MTB Tour Skye + Raasay: Island-hopping in the Scottish Highlands
Our 4-day ‘Espresso Adventure’ MTB Tour Skye + Raasay is, in our view, the very best wilderness mountain bike experience you can have in the UK over one long weekend.
Starting with a warm-up ride on mainland Highlands, you’ll then head first to the Isle of Skye, then on to the Isle of Raasay, taking in the most spectacular scenery and unique transport to get there
- Skill level: Intermediate+
- Fitness level: 5/7
- 3 nights / 4 days
- £740 / $1,073/ €925
- Max. group size: 8
Trip highlights
This ‘Espresso Adventure’ MTB Tour Skye + Raasay is a unique glimpse into traditional Highland and Island life, coupled with some of the most breathtaking views and spectacular wild singletrack you’ve ever ridden. Here are the best bits:
- Pedal some of the most wild, remote singletrack in Europe
- Take the last, manually-operated turntable ferry in the world
- Enjoy a wee dram or a local craft beer in a Highland pub
- Hike-a-bike to the most unforgettable mountain views
- Sample the finest west coast seafood
- Learn the history of Calum’s Road, hand-built over 20 years by one man
Tour Dates 2023
- 16 – 19 June (TRIP FULL)
- 19 – 22 August (6 PLACES)
- 25 – 28 August (TRIP FULL)
Private groups
Travelling as a group of friends/family? Contact us to create your own private trip.
Is this MTB Tour Skye + Raasay for you?
We want you to make every moment of your Skye + Raasay MTB tour count, so it’s important to be sure that this is the perfect mountain bike adventure, with the right level of challenge, for you.
You’re an experienced mountain biker, riding at least twice a week through the season and comfortable on: technical singletrack climbs; rough, rocky, muddy singletrack descents; rutted, uneven terrain, and you should be able to lift your front and rear wheels to conquer the Scottish water bar! Read more on our intermediate+ skill level.
MTB Tour Skye + Raasay Itinerary
- +Day 0 - Arrival in Inverness
If you’re driving a long way to the Highlands, or coming from outside of the UK, we recommend arriving in Inverness the day before the tour start date to ensure that you’re ready to get going on day 1 and make the most of your ‘Espresso Adventure’ in Scotland.Our team will be happy to help you with all your travel planning, and we have parking available at our HQ just outside Inverness.
- +Day 1 - Team briefing + warm-up ride on west coast
The group will meet up at our base near Inverness, where your local guide will go through the all-important pre-trip briefing over a good cup of coffee and some cake.You’ll get bikes built, then load up the van and head straight to the West Coast, where we’ll ride directly from our accommodation for a warm up ride around the flowing trails of the Lochalsh peninsula. We’ll enjoy spectacular views over the sea to Skye and Raasay, giving a taste of the days to come, before returning on wonderful singletrack to our accommodation. We’ll have time to freshen up, then head out to enjoy our welcome dinner together, at one of our favourite west coast pubs that specialises in local seafood.
Distance cycled: 20km (app. 3 hours)
Accommodation: Small guest house near Plockton
- +Day 2 - Isle of Raasay: technical singletrack with spectacular views
After one of the best breakfasts in the Highlands, we leave our accommodation behind and head over to the Isle of Skye, then board a small ferry which takes us on to the Isle of Raasay. Diminutive in size, this island packs a punch when it comes to adventure riding and jaw-dropping scenery.This small island is home to the famous “Calum’s Road.” After decades of unsuccessful campaigning by residents for a road on the north end of Raasay, and several failed grant applications, Calum decided to build the road himself. Purchasing Thomas Aitken’s manual “Road Making & Maintenance: A Practical Treatise for Engineers, Surveyors and Others,” he built the 2 mile stretch of road with his own back-breaking work.
This is an epic day on the bike with tough climbs, challenging descents and plenty of hike-a-bike but, like Calum’s efforts to build his road, it’s worth the hard work. The scenery and views you’ll experience as you turn the pedals and summit that hike-a-bike ascent are truly some of the most magnificent you’ll ever see.
After catching the ferry back to Skye, we’ll drive a short distance to our accommodation near the fishing village of Plockton, where we’ll relax with a delicious meal and some well-deserved beverages.
Distance cycled: 20km (app. 6 hours)
Accommodation: Small guest house near Plockton
Meals included: Breakfast
- +Day 3 - Isle of Skye: pedalling in the shadow of the Cuillins
After another of the famous Highland breakfasts, we’ll head over the bridge to the Isle of Skye to get to know this beautiful island’s fantastic trails.We’ll ride through the famous Glen Sligachan, in the shadow of the Cuillin mountains, all the way to a remote beach where we’ll stop for a snack, before strapping in for the ride back out. You’ll be familiar with our infamous ‘water bars’ by the end of this ride, but you’ll be rewarded with good food at the local hotel which stocks a mind-boggling array of whiskies.
Our return journey will be by way of the world’s last remaining manually-operated turntable ferry, from Skye to Glenelg. If time and energy allows we can ride a short loop in the forests and along the coast, before dinner and drinks at the Glenelg Inn and a drive back to our cosy accommodation.
Distance cycled: 20km (app. 5 hours) + optional 15km
Accommodation: Small guest house near Plockton
Meals included: Breakfast
- +Day 4 - Last drop of fun + departure
For the final day of your ‘Espresso Adventure’ in Scotland, we’ll squeeze one last ride in before we head back to Inverness and your departure.Depending on how the group is feeling, we can go big and stop in Torridon to ride Achnashellach, or we can keep things a bit more mellow with some action-packed, fun trails closer to Inverness.
Either way, you’ll leave us feeling like you’ve made the most of every moment of your time in the Highlands, island-hopping on Skye and Raasay, and enjoying the very best of Highland culture and cuisine.
Until next time!
Meals included: Breakfast
Please note: Your MTB Tour Skye + Raasay is a living thing, being influenced by multiple factors such as changing weather conditions, group riding abilities, trail damage, to name a few. Your local guides are experts in guiding mountain bikers in the Scottish Highlands and will be continually assessing these factors and making tweaks to the itinerary where necessary to ensure that every member of the group makes the most of every moment of their ‘Espresso Adventure’ MTB Tour Skye + Raasay.
MTB Tour Skye + Raasay Price
£740 GBP / €925 EUR/ $1,073 USD per person (based on two sharing a room)
Price includes:
- Services of fully-qualified expert mountain bike guide(s) for the duration of the trip
- 3 nights’ accommodation
- 3 breakfasts
- Transfers from/to Inverness on day 1 and day 4
- All transport required by the itinerary
- Ferry tickets
- All group safety equipment
- Global Rescue medical and evacuation services
Price excludes:
- Travel to/from Inverness (if you are flying to Inverness, please do not book your return flights to depart Inverness any earlier than 5pm
- Lunches and evening meals
- Bike rental: £250/ €338/ $300 for the duration of the trip
- Single supplement:* £180/ €225/ $261
- Travel and activity insurance
- Personal safety and cycling equipment
- Any other items not mentioned as included
* Single supplement is only applicable if you are travelling solo and do not wish to share a room with another rider of the same sex. If you’re happy to do that, you need not add the supplement.
H+I Adventures is bonded by the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT), so you can be sure that when you book with us your money will be safe.
Please note: Your MTB Tour Skye + Raasay is a living thing, being influenced by multiple factors such as changing weather conditions, group riding abilities, trail damage, to name a few. Your local guides are experts in guiding mountain bikers in the Scottish Highlands and will be continually assessing these factors and making tweaks to the itinerary where necessary to ensure that every member of the group makes the most of every moment of their ‘Espresso Adventure’ MTB Tour Skye + Raasay.
- +Skill + fitness levels required
Does this sound like you? Your vacation time is precious and we want to be absolutely sure that you’re making the most of it, by finding the perfect mountain bike tour for you. Be honest with yourself, if this adventure isn’t right for you, we have other mountain bike tours that may well be a better fit for your mountain biking experience and ability.Please note: The skill level required reflects an overall rating for the trails on the trip but you should expect to find sections and obstacles that push your ability levels.
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE+
- You are generally comfortable riding most types of terrain in different conditions: singletrack, double track, muddy, dry, loose, bedrock…
- You can brake, use gears and corner instinctively
- You’ll have a go on moderate technical features, such as small rock gardens, small drops and steeper sections, but may get off and walk certain technical features
- You ride more than once a week throughout your biking season
- And the ‘+’ part of ‘Intermediate+’ means that you will be aiming to tackle more of those moderate technical features
Fitness level: 5
- You have a good level of bike fitness, exercising at least three times every week throughout the year, for an hour at a time
- You can ride a mountain bike for up to six hours a day at a moderate pace, with snack and photo stops, for three or more consecutive days
- You can tackle two or three fairly significant climbs a day, up to 600 metres each
Typical trails you’ll be riding
- The trails on our mountain bike tour Skye + Raasay are natural ‘rustic’ ancient walking paths of varying trail surface, that will increase in technical difficulty as the tour progresses
- Double track: undulating and sometimes steep jeep tracks made up of a hard-packed and loose dirt surface; forest roads
- Singletrack: you will encounter up to head-sized, fixed and loose rocks, as well as fixed bedrock style trails, drainage bars, roots, and ruts (some deep)
- The surface may be dry and loose, or wet and muddy depending on weather conditions
- You will have to carry your bike (hike-a-bike) on one occasion, for up to 45 minutes, and there are river crossings to contend with
- You will have wet feet!
- +Arrival + departure details
Your ‘Espresso Adventure’ MTB Tour Skye + Raasay will start and end in Inverness, at our base just outside the city centre. Ideally, you should arrive in Inverness the day before the tour start date to allow for any travel delays, and we have created this handy guide to spending 24 hours in Inverness before the start of your Skye + Raasay adventure.On the morning of day 1 your guide will meet you at our base, or at your hotel in Inverness if you’ve spent the previous night there.
On the last day of the tour, you will be back in Inverness late afternoon and you can drive home, or we will help you with your return travel logistics. If you are flying, please don’t book your flight to depart Inverness any earlier than 5pm.
If you are travelling by train with your mountain bike, please note that you will need to book your bike onto the train in advance as there is very limited space. It is also worth noting that if you fly into Edinburgh, you have to take a tram from the airport to the train station, and then the train to Inverness which takes approx 3 hours.
- +Packing for your adventure
Please read the full kit list before you start packing for your ‘Espresso Adventure’ MTB Tour Skye + Raasay.Our mountain bike tour of Skye + Raasay is for Intermediate+ riders with level 5 fitness. The ideal bike for the Highland trails is a good quality full-suspension bike with around 150mm of front travel.
Should you prefer not to travel with your own bike, we have a small fleet of high quality full suspension bikes, available on a first come first serve basis available to rent in Scotland.
- +Your mountain bike guides in Scotland
Our mountain bike guides in the Highlands of Scotland are professional MTB guides qualified to the highest level.They are certified in first-aid and they have the knowledge and experience to lead a group safely in these remote, wild and beautiful parts of Scotland.
Our guides have years of experience in the saddle on the Highland trails and will be able to enhance your holiday with facts and fables on local history, flora and fauna. They’re also genuinely nice people and will do their best to make sure that everyone in the group has a great time.
- +Accommodation + food
We aim to use the best, locally-run accommodation in each country, and that which is traditional to that specific area, whether it be city or mountain.On this ‘Espresso Adventure’ MTB tour Skye + Raasay you’ll be staying in one of our favourite guest houses near the fishing village of Plockton, on the west coast. From here, we have easy access to each of our rides.
We will enjoy a wide array of the finest, freshest local produce that this part of the Highlands has to offer, all of which is prepared with the greatest of care and skill.
- +Travel insurance
You are required as a condition of booking to be insured against medical and personal accident risks. In this policy you must include cover for mountain biking and we recommend that you take out a policy which covers tour cancellation and baggage loss/damage.We work closely with WorldNomads who are adventure travel specialists and who provide cover for travellers residing in most countries around the world.
For UK and EU travellers, True Traveller also cover adventure sports such as mountain biking and their policies are designed by experienced travellers.
Please note: Your MTB Tour Skye + Raasay is a living thing, being influenced by multiple factors such as changing weather conditions, group riding abilities, trail damage, to name a few. Your local guides are experts in guiding mountain bikers in the Scottish Highlands and will be continually assessing these factors and making tweaks to the itinerary where necessary to ensure that every member of the group makes the most of every moment of their ‘Espresso Adventure’ MTB Tour Skye + Raasay.
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Extraordinary
Few days after our fantastic espresso tour on Skye and Raasay, the impressions of the landscape, the people and of course of our guide Alex Glasgow are still deeply in my memory.
Alex explained a lot about MTB technique, landscape and seaweed and from time to time tiny bits of cultural information 🙂
We had a lot to laugh and Alex made us feel very good. Not to forget Victoria and Catherine: Excellent support and information in every way. And last but not least for all of you thinking of a espresso tour:
- H+I Adventures means adventure
- Fitness level 5/7 means you should be fit to enjoy the trip
- Skill level Intermediate+ makes you enjoying the downhill passages
I'm back now for over a week, but still completely flashed. What trails, what scenic views, what space, what beer, what whiskey :-), what, what.
Just great, but be warned: if they say "adventure", it is adventure. If they say be prepared, better prepare, if they say it's rewarding, it is! Thank you all folks for a great journey.
Fantastic 4 days! Great organization, amazing scenery, spectacular trails, delicious food and a great guide! I am looking forward to my next H+I tour 😉
Definitely not a coffee shop tour ! Diverse and challenging terrain, that will satisfy your sense of adventure. Unfortunately we had appalling weather, some of the worst I've ever experienced on the West Coast, Spring was nowhere to be found! Even indomitable Alex was beaten by the Glen Sligachan day! Despite the weather we had a great trip which sums up the culture of H+I with its flexible scheduling and great back of house support from Victoria. Cosy accommodation and really well researched food options welcomed us after a hard day's ride. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend H+I for any Mtn biking Trip you'd like to take, they are the best in the business....and of course, Yeti rentals available if you can't travel with your own = priceless!
Let’s get one thing straight…this is no coffee shop tour 😎. This trip is action packed with a big bite of everything you can manage on a mountain bike and then some!
This was my second opportunity to be guided by the one and only… Iron Man, Alex Glasgow! I’ve never seen his feet but I believe they may be hooves 🤔. Alex and his fantastic sense of humor will keep you entertained for sure. What a gift to ride in Alex’s backyard!
Skye and Rassay are absolutely fabulous…the riding, the views, the fun of it all. Oh, and the accommodations and food were outstanding as always with H+I.
Be in great shape for this tour and you will enjoy it that much more. My 7th trip with H+I…Would love to come back to ride Skye and Rassay again one day…❤️
I now understand what "H+I" initials stands for........ Hella Impressive! Even the weather in April cooperated!
From start to finish, all details fully addressed and densely packed into 4 coordinated days of riding in an unforgettable place to briefly glimpse into the kind and welcoming Scottish people alongside diverse and breathtaking views of the terrain that is nightly celebrated over amazing local food, spirit and reflection. A way to turn off your mind and celebrate life on 2 wheels.
My first trip with the company will definitely not be my last. Perfectly facilitated from a mid-pandemic idea to reality. Sitting now with a smile and planning my next adventure with this first-class company!
I know what you are thinking, four days is way too short, right?
Hell no! H+I have shoe horned so much awesome, climbs, descents, magnificent scenery, modes of transport, wildlife, food - did I mention food, grins and giggles into this espresso adventure it is more of a Venti Latte than the diminutive beverage titled trip suggests.
So much is packed into this trip it feels way longer than four days. From Alex’s local trails, to the secret loop on Raasay, to the awesome day in the shadow of Skye’s majestic Cullin mountains, to the finale in big country Torridon this is a stunning trip.
To all this is added Alex’s irreverent humour perfectly balanced with large helpings of true professionalism, all in all a real barista quality trip.
A truly special trip with views so incredible it is hard to find the words. Don’t be fooled by the short duration of this trip, this is a challenging four days with everything you could hope to get from a mountain biking adventure.
The technical climbs and hike-a-bike sections are rewarded with jaw-dropping scenery and some of the best natural descents on offer.
Alex’s enthusiasm for showing us the best riding in his own backyard was infectious and he let the days flow superbly to maximise the group’s enjoyment. A lot of helpful riding tips along the way too.
All finished off by great local seafood and local beers. There simply cannot be a better way to spend a long weekend.
We crammed some serious riding into the 4 days. Wild and adventurous trails with stunning scenery. Our guide Alex, helping us with pointers to make the many water bars less ominous. Food, accommodation and company all wonderful. Such a stunning part of the world. Will be back again soon....
I have been on a number of H+I trips so it’s fair to say I love what they do. This trip was no exception. Superbly organised, it was everything I had hoped for. Guided by the ever impressive Alex, it was a privilege to be shown the trails in his own backyard. From technical climbs and descents through to hike a bike sections it is a challenge that rewards the effort. Once again Scotland and the H+I team delivered at every level. Superb
I have been to Scotland with H+I before so wasn't unfamiliar with what to expect.. Hosted over 4 days this trip still managed to impress and surprise in equal measure. The scenery was breathtaking, the trails challenging and exhilarating. Alex our guide is a true adventurer and managed a disparate group of riders without ever cossetting us or imposing upon anyone. The support staff including Chris who came for the last day are great. It is an adventure and for anyone reading this and wondering. Do it. You will be delighted you did.
The long weekend of Highlands mountain biking is an adventure to say the least. The terrain is unique and unlike anything I've ridden before. The theme is clearly escape your local bike park and getting really out there to find those truely challenging trails only a few skilled riders have found or experienced. The climbs and some carries with rough, rocky single track are rewarded with breathtaking views, fun technical downhills, and local Scottish hospitality. A hard day on the bike is wonderfully cushoned by comfortable lodgings, amazing local seafood & drink, and supportive staff that goes above and beyond to make your full experience great.