Danny MacAskill is a wizard on wheels. He hops on, off, and between rooftops and walls, railings and rocks, benches and phone booths—you name it—with comical ease. While the 33-year-old Scotsman is known for his mind-blowing street-trials feats, he still finds time to hammer singletrack.
Born in Dunvegan, on the Isle of Skye,MacAskill hasbeen riding bikes nearly his entire lifebut only came to fame at age 23,when he uploaded a to YouTubethatwent viral. He’s since starred in numerous films, such as ,,and ,which have all garnered tens of millions of onlineviews apiece. His latest project:.
From a once submerged town in Argentina to the in Beverly Hills, California, MacAskill’s ridden and been filmed across the globe. And yethe still calls home, Scotland, his all-time favorite place to ride. “We’re very lucky, almost spoiled, to have so many trails on our doorstep,” he says.
When MacAskill trades pavement for dirt, here’s where you arelikely tofind him.
Davos,Switzerland
“ is a famous ski town, but it’s developed an amazing. It’s got a real good mix of everythingandfast, flowyfun stuff.”
“All the hills there are pretty open. You feel like you’re in proper high Alpine. There’s beautiful ridgeline ridingand fairly tight singletrack. Asyou getlower down, it becomes a bit more bermy, which is really fun to ride with friends—stuff you can race onand try to undertake each other on at the corners. It’s all really good.”
“Because it’s a ski town, there’s great infrastructure, great hotels, and good food. There’s a good as well that’s right by the [Platz] train station. They’ll look after you. I’ve stayed at the in the heart of town, which doesn’t necessarily havelocal flavor, but for me, it was something different, and it’snear the trails. I had a really good time there.”
Morzine, French Alps
“This is the go-to place in the Alps for downhill-orientated mountain bikers. The greater area between Morzine, Les Gets, and Châtel has an insane network of trails and chairlift access. It’s known for its pure downhill trails, like up on Super Morzine and Les Gets, but it’s not all gravity oriented. There’s a bit of everything. You can take the lift up and traverse, and there are cool enduro loops you can do there as well, so it’s definitely got it all. You can ride there for a week and not touch the same trail.”
“Morzine’s got quite good nightlife. The town is proper busy with mountain bikers—not quite as busy as it would be in the ski seasonbut enough to give it a Whistler sort-of vibe. I recommend, which is a bit legendary for its strong beer, called Mützig. A few pints of thatmakes for aninteresting ride home.”
Aviemore, Cairngorms National Park, Scottish Highlands
“I’m biased, because it’s home and where I ride the most, but I have to include Scotland. Scotland’s got a booming bike scene—it’s something the government has embraced for locals as well as tourists. Aviemore, about two and a half hours north of, is a hub right in the center of the Highlands, with easy access to the Cairngorms, one of our coolest national parks, which is a stunning placewith amazing trails, beautiful lochs, and Cairngorm Mountain.”
“I lived in for a few years after I left school, and worked in a bike shop. Really recommend it. If you’re looking for a good bike shop there, there’s a place called. They do repairs, sell coffee, and give good trail recommendations as well.”
Torridon Hills, Scottish Highlands
“If you want something a bit wild, and maybe fancy bikepacking, go up into the Torridon Hills, on the northwest coast of Scotland. The landscape is very beautiful, open, and raw. It’s all heather, bog, and rock. That’s what I consider the best kind of mountain biking—where you feel like you’re the only person around. But it’s properrural Scotland. You definitely have to make sure you have a hip flask of whisky on you. I recommend it.”
“There are some really cool loops through the mountains with bothies along the route, which are small mountain huts that are free to use. The descents are amazing—we’re talking 25-minute singletrack descents. is a notable one. It has a lot of stone, so wear tubeless tires and you canhammer down it. We also have the freedom to roam in Scotland, so if you see a hill, you can bike it within reasonas long as you’re being respectful. If you’re prepared to stick a bike on your back, then you can hike up to the top of some pretty spectacular sceneryand get some amazing rewards with the descents.”
“Honestly, it will be some of the coolest biking you ever do. It’s proper adventure stuff. Scotland’s not famous for its incredible weather, so it’s best to pack for all four seasonsin one day. But when you do get nice weather here, I don’t think there’s manybetter places.”
Santa Cruz, California
“For meit’s quite a novelty getting to ride between the giant redwood trees. I feel like I’m an Ewok in Star Wars. There’s so much space compared to the tighter stuff we have here in Scotland. And the trails around Santa Cruz are amazing—loamy, fast, jumpy, and just good fun. The whole network flows really well.”
“There’s loads of stuff to ride in the area, but I couldn’t tell you any specific trail names, because there just seems to be so manyand new bits popping up all the time. I’ve ridden there probably six or seven times, and we’re always going on new trails. I never know where I’m going anyway.”
“The scene is awesome. It seems like every local rips, and it’s easy to join up with different folks when you’re out. I always have a good time there—I’m talking about some of the best times I’ve had on a bike. The nightlife’s great as well. Loads of good places to eat. is always a good laugh, or some of the dive bars around the place. There’s also good surfingif you’re into that. It never gets too hot in the summer. It’s a very hospitable climate, even for a Scotsman.”