Mountain biking in Scotland at its best
Our mountain bike tour in the Torridon hills, Scotland is featured in the National Geographic Adventure Ultimate Adventure Bucket List of 2013 as a “must-do” trip!
This Highland mountain bike adventure includes some of the most exhilarating mountain biking and awe-inspiring landscapes the Highlands and Islands of Scotland have to offer. Torridon and the Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland boast dramatic scenery and majestic skylines that demand respect and represent mountain biking in Scotland at its best.
The Cuillin and Torridon mountains rise up out of the Atlantic Ocean, daring you to take them on, and those that are willing to take up the challenge will discover some truly epic mountain bike trails.
Follow in the tracks of 2009 world downhill champion Steve Peat, and trials stars Danny MacAskill and Hans Rey to the wild and rugged landscape of Torridon and Skye on Scotland’s west coast: mountain biking in Scotland at its best.
Our mountain biking holiday in Torridon and Skye is for advanced mountain bikers with level 4 fitness, and to find out what this means read the explanation of our skill and fitness levels.
Read some interesting, little-known facts about Scotland!
Tour dates 2013
- 3 – 10 August 2013 ONLY 3 PLACES REMAINING!
- 31 August – 7 September 2013
Please contact our expert tour team if you have different dates in mind for our Torridon and Skye mountain bike tour and we will do our best to accommodate your requirements.
Want to know more? Ask us a question about mountain biking in Torridon & Skye, and read more about why you should choose H&I Adventures for your next adventure tour.
Torridon and Skye mountain bike tour itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival day, ride Laggan Wolftrax
We’ll meet in Inverness (airport or train station) at around noon and drive west to Laggan Wolftrax, the north of Scotland’s best man-made trail centre, where we can stretch our legs on the network of trails and then enjoy some coffee and cake.
Day 2 – Over the sea to Skye
We’ll catch the ferry from Mallaig over to the south end of the Isle of Skye. We’ll spend the afternoon riding a stunning trail along the coast, stopping for lunch on a fossil beach and admiring the breath-taking views out to the islands of Eigg and Rum.
Day 3 – Skye, Sligachan
Our full day on Skye will see us tackling the 50km challenging loop at Sligachan.The route carves its way through the valley between the Cuillin mountains with a combination of mouth-watering technical climbs and hair-raising descents.The terrain is pretty rocky and be prepared to work your arms lifting both wheels over obstacles!
Day 4 – Plockton
We leave Skye behind and head back to the mainland, to the fishing village of Plockton. Most of today’s riding will be sheltered in the forests. You’ll also enjoy some of Plockton’s deliciously fresh seafood, before we head on to Torridon and some big days in the saddle.
Day 5 – Shieldaig
Just south of Torridon lies the picturesque village of Shieldaig. We’ll be riding across the peninsula from Shieldaig to Applecross, where we will be rewarded with some more fantastic food in the world-renowned Applecross Inn.
Day 6 – Torridon
Our second day in Torridon will blow your mind! As far as mountain biking in Scotland goes, the area is a fairly well-kept secret. You’ll ride some challenging, but enjoyable climbs, and then be rewarded with a superb descent that seems to go on forever! You’ll also have plenty of opportunities to take some spectacular photos across the hills and sea.
Day 7 – Loch Ness
We leave Torridon behind and head back towards Inverness, picking up some amazing singletrack along the banks of Loch Ness. We’ll stop for a celebration lunch at a lochside pub, then spend the evening packing bikes for departure the next day.
Day 8 – Departure day
We will load the vehicle and transfer you back to Inverness airport or train station, in time for morning or afternoon flights and trains, where we will say our farewells.
£935 / $1,496 USD per person (ex. flights, based on two people sharing a room)
A single supplement of £220/ $352 will be applicable should a single room be requested.
Price includes:
- All breakfasts
- Seven nights’ B&B accommodation
- The services of a fully qualified and experienced mountain bike guide for the duration of your trip
- Transportation around the Highlands and Islands throughout the week
- All group safety equipment
Price excludes:
- Transport to and from Inverness
- Travel and activity insurance
- Bike hire – bike rental costs are: £320/ $512 for a good quality full suspension bike for the duration of the trip
- Personal safety and cycling equipment
- Lunches and evening meals
- Alcoholic/ non-alcoholic beverages
- Any other items not mentioned as included
Arrival and departure details
Your Torridon and Skye 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, or you are travelling a long distance, we would recommend that you arrive the day before and book an overnight stay in Inverness.
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. We have compiled some useful information and links for travelling to Inverness and the start of your trip from London, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
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.
For more information and advice on traveling to Scotland by air or sea check out the VisitScotland website.
Preparing yourself and your bike for the trip
Please read the full kit list before starting to pack for your mountain bike tour in Torridon and Skye, to make sure you have everything you need!
Our mountain biking holiday in Torridon and Skye is for advanced mountain bikers with level 4 fitness, and to find out what this means read the explanation of our skill and fitness levels.
The ideal bike for your Torridon and Skye mountain bike adventure is a good quality full-suspension mountain bike with around 150mm 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/ $375 for a high quality full-suspension mountain bike for the duration of your trip.
For more information on Torridon and Skye mountain bike tour, and travelling in Scotland in general, read the full trip brochure.
Torridon & Skye
I really had a very good time.
The trails and landscape are awesome.
I’m very satisfied with the great organization (accommodation, transport, restaurants).
The guides are very friendly, helpful. They improved my MTB-skills and I had a lot of fun.
Many thanks and I’m looking forward to rock the Highlands again!
Excellent trip
Excellent trip. We spent a very good time, not because of the weather but mostly because the guides and the organisation where fantastic. The scenery is beautiful.
The only small detail is that I would like more intensive riding, and maybe more homogenous groups. But I will keep a very good memory of this trip. I love Scotland. Thank you H&I Adventures!
Torridon & Skye
Amazing trip from beginning to end!!! Trails were challenging and fun. The scenery is inspiring and absolutely beautiful. The guides were knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly and I\'m a better rider today because of them. Even the food and accommodations were great! Best of all, I now have some new riding buddies to go on future trips with. H&I Adventures took care of everything perfectly!
Torridon & Skye
My first trip with H&I Adventures also, but definitely not my last. I completely agree with Chris and Jonno - the trails, scenery, accomodations, food and guides were all awesome. Unreal value for the cost of the trip and my fitness and technical skills were definitely increased and put to the test. Making some new good friends was just icing on the cake - can\'t say enough about this trip!
skye/torridon
This was my first trip with H&I Adventures and I will strongly recommend them to customers and friends alike. The guides/ accomodation/ food/ trails/ organisation were all awesome...my skill levels have increased and I\'ve got some new international mates! It was all great value for money...thanks again guys!
Torridon and Skye
This was my 4th time with H&I adventures and it was epic. Our guides Alex & Tim were outstanding, the weather was the real Scotland, the trails wild and rugged particularly Torridon, which I have history with! I love the outdoors and have a love of Scotland. I highly recommend it!
Torridon and Skye
We had fantastic weather, only a wee bit of the real Scottish stuff. It was a nice way to see a very dramatic landscape. We had some really fun rocky singletrack to ride, both up and down. Torridon was great riding. The accommodation were some very friendly B&B\'s, and Euan, our guide, instructor and Scottish historian, kept us well fed (boy that pudding was good) and well connected (there\'s wifi almost everywhere). It was a very memorable holiday with new and old friends.
Torridon and Skye
The weather that Euan arranged for the tour was outstanding, 25C and sunny many of the days. And his knowledge of the trails and places was pretty good too ;)
Seriously though, it was a really great trip. The trails were ones we probably never would have found otherwise, and they were empty of people but full of amazing sights to behold.
Euan kept us safe and sound and set us up with great logistics all week. We even got some riding hints to build skills.
Torridon and Skye
Had an awwwwwsome mtb holiday with H&I Adventures. Couldn\'t imagine a better way to learn and see more of the real Scotland.
Nearly everything was fine, accommodation was extraordinary, the food (didn\'t know there is good food in scotland;)) was really really good. The guide(s) were great, the trails were challenging, awesome and a great adventure. Even the day at the UCI Downhill finals in Fort William was great!
Just had a great week in Scotland, thanks for that.
Torridon and Skye
An amazing bike trip. Best way to know awesome landscapes, trails and people. and all of it put together with a fantastic guide. The food and acommodation are really good.
The Torridon area is unforgetable and what can I to say of Skye.... uffff.
If you are thinking about this trip, no doubt any more, do it!!
Here is a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) for our Torridon and Skye 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 be a maximum of eight people in each group. The minimum number of people we require to run a trip is four.
Q. What’s the age range of people who come on this trip?
A. The Torridon and Skye mountain bike tour 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 are an experienced mountain biker with a good level of physical fitness, you’ll enjoy this mountain bike tour, no matter what your age.
Q. What style of mountain biking tour is it?
A.The Torridon and Skye mountain bike trip is a guided mountain bike tour, ideal for fairly advanced mountain bikers. It’s not a bike park-style tour with uplift services and man-made trails. We ride the best natural trails that the Highlands and Islands of Scotland have to offer. We do include one trail centre, Laggan Wolftrax, at the beginning of the trip, but the majority of the riding is on ancient, natural trails on the west coast of Scotland. The trails in Torridon are very rocky and technical, and will keep you on your toes with some tricky descents!
Q. How far will we be mountain biking each day?
A. We’ll ride distances of between 25km and 50km per day. This will typically take anything from three to six hours per day because of the technical nature of these fantastic trails. The distance covered isn’t the objective on this trip; the trails and the riding themselves are the holy grail here! 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. 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 not a particularly technically proficient mountain biker, can I still come?
A. The trails we ride on this trip require a good level of technical bike handling skills in order to get the most enjoyment from the tour. It’s normal for people to walk the odd short section, but if you find yourself walking 50% of the trails then you’re not going to be having a great time and neither is the rest of the group who are waiting for you. Why not have a look at our less technical mountain bike tours, such as the Cairngorms Adventure, or coast-to-coast in Scotland, or our mountain bike tour in Oaxaca, Mexico?
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 Torridon and Skye mountain bike tour in Scotland 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 stop at a local café. 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 150mm travel front and rear will be ideal for this mountain bike tour. The terrain you will be riding is rough and rocky, and is much better enjoyed on a full suspension bike. 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 bring cycling shorts/trousers, gloves, a warm jacket for the evenings, padded undershorts, and specific shoes for cycling. We would also recommend bringing elbow and knee pads for some of the trails. Read the full kit list to find out what you need to pack for mountain biking in Torridon and Skye, Scotland.
