We advise arriving in Inverness the day before the tour start date to make sure any flight or luggage delays don’t spoil your adventure.
Your guide will meet you in Inverness the following morning, and we have a handy guide on how to spend 24 hours in Inverness.
Your guide will meet you late morning in Inverness and transfer you to H+I Adventures HQ for a welcome briefing with coffee and cake, and bike building/ tuning session.
With bikes set up and ready to roll, we’ll head south to Aviemore for our first ride into the Cairngorms, and one of the largest surviving areas of ancient Caledonian pine forest in Europe. Covering an area of over 30 square kilometres, this forest is steeped in history and folklore.
Weaving our way through 300-year-old Scots pine, our ride starts to head off-the-beaten-track into the lesser-known singletrack that flows through the forest at the foot of the iconic northern corries of the Cairngorm massif.
Heading up and over the ‘Rocky Road’, we get views looking across the Eastern Cairngorms, and with one more flowing descent we spin back to Aviemore, passing Highland cattle and red deer, and making it back in time for some of the finer tastes of this area!
We will be staying in our favourite guest house tonight, and will head into town to a locals’ favourite for our first meal together.
Today we’ll go on a trail journey through the forests and villages of the Cairngorms National Park, sampling different styles of trail, and gradually increasing the level of challenge throughout the day.
After a hearty Highland breakfast we’ll ride straight from our guest house and connect these local trail networks on a circular route that takes in scenic paths and stunning forested singletrack.
As we warm our legs up on a gravel trail through native woodland and heather, listen out for the steam train and take in the vast views across the landscape to the Cairngorm mountains.
We’ll connect farmland to forest and uncover the area’s best kept trail secrets. After sampling some of your guide’s favourite trails, you’ll have the chance to re-fuel with tea and cake, or something more filling, in the picturesque village of Carrbridge.
Our afternoon will begin with a sustained climb that leads us onwards to our next trail network above the village. We’ll tackle some slightly steeper trails that will have you grinning from ear-to-ear as you flow down through the forest.
Pedalling on through the forest, we’ll progress onto the enduro style trails of Aviemore. With roots, rocks and loamy dirt, these trails highlight what makes the Cairngorms such a special place to ride.
Back at our accommodation we’ll get freshened up and ready for another great evening meal together.
We have an early start today, so after a big breakfast we’ll load up the van and trailer, ready to ride one of the hidden gems. We’ll drive to the busy fishing town of Mallaig, and the start of our ride. After a short road spin and climb to wake up the legs we find ourselves on the singletrack above Loch Morar, famed for its remote location and the Loch Morar Monster (Nessie’s cousin).
The trail is a mixture of fast, flowing turns through ferns and challenging rocky climbs and descents, all surrounded by breathtaking scenery. Eventually we’ll work our way to a hidden beach where we will be collected by the island ferry.
On the way back to Mallaig we’ll be looking at the steep coastal mountains we have ridden, and keeping an eye out for the sea eagles swooping above us, and dolphins playing in the bow waves below us.
Tonight we will have dinner accompanied by panoramic views across to the Isle of Skye, which is where we are heading tomorrow.
This morning we’ll cross the water, taking the island ferry over to Armadale on the Isle of Skye, and drive north through the beautiful ‘Garden of Skye’.
Today’s ride is an out-and-back route where the trail carves its way through the valley between the majestic Cuillin mountains. This is a deceptively challenging trail – you won’t gain much height, but the terrain is very rocky in places, and you’ll have to work your arms lifting both wheels over obstacles!
We’ll end our ride conveniently at the Sligachan bar where we’ll stop for a wee dram, before heading over to the picturesque village of Plockton and our accommodation for the night. We’ll have another delicious meal in the village pub, where we might be lucky enough to catch some local musicians playing.
After a proper Scottish breakfast, we’ll drive the coastal route to Kenmore and the starting point of our ride. There will be some tough climbing to start, then we’ll crest out at the plateau to admire the stunning views.
Next it’s knee pads on, brakes off as we enjoy a truly grin-inducing descent which leads us straight to Applecross bay and the quaint and quirky Walled Garden Cafe. Set in a Victorian garden and serving wonderful farm to table produce, getting our fill before retracing our bike tracks to Kenmore and driving the short distance to tonight’s accommodation in Kinlochewe.
Our accommodation is a former coaching inn, steeped in mountaineering history, and we’ll enjoy a wonderful dinner here tonight.
Make sure to fuel up this morning as today is a big mountain day! As far as mountain biking in Scotland goes, Torridon is an iconic destination, but we’ll still have most of the trails to ourselves, and your first day of riding here is sure to blow your mind.
You’ll ride some challenging, but enjoyable climbs, loads of rocks, steps, and “babies’ heads”, 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.
After riding, dinner will be in real favourite of ours set in the quaint, seaside village of Shieldaig, before returning for our second night in Kinlochewe.
On our last day of mountain biking in Scotland we climb back out from the bottom of the glen and head up into the mountains of Torridon for our second fix of these incredible trails. This is what mountain biking in Scotland is all about! After stopping one more time to soak up the atmosphere and appreciate the giants of Torridon, we’ll drop into the best descent from the previous day.
Now you know the lines, you can let off the brakes and really enjoy the trail, a perfect way to finish a week of riding the best of Scotland with a smile!
Once the bikes are loaded on the trailer for the last time, we’ll drive back to Inverness and our beautiful guest house for the evening, before heading to our favourite restaurant in town for our final celebratory meal together.
Sadly, this is the end of your coast-to-coast mountain biking holiday in Scotland, and we’ll say our farewells after an incredible biking adventure across the Highlands.
We can return you to the airport/ train station around 10am, and if your travel plans differ greatly from this, we can help you organise a taxi accordingly.