Royal
Deeside Backcountry

You’re an experienced e-mountain biker, riding at least twice a week through the season and comfortable on: singletrack and double track climbs, long and technical at times; rocky, uneven descents with steep sections; rocky and rooty singletrack through forests. Read more on our intermediate+ skill level.

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 adventure for you.

On our E-MTB tours the e-bike is not a skill or fitness compensator. It is an aid to exploring the world, riding further, or giving you that one final run down a trail that we might otherwise have missed.

During our e-mountain bike tour in Scotland you will deliver around 90% of the effort required on an average day and your E-MTB will help you with the other 10%. Managing battery life effectively is a big part of this adventure, so you’ll be in ECO mode much of the time, switching to Trail on the advice of your guide. Boost/ Turbo won’t be a big feature of this tour!

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 have been (e-)mountain biking regularly for at least two years
• You can brake, use gears and corner with confidence
• You have good bike handling skills, and are confident riding rough double track and singletrack with moderately technical features, such as small drops, roots and rocks
• You are competent at riding undulating trails with moderate climbs and descents on both double and singletrack, but tend to get off and walk very technical singletrack sections
• You e-mountain bike at least twice a week throughout your biking season

Fitness level: 6/7

• You have an excellent level of bike fitness, exercising four or five times every week throughout the year, for at least an hour at a time
• You are comfortable mountain biking up to six hours a day at a moderate pace, with snack and photo stops, for four or more consecutive days
• You can tackle several serious climbs a day, up to 600 metres each

Typical trails you’ll be riding

• Double track: undulating forest roads made up of hard-packed dirt, small rocks, some grassy and muddy sections
• Singletrack: rustic singletrack, through forests with roots crossing the trails, over high mountain plateaux, and at times you will encounter rock gardens with fixed and loose rocks
• The trails in Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms are hundreds of years old, and are not buff purpose built trails, they are natural wilderness walking trails that link villages across the region and surfaces may be soft and muddy at times

If you are driving or taking the train to the Highlands and wish to travel with your own e-mountain bike, it must be a good quality full suspension e-mountain bike with 29” or 27.5” wheels, a dropper seat post, and 130mm -150mm of travel front and rear.

Enduro style tyres that have robust puncture protection and thick side walls, such as the Maxxis DD or DH, are ideal for this adventure.

Batteries must be capable of lasting 50km/ 30 miles and 1000m/ 3000ft of ascent. They should be 625wH or more.

If you are travelling with your own e-bike you MUST bring a spare battery with you. This is essential for two days of the tour, although you only have to carry a spare battery with you on one ride.

If you’re not able to do that, you can rent one of our bikes, with which we will provide a spare battery.

We have a fleet of Yeti 160E e-mountain bikes to rent in Scotland. Please advise of your height if you wish to rent a bike, so that we know we have the right size for you.

Spare battery is included with bike rental.

We only run small group e-mountain bike tours to ensure that everyone has the best experience possible, and there will be a maximum of seven riders in each group. The minimum number of people we require to run this Royal Deeside Backcountry E-MTB tour in Scotland is four.

In short, no. This E-MTB tour in Scotland is designed for riders who can e-mountain bike on singletrack, have a history of mountain biking but prefer to use E-MTB’s, or have been using an E-MTB for a few years, gaining experience on a variety of trails on their electric mountain bike.

Our e-mountain bike tour in Scotland caters for a wide age range; typically between 30- and 65-years-old. Regardless of age, you must have the appropriate level of physical fitness and mountain biking skills to participate in this adventure. Please refer to clause 14 of our terms and conditions of booking to find more information on rider age.

This Royal Deeside E-MTB tour in Scotland is a guided e-mountain bike vacation, ideal for intermediate+ e-mountain bikers. The terrain you’ll be riding on consists of double track and singletrack through ancient forests, villages and across mountain passes.

You’ll encounter some long, sometimes technical climbs, roots, rocks, river crossings, and some steep trails.

The distances we cover each day range from 20km to 60km, in accordance with the height gain/ loss and technical difficulty on each stage.

Each evening your guides will chat with you about the following day’s e-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.

No, you only need to carry a 20-litre back pack with you whilst riding. We have your large kit bags transferred to your next accommodation each day, and have them ready and waiting for your arrival.

Your guide will be very happy to give you some e-bike skills tips during your trip to help improve your confidence and your enjoyment of your E-MTB tour in Scotland.

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 an e-mountain bike holiday!

Your e-mountain bike guide is local to the Royal Deeside area and an experienced professional with a real passion for e-mountain biking and for the culture and landscape of this part of Scotland.

Your safety is their number one priority, closely followed by your enjoyment of your E-MTB tour in Scotland. They will always be on-hand to answer any questions or requests you may have throughout your trip.

On this e-mountain bike tour in the beautiful Royal Deeside and Cairngorms region of Scotland you will be staying in a selection of family-run guest houses and small hotels, where you’ll find a warm welcome and comfortable rooms.

All breakfasts are included in the price of the tour, and you’ll enjoy fantastic breakfasts at your accommodation which will set you up well for each day in the saddle. One unique evening meal is also included in the tour price.

Some days you will be staying fuelled with snacks and sandwiches on trail, and other days we’ll have a proper lunch stop at favourite cafés.

Whilst lunches and most dinners are not included in the tour price, so that you can choose what you wish from the dinner menu, we will eat together as a group every evening.

You should budget around £65 per day for meals.

Read the full kit list to find out what you need to pack for your Royal Deeside Backcountry e-mountain bike tour.

You will have access to laundry facilities some nights, but we also recommend packing a small amount of laundry detergent for hand washing.

Unfortunately not. We are working hard to provide each and every customer who rides with us an unparalleled mountain bike experience in every destination we ride. This takes years of experience, riding and planning to get right, and a drone adds a very real danger to the group’s riding experience and health & safety.

Inverness is well connected to the rest of the UK by good rail, air, and coach links.

If you plan to travel by train with your e-mountain bike, please note that you will need to book your bike onto the train in advance as there is very limited space.

You can also fly into Glasgow or Edinburgh and take the train to Inverness from there. It takes around 3.5 hours and is a picturesque journey.

Visas

Visitors from certain countries require a visa to holiday in the UK. Please check the UK Government website before booking to see if you will need a visa for your Scotland mountain bike tour.

Arrival and departure details

Your Royal Deeside Backcountry e-mountain bike tour will start and end in Inverness.

If you are flying to Scotland we advise that you arrive the day before and book an overnight stay in Inverness, in order to allow for any delays in flights and/or luggage.

We have created this handy guide to spending 24 hours in Inverness before the start of your E-MTB adventure in Scotland.

Our e-mountain bike guides in Scotland are of the highest level.

They are qualified in first-aid and they have the knowledge and experience to lead a group safely in these remote, wild and beautiful parts of the Scottish Highlands.

Our guides have years of experience in the saddle on the trails of Scotland and will be able to enhance your holiday with facts and fables on local history, flora and fauna. Our Royal Deeside E-MTB guide, Tony, is also a huge fan of e-mountain bikes and will share his knowledge of these to help you get the most from your adventure.

We understand that when you’ve had a big day in the Great Outdoors, you want a warm welcome, hot shower and a comfortable place to relax and unwind – because that’s exactly what we’re looking for too. This is why we only work with accommodation providers across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland whose standards of service match our own high expectations.

Food is a major part of our e-mountain bike tour Royal Deeside, and we’ve worked hard to find the best local restaurants, cafes and pubs that produce the most delicious home-cooked meals using fresh, locally sourced produce.

On some days you will be staying fuelled with snacks and sandwiches on trail, and on other you’ll have a proper lunch stop in some of our favourite cafés.

Whilst lunches and dinners are not included in the tour price, so that you can choose what you wish from the dinner menu, we will eat together as a group every evening.

No vaccinations are required for visiting Scotland.

You should always consult your own doctor or physician before travelling to new countries to seek their advice on matters concerning your health abroad.

You can drink the water from all taps in Scotland, and also from some of the rivers along your tour, following instructions from your guide.

Please let us know if you have any special food requirements, allergies or pre-existing conditions your guides should know about.

You should always consult your own doctor or physician before travelling to new countries to seek their advice on matters concerning your health abroad.

Your health and safety on tour is our top priority and when you travel with us you will be covered by Global Rescue emergency medical and evacuation services.

The official currency of Scotland is the Great British Pound (GBP) and is the only currency that will be accepted. ATM machines are available in Inverness.

Tipping
It is not compulsory to tip your guides or drivers in Scotland, but it is much appreciated. If you feel you’ve had a good service or experience on your mountain bike tour in the Highlands, you can tip at your discretion.

It is not compulsory to tip in restaurants, however should you wish to tip your servers, 10% – 15% of your meal cost would be acceptable.

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 cancellation and baggage, including your bike.

We work with Global Rescue whose policies are specially designed for adventure travel and you can arrange your insurance cover directly with them.