Ride Scotland

10/09/2026

This afternoons group heading out above the clouds. The quickest way to get to is always by chinook.

Pretty rad when a chinook does a lap of the shop for the craic 🤣

08/09/2026

08/09/2026

What a fun day to ride bikes, still buzzing. EPIC conditions and fine, Oh so fine trails.

It’s certainly feels like autumn is coming along fast and soon it will be winter. One things for sure that means double waterproofing and time off to go and get muddy,

Any recommendations for waterproof trousers?

Splash, splish, splosh

07/09/2026

Cairngorms National Park - just for reference I have already emailed you regarding this and have had no response.

So please get off your automated high horse and do some due diligence.

You can contact me with the following:

1. Do you have an impact assessment report for the funding allocated under Cairngorms 2030

2. Have you had any consultation with local Bike shops that represent the “community” as to how this affects them

3. When giving funding do you look into the sustainability of the project and have these projects provided deliverables to show how our money is being spent appropriately.

4. Will you pause funding until there is an agreement that this won’t negatively impact other businesses or that an investigation on whether the funds are being invested appropriately.

5. Please also include further details about all projects so I have time to look into it before an in person meeting.

That’s a start but I could go on…….

I assume you already have these items so shouldn’t take long for you to pull them together.

My email is [email protected] I await your response with a time for a meeting. Then hopefully both our time is not wasted. 📅

I’ve given enough free time to CNPA just to talk buzz words and come out with no answers.

My name is Nash Masson just incase you have missed that.

07/09/2026

Day to go riding, for everyone that has messaged I’ll try get back to you later on. It’s really insane to see and hear all the stories from people that have been pushed down and can’t speak up while trying to survive.

This is not a sign of people interested in community - Cairngorms National Park - I’m always here 🤚 I await a response

I see you have already started to push the positive Spin posts 🤣

First of all just because something has a community tag line doesn’t mean it is for the community.

It seems mainly this is so directors of a charity or a CIC can suck as much out of funding pot in the name of “management” before a few small crumbs are left to deliver some project that fizzles away or changes to the next fund.

This is so hard to speak out against due to the buzz words and being labelled discriminatory against the system. However why is it not labelled discriminatory to try and destroy everything I have worked hard for?

I don’t come from this world of endless funding but after peeling back the curtain, maybe it’s time to put out the information and let the people decide 🤷‍♂️

06/09/2026

Honestly the messages and comments have been so heartwarming but also sad to see and hear so many stories from others who have been affected.

Maybe CNPA should think about their impact and consult long standing community members and business rather than putting pressure on them to fail.

I’ve had so many questions about what caused this sudden outburst. This has been going on for 5-6 years with other so called “community groups” , “CIC charity’s” and “quangos” being given money to offer our services and I’ve flagged this to Cairngorms National Park on numerous occasions.

However each time the deflection was, if you don’t apply then you won’t get any help. (I still think this is wrong, businesses should be consulted and supported to thrive not ignored)

With that information, I went and have applied for a few funds each time to be told it’s not eligible, and I move on. Sometimes it’s not available. That’s tendering, I get that.

This time I was sent what can only be explained and some brilliant deflection. We are not funding more bike loan schemes as it’s duplicating the current scheme (which I originally help set up with Basecamp Bikes).

To then see two funds getting grants for this exact scheme is what pi**ed me off. Then to also see one of them is to essentially set up a bike shop in Grantown. There is already a brilliant bike shop - BCSuspension

I have never asked for anything, we set up with my own money. Re-invested time and time again to build what you see today. Worked all the extra hours to pay the bills and grow. Apparently this ethic is rare.

How would you feel if a government organisation then pays all set up costs to open a new business down the road.

For reference I know nothing about this company, who it is or what it will do. Just that it feels very much like a kick in the teeth from the National park on issues I have already raised.

05/09/2026

No, is the short answer. We will do what we do and mind ourselves while providing support and the best service to our customers while trying to help the community where we can.

BUT:
I’ve been polite for years now, but I’m at breaking point with this. It’s broken me mentally and emotionally.

We have asked for help and how we can access support like others do, to benefit the community. We have tried to reach out but continued to be denied.

All the community support we have done has been 100% funded by me (Nash Masson). Without any help. In some ways this is how I think it should be. I’d rather give back and see better local infrastructure than another project that fizzles out when the consultation money runs out. Or at least supports a genuinely sustainable business rather than a side project idea that is then closed when the funding is over.

Things I have achieved while trying to build a business ⬇️

🚲 Built a free to use pump track facility for the area (no support, but people were there early to cut the ribbon)

🥲 Set up bike loan scheme for cancer patients (this was then removed from us and funded elsewhere) The Cairngorms Trust 🤷‍♂️

🔧 fixed hundreds of bikes for free as a good deed for those that need it, because it’s just the right thing to do. Now others get paid for the service we just did because it was right.

👨‍🔧 Employed local people to work and support their families here in the area.

🕰️ Given countless hours to meetings to discuss better paths, trails and connections. 20 years later and still barely any delivery, but millions spent on consultation.

Then people see our work as a good idea, it gets ripped off and then it gets funded by the national park locally. Never coming to see us, to help grow and deliver.

How the hell are we meant to survive when Cairngorms National Park don’t support local established businesses.

Then sets up subsidised business that impact our lively hood?

At no point I’m saying these initiatives are bad, but surely support should be there for proven, sustainable existing businesses? Rather than trying to put them on their knees in what already is a tough climate.

30/08/2026

Sunday Spin up in the clouds.

With the Ryvoan side still closed it was a good chance to get out early before the crowds and do a lap up and down then followed by a traverse of the tops and down to Badaguish.

Even after the little monsoon periods we have had the moss and Heather is still very dry.

Word of warning, the midge is out in force after a relatively calm start they have fired up their chainsaws.

Now time to go find a Bacon roll and a coffee.

25/08/2026

Good times chasing the Chieftain around some trails.

Sun was out and the dirt was prime time. 👌

Back to reality this week, plenty of bikes to build but what a great couple of days on the bike.

Bikes are gid!