Coast-to-coast Scotland mountain bike adventure
The ultimate coast-to-coast mountain bike tour Scotland
Our all-mountain coast-to-coast mountain bike adventure is the culmination of years of research and riding to find the ultimate point-to-point mountain bike ride on the British Isles, with absolutely no compromise on the quality of trails we ride. After all, we only want to experience the best too!
This week-long mountain bike adventure tour will see you riding nearly 250km, 95% off-road, from the east coast town of Bonar Bridge and ending your week at the stunning fishing village of Applecross on the rugged west coast of Scotland.
During this epic mountain bike tour you will ride the best trails that Scotland has to offer, from the high plateaux of Torridon to the coastal splendour of Applecross.
Your luggage will be transferred to your next great B&B each day, leaving you free to make the most of this fantastic coast-to-coast mountain bike adventure and take in the beauty of the Highlands of Scotland.
Read some interesting, little-known facts about Scotland!
Tour dates 2012 and 2013
- 12 – 19 May 2012
- 28 July – 4 August 2012
- 1 – 8 September 2012
- 15 – 22 September 2012
- 11 – 18 May 2013
- 27 July – 3 August 2013
- 31 August – 7 September 2013
- 14 – 21 September 2013
Please contact our expert tour team if you have different dates in mind for our coast-to-coast Scotland and we will do our best to accommodate your requirements.
Want to know more? Ask us a question about our coast-to-coast Scotland tour, and read more about why you should choose H&I Adventures for your next adventure tour.
Coast-to-coast Scotland itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival day and bike preparation
You’ll be welcomed by our mountain bike guides at Inverness airport (or train station) at around noon, and then transferred north, along the east coast, to the Highland village of Bonar Bridge and your top quality B&B for the night. Once we’ve settled in we’ll set up the bikes and go for a short pedal before dinner.
Day 2 – Bonar Bridge to Ullapool
We’ll pedal straight out from our accommodation on the first day of our coast-to-coast Scotland adventure, on our westerly bearing through classic Scottish glens with their ever-changing colours.
We’ll have a snack stop at a mountain refuge (bothy) and make friends with the local wild horses, before hitting some fast, flowy singletrack that descends into Ullapool, and our stop for the night.
Ullapool is a fishing town and the gateway to the north end of the Outer Hebrides archipelago, and we’ll enjoy an evening of good local food and drink, including freshly-caught seafood.
Distance: 60km
Day 3 – Ullapool to Poolewe
We will start today with a rapid boat crossing over Loch Broom on our way to some of the most mouth-watering singletrack in Scotland, if not Europe.
Once we turn westwards again our coast-to-coast trail starts to open up in front of you, snaking through the ancient landscape, over river crossings and then climbing up and over to Dundonnel forest. By the time we reach Poolewe your cheeks will hurt from grinning!
Distance: 60km
Day 4 – Poolewe to Kinlochewe
Today we will mountain bike off-road straight from Poolewe on a fantastic section of singletrack that rises high above the head of Loch Maree before descending to the banks of the loch itself and our own private section of singletrack.
Loch Maree is often cited as the most beautiful loch in Scotland, with its five large islands and 25 smaller islets. It’s also the only loch/ lake in the UK that contains an island that itself contains an islet with a lochan in it (are you still following?!).
Depending on time, there is the chance for us to ride a 15km extra loop at the end of Loch Maree.
Distance: 40km
Day 5 – Kinlochewe to Annat
Riding from Kinlochewe to Annat through the mountains of Torridon is our favourite part of the coast-to-coast Scotland mountain bike tour. Each day of our trip increases slightly in technical difficulty, and riding the rocky trails that carve their way through the majestic Torridon mountains is the most technically challenging day, but also hugely rewarding.
This is one of the most ancient landscapes in the whole of the UK, and it has everything that you can possibly want from a mountain bike tour in Scotland, from stunning views, technical climbs, long, sweeping descents and grin-inducing singletrack!
Distance: 35km
Day 6 – Rest day
Today is your rest day, where you can explore the local area, read a book in the bar or join the guide for a half day’s mountain biking up a local hill, it’s your choice!
Day 7 – Shieldaig to Applecross
We’ll ride a lovely low-level singletrack alongside a stunning inland loch that will lead us straight to the fishing village of Shieldaig.
After admiring the view, we will move further along Loch Torridon, then cut through the middle of the Applecross peninsula on some of the most remote and unused singletrack we’ve been on all week. This leads us straight to Applecross bay and the end of our coast-to coast Scotland.
We’ll enjoy a celebratory meal of world-class seafood, whisky and real ale in the Applecross Inn and re-live the week’s adventures on our all-mountain coast-to-coast mountain bike tour in Scotland.
Our final night will be spent in a small hotel in Fort Augustus, where we’ll enjoy our last dinner together and relax after our coast-to-coast mountain bike challenge.
Distance: 40km
Day 8 – Departure day
We will spend the morning packing the bikes, organising your luggage and transport you back to Inverness in time for early afternoon flights/ trains to say our goodbyes.
£915 / $1,550 USD per person (ex. flights)
Price includes:
- All breakfasts
- 7 nights’ accommodation
- The services of a fully-qualified, expert mountain bike guide for the duration of the trip
- Transportation from the meeting point in Inverness around the Highlands and Islands of Scotland during the week, and then back again to Inverness at the end of the trip
- Support driver/ guide throughout the week
- All group safety equipment
Price excludes:
- Transport to and from the pre-arranged meeting point
- Travel insurance
- Personal safety and cycling equipment
- Bike hire
- Lunches and evening meals
- Alcoholic drinks
- Any other items not mentioned as included
Read more about the costs involved in our coast-to-coast Scotland mountain bike tour
Arrival and departure details
Your coast-to-coast mountain bike adventure will start and end in Inverness. Your guide and/or driver will meet you in the arrivals area of Inverness airport, or in the main concourse at Inverness train station. He/she will be holding an H&I Adventures sign and should be easy to see since neither the airport nor the train station are particularly large or crowded.
We generally ask guests to arrive as close to midday as possible on the first day of the tour, however we can collect you up until 4 p.m. on your day of arrival. If you think you will be arriving later in the evening we would recommend that you arrive the day before and book an overnight stay in Inverness. Please contact us if you require assistance in finding accommodation before or after your trip.
On your departure day we will return you to Inverness airport or train station at around midday. If you have an earlier connection please let us know and we can discuss it with you.
Travelling to Inverness
Inverness is well connected to the rest of the UK by good rail, air, and coach links.
Inverness by air
Inverness is becoming increasingly well-served by major and budget airlines from all over the UK, Ireland, and now direct from Amsterdam. For up-to-date timetables and booking visit: www.ba.com; www.easyjet.com; and www.flybe.com.
You must book your bike on to your flight in advance, otherwise you could face a heavy charge at the airport. Here are some handy hints and tips on travelling by air with your bike.
Inverness by rail
Trains from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Inverness take approximately three and a half hours, and there is also a sleeper service from London Euston, which leaves at 21.00 and arrives in Inverness at 08.30 the next morning. The day service from London takes approximately eight hours. For current timetables and to book tickets, visit: www.seat61.com; www.scotrail.co.uk; www.thetrainline.com.
Preparing yourself and your bike for the trip
The coast-to-coast mountain bike tour is for intermediate to advanced-level mountain bikers, which means that the terrain you will be riding consists mostly of singletrack, some Landrover tracks, steep technical climbs and descents, frequent rocks, slabs and roots. You should have good bike handling skills and be comfortable with sustained challenging riding including long periods of exercise for five or more days in a row. The ideal bike for the coast-to-coast Scotland is a good quality full-suspension mountain bike with around 120mm of travel front and rear.
To get the most out of your mountain bike holiday in Scotland you should plan some training in advance of your tour, and it is essential that, if you’re bringing your own bike, you ensure that it has been properly serviced before the trip.
We can arrange bike hire for you, and have the bike ready for your arrival, at a cost of £240 for a high quality full-suspension mountain bike for the duration of your trip.
For more information on the coast-to-coast mountain bike tour, and travelling in Scotland in general, read the full trip brochure.
Great riding in the Highlands; coast-to-coast
My wife and I had been reading about the great mountain biking in the Scottish Highlands. We found H & I while researching our Scotland trip and were really glad we hooked up with them. Euan knows where to ride and how to do it in style. Riding across the Highlands on great mountain bike trails everyday and staying in very comfortable accommodations at night was THE way to do it. The trails were varied with lots of technical, single track fun and the scenery was spectacular. I really felt like I earned that Guinness at the end of each day! We realized that if we\'d tried to put together a ride like that on our own we\'d have missed out entirely. A little advice for anyone getting ready for this trip: while training for the riding, don\'t forget to work on your grin muscles or your face is going to hurt after a few days!
Coast-to-coast, Scotland
I was really impressed with the way Euan and Alex accommodated our group and tailored the route along the way when it was needed. Having the opportunity to bike across the Highlands, in all its rugged glory, was truly an exhilarating and rewarding experience. Riding cross-country allowed a completely unique perspective of Scotland. It was an adventure that will not soon be forgotten! Thanks again!
Here is a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) for our coast-to-coast Scotland mountain bike tour
- Q. How many people will be in the group?
A. We only run small group adventures to ensure that everyone has the best experience possible, and there will generally be between six and eight people in each group. We can stretch to a maximum of ten if it’s a group of friends.
Q. What’s the age range of people who come on this trip?
A. The coast-to-coast Scotland caters for a wide age range; typically between 30- and 55-years-old, but age is simply a state of mind, as they say, and we welcome anyone over the age of 18! As long as you have a good level of physical fitness you will enjoy this mountain bike tour no matter what your age.
Q. What style of mountain biking tour is it?
A.The coast-to-coast is a guided, point-to-point mountain bike tour, ideal for intermediate to advanced mountain bikers. You’ll ride nearly 250km, 95% off-road, from the east coast of the Scottish Highlands to the west. It is a great mountain biking challenge, but it’s not a race to see who can finish each day the quickest. It’s about everyone making it to the finish line together, and your guides will be there to support and encourage you the whole way.
Q. How far will we be mountain biking each day?
A. The distances we cover each day range from 35km to 60km, in accordance with the technical difficulty of the trails: the easier stages of the route are longer. The technical difficulty of the trails increases each day, so you can practice your technique and increase your confidence as you progress through the tour. Each evening your guides will chat with you about the following day’s mountain biking and give you an idea of the sorts of trails you can look forward to. If there’s anything you feel anxious about, your guides will be happy to discuss it with you.
Q. Do we have to carry all our gear with us?
A. No, you only need to carry a day pack with you whilst riding. We have a support vehicle and driver who will transfer your luggage to your next B&B each day, and have it ready and waiting in your room when you arrive.
Q. What if I come across a section of trail that I can’t ride?
A. Your guide will be very happy to give you some bike skills training during your trip to help improve your confidence and your enjoyment of your coast-to-coast adventure. If there is a section that you would prefer not to ride, then you can simply hop off your bike and walk. You won’t be the only one to walk certain sections and it’s not a competition in biking ability; it’s a mountain bike holiday!
Q. I’m anxious about being too slow and holding everyone up, is this likely?
A. There will be two guides with you for most of each day of the trip, so if there are faster or slower people in the group then we can split up and one guide will accompany each group. No one need feel pressurised about going faster or slower, everyone can enjoy it at their own pace. If you don’t feel like riding on a particular day, you can catch a ride in the support vehicle to our next night stop and just relax for the day.
Q. Who will be guiding us?
A. Your mountain bike guides are local, qualified, experienced professionals who have a real passion for mountain biking and for the fabulous outdoor playground that is the Highlands of Scotland. Your safety is their number one priority, closely followed by your enjoyment of the tour. They will always be on-hand to answer any questions or requests you may have throughout your trip. You can meet your mountain bike guides on our ‘Why H&I Adventures page?’.
Q. What sort of accommodation will we be staying in?
A. On this coast-to-coast Scotland mountain bike tour you will be staying in 3- and 4-star B&Bs, guest houses and small hotels. We use the best quality accommodation in each area, and favour small, family-run establishments over large chain hotels. You’ll often be staying in family homes, which gives you the chance to get to know the local people of the Highlands of Scotland.
Q. Which meals are included in the tour?
A. All breakfasts are included in the price of the tour, and you’ll enjoy fantastic breakfasts at each accommodation which will set you up well for each day in the saddle. Lunch and dinner are not included in the trip price. Each morning we will pick up our own provisions for lunch, or put in our orders for our driver to collect on his way, before meeting us at our lunch stop. We can cater for most dietary requirements. We’ll have dinner in a local pub, café or restaurant in the evening. This means that everyone can choose exactly what they want for lunch and dinner and only pay for their own choices. You should allow around £15-£25 per day for lunches and dinners.
Q. What type of mountain bike is best for this trip?
A. A good quality full suspension mountain bike with 120mm travel front and rear will be ideal for this mountain bike tour. The terrain you will be riding is rough in places and you will feel more comfortable on a full suspension bike for the duration of the trip. It is possible to ride every day on a hard tail, so if this is your preference, then feel free to come with your hard tail. We can arrange bike hire for you for the duration of your trip; please let us know if you would like to rent a bike in Scotland.
Q. What clothes and kit should I bring?
A. The weather in Scotland is changeable at any time of the year, so you must make sure that you have a waterproof jacket that you can ride in, and you should also bring plenty of layers of breathable clothing to ensure that you are always warm enough and can remove a layer if you get too hot. You should also bring cycling shorts/trousers, gloves, a warm jacket for the evenings, padded undershorts, and specific shoes for cycling. There’s a full kit list in the tour brochure.
Great riding in the Highlands; coast-to-coast
My wife and I had been reading about the great mountain biking in the Scottish Highlands. We found ...
read more