along the southern aspect of the Fife coastline . In terms of other road users , many of these roads and country lanes are very quiet indeed .
Privately owned and personally managed since opening as a hotel 25 years ago , Balbirnie House is widely recognised today as one of Scotland ’ s finest small luxury hotels , combining understated luxury with superb service and outstanding value . We have 31 lovely bedrooms at Balbirnie , plus one self-contained Triplex apartment . All rooms are contained within our Grade A listed Georgian mansion , and each is a blend of period style and modern luxury . We offer a choice of suites with separate sitting rooms ; deluxe rooms with king size double or twin beds ; classic double or twin rooms ; and doubles for single occupancy .
Balbirnie ’ s kitchens have an emphasis on creating classic dishes which use seasonal produce , using at every opportunity the wonderful natural larder that Scotland provides . Our aim is to provide a choice of dining experiences which will suit whatever the occasion of your visit – whether a full dining experience or simply a one course evening meal after a busy day . Whatever works for you .
The in-house Balbirnie record for riding a bicycle along a designated route to reach the 18th fairway of the Old Course St Andrews , stands at 1hr 1 min 59 seconds , averaging 31.3km per hour . If you fancy a go at setting a brand new record , the hotel manager will be delighted to confirm the exact route .
For national and international cyclists , Balbirnie House offers a great base for final �re�arations for closed road Etape events . Over recent years , Etape Loch Ness , Etape Caledonia and Etape Royale have in particular all provided world class cycling events , and the rest .
Fife is on several National Cycling Routes including ; Route 1 , the Coast & Castles route which heads up through the centre of the region before heading east towards St Andrews , the world famous Home of Golf ; route 76 which follows the River Forth , heading round Fife ’ s coastline before joining 766 which heads north then west along the south of the River Tay . Route ��� is an off road section coming from neighbouring Clackmannanshire to Dunfermline , one time capital of Scotland .
�or mountain biking , if you are looking for more off road cycling there is a highlighted network of numerous short mountain bike trails taking in the coast , parklands and forests . There are plenty of options for longer rides too including the Lomond Hills which are the highest point in Fife with a good path network and great views from the top . The Fife Coastal Path is another good choice . It runs all the way from Kincardine in the west to Newburgh on the north shore of the Tay ( 117 miles ).
Balbirnie House was Scotland ’ s 2016 National Hotel of the �ear , and offers sco�e for a great value-for-money cycling stay , with really lovely dining options as well . A warmth of welcome of Scottish hospitality awaits .
Balbirnie House , Balbirnie Park , Markinch Village by Glenrothes Fife KY7 6NE Tel : 01592 610066 • E-mail : info @ balbirnie . co . uk • www . balbirnie . co . uk