Scotland’s mountain bike holiday experts

ALL MOUNTAINtorridon and skye

This Highland mountain bike adventureincludes some of the most exhilarating mountain biking and awe-inspiring landscapes the Highlands and Islands of Scotland have to offer. 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. The Cuillin and Torridon mountains hide some truly epic mountain bike trails for those willing to go that extra mile to ride the best.

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torridon and skye

Life is good! The weather is stunning and I am standing outside Inverness airport with a coffee in hand waiting for our guests to arrive from all over the world, for another amazing trip around the west coast of Scotland. All flights arrive on time, so we pack the trailer, jump in the van and we are off! Within two hours we are at Laggan Wolftrax, the north’s best trail centre and café, building bikes and picking up last-minute biking kit for the week ahead. With bikes built we head off onto the trails, graded from green to double diamond black, this checks the bikes are trail worthy, gives us a taste of what is to come and settles the nerves.

From Laggan we head west to Fort William to watch the World Cup downhill round at Aonoch Mor on the northern slopes of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK. Sadly Peaty isn’t on form this year and we settle for a Gee Atherton win. When all the stands are packed away and the after show party is finished, we drive to Arisaig for the night to wait for our ferry, first thing the next morning. We pass the evening with a couple of beers, eating locally caught scallops and teaching one of the crew how to play cards – without success – before turning in for the night.

After a hearty breakfast the ferry takes us from Mallaig to the Isle of Skye, where breath-taking scenery and

singletrack await! We hit a stunning coastal trail in the south of the island where we pass through abandoned villages, have lunch on a fossil beach before hugging a coastal singletrack that tests your balance and your nerve! Three hours and countless stunning views later, we turn a corner to find one of the team lying on the ground screaming ‘I have died and gone to trail heaven; it can’t possibly get any better than this!’ Calmly, I say, ‘Wait until tomorrow.’

After spending the night in a hotel that has over 200 malt whiskies behind the bar, day two on Skye starts a little slower than normal, but once we get going we are riding in the far north of the island around some of the most impressive cliffs in the country. If you can

torridon and skye diary by Euan Wilson, head guide

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imagine Lord of the Rings on steroids, that sums up fairly well the setting through which the singletrack snakes all morning, then to lunch on a white sandy west coast beach. In the evening we visit our favourite meal spot of the week, in Portree, which is the best of an excellent selection of restaurants that we visit this week in the west of Scotland. After a good and well deserved sleep, we make our way to Torridon and the mountain biking playground that Goose and Maverick (Top Gun references abound throughout the holiday) are desperate to experience.

We spend two days in the Torridon area enjoying the delights of the scenery, from the towering mountains that rise straight out of the sea, to the almost purpose-built trails that weave their way through the mountains. The group can’t get enough. Cries of, ‘Can we stay here for the rest of the week?!’ mark the end of every single descent, especially the 7km descent that ends at the door of the pub. After two of the best and funniest days I’ve spent on a trip, we move on to Poolewe for a ride into one of the most awe-inspiring corries in the Highlands. We do an amazing out-and-back ride that combines a beautiful climb with some really sweet, technical singletrack sections, then finish the day in a great coffee shop with some home baking. Sadly, this is the last night of the trip, so we settle ourselves into a nice pub, order some food and drinks and celebrate a successful trip. In the morning we make our way back

to Inverness to pack the bikes, take a walk around some downhill trails and have the last supper before transferring everyone to the airport to say our goodbyes. As I said at the beginning, ‘Life is good!’

The guiding was superb and Euan was able to provide not just mountain biking advice, but was really able to impart all sorts of interesting facts on wildlife and general knowledge for the areas we covered. Your love and enthusiasm for both Scotland and mountain biking really made it a memorable trip.K. Lynch, England

“”

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Day 1 | Arrival day and bike preparationThe group will meet in Inverness where we’ll pack the van and then start our journey west. Our first stop will be at one of Scotland’s most exciting and challenging man-made trails that snakes through the lovely Scots pine forest in Laggan. You can choose from a range of trails, depending on how fit and adventurous you’re feeling, and then relax and chat over the holiday in the café with a delicious coffee!

Day 2 | SkyeWe’ll catch the ferry from Mallaig, which lies at the end of the West Highland railway line, over to the south end of the Isle of Skye. Once on Skye we will spend the day riding a fantastic trail on the south of the island with stunning sea views over to the islands of Eigg and Rum.

Day 3 | Skye Our full day on Skye will see us tackling the challenging 50km loop from Sligachan. The route carves its way between the Cuillin mountains with a mouth-watering combination of technical climbs and hair-raising descents. We will cycle over some very rocky terrain, skirting round the foot of classic peaks such as Sgurr nan Gillean and Blà Bheinn. If this sounds like too much effort, then we can choose a more tame, but just as scenic route elsewhere on the island.

Day 4 | PlocktonWe’ll leave Skye behind and head down to Plockton, another picturesque fishing village, and also a National Trust conservation village. There are a number of routes that we could choose to ride, most of which are in forests and fairly sheltered. Plockton offers some fabulous eateries specialising, of course, in local fish and seafood. At the end of the day we will

drive over to Torridon, which attracts thousands of outdoor enthusiasts every year because of its rugged mountainous landscape.

Day 5 | ShieldaigYour first day in the Torridon area will see us move further south round the west coast to Shieldaig. The village itself was established in 1800 to attract families into the fishing industry and to build a reserve of seamen to help fight Napoleon. Tourism now takes precedence over the traditional industries, and it’s not hard to see why, given the stunning location on the edge of Loch Shieldaig. There’s a fantastic loop round the peninsula between Shieldaig and Applecross, which will offer us a good few hours on the bike.

Day 6 | TorridonYour second day in Torridon will blow your mind! As far as mountain biking goes, the area is a well-kept secret. You’ll experience 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.

Day 7 | Loch NessToday we will leave Torridon behind and head back towards Inverness, picking up a fantastic singletrack trail along the banks of Loch Ness and a celebration lunch on the loch. This evening you will have time to pack your bikes for the travel home tomorrow.

Day 8 | Departure dayWe will spend the morning packing the bikes, organising your luggage and transport you back to Inverness to say our goodbyes.

itinerary

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Holiday price£840 per person

This 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

• All group safety equipment

The price does not include:• 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

Bike hireWe can arrange bike hire for you for the duration of the trip. The cost of mountain bike hire is as follows:

• Good quality hard-tail mountain bike with disc brakes, from brands such as, Cove, Rocky Mountain and Kona – £150 per week

• Good quality full-suspension bike with disc brakes, from brands such as, Cove, Rocky Mountain and Turner – £240 per week

During the online booking process you will be able to book your bike hire, but remember to enter your correct height.

Further information on ScotlandScotland is a relatively small, English-speaking country in the northern-most part of the United Kingdom, which is situated on the west edge of Europe. Below are a few things you should know before you travel:

Meal costs• The average daily lunch and dinner costs are £25

per person, not including drinks• Tipping is not compulsory, but if you were to tip,

10% of the cost of your meal would be acceptable

Currency • The currency in Scotland is GBP (£), and this is the

only currency that will be accepted, without exception• Where we will be travelling there are few banks, so

you will need to have enough cash to see you through 3-4 days of travelling

TippingIt is not compulsory to tip your guides or drivers in Scotland, but if you feel that you have had a good service or experience, you can tip at your discretion

VisasVisitors from certain countries require a visa to holiday in the UK. Please check www.ukvisas.gov.uk before booking to see if you will need a visa for your mountain bike holiday in Scotland.

Health and safety• No vaccinations are required for visiting Scotland• You can drink the water from the rivers on our tours,

following the instructions of your guide. Purification tablets will be available should you require them

• Guides are fully trained first aiders

the details

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Accommodation and foodOne of the things that sets our holidays apart from other mountain biking holidays in Scotland is the excellent accommodation we use. We understand that when you’ve had a big day in the saddle on the Highlands trails, 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.

Highlands and Islands Adventures guidesOur mountain bike guides are qualified to the very highest level in the UK, through the Scottish Mountain Bike Leader Award. They are qualified in first-aid and for this type of trip they also hold an expedition leader award, which means that they have the knowledge and experience to lead a group safely in these very remote, wild and unpredictable parts of Scotland. In addition to formal qualifications, 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. The team is made up of local riders who are experts in their fields, superb local guides and genuinely nice people. Their passion for mountain biking and for the Highlands and Islands is truly infectious and they’re completely committed to responsible tourism and making sure that our business is run as sustainably as possible.

Meeting point and how to get thereMost of our holidays begin at Inverness railway station, and in the exceptional cases where we meet elsewhere we will contact you with details of the meeting point. As part of our responsible tourism strategy we ask our customers to use public transport to the meeting point as far as possible.

Inverness by railThree hours from Glasgow and Edinburgh, and eight hours or overnight from London. For up-to-date timetables and booking information visit:www.firstscotrail.com or www.thetrainline.com.

Inverness by coachCoach services run from London and other UK cities to Inverness. Regular coaches run from Glasgow (three hours), Edinburgh (three hours) and Aberdeen (two hours) to Inverness. For up-to-date coach timetables and booking information visit:www.gobycoach.com or www.citylink.co.uk.

Inverness by airInverness is becoming increasingly well-served by major and budget airlines from all over the UK and Ireland.For up-to-date timetables and booking information visit:www.ba.com, www.easyjet.com, www.ryanair.comwww.easternairways.com or www.hial.co.uk.

If your group requires transfer from another Scottish airport, please ask.

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Kit list

• Helmet (essential)

• Gloves (appropriate to the time of year)

• Glasses

• Cycle shorts/trousers

• Waterproofs

• Hat and spare gloves

• Bike in good working order

• Pump

• Inner tubes

• Brake pads to suit your bike

• Water system (water bottle or Camel back)

• Personal energy bars

• Any medication you require (you must inform your guide about this prior to the tour)

• Suitable day sack to hold all of the above

Holiday insuranceYou 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. We work closely with Travel & General Insurance Services Limited whose policies are specially designed for mountain bike holidays. You can arrange your insurance cover directly with them by following this link and then we ask that you send us your policy details. Please note: if you have arranged your own holiday insurance, you must bring a copy of your policy with you on your mountain bike holiday with us.

Responsible travelHighlands and Islands Adventures is a company committed to its sustainable tourism policy, and takes seriously its responsibility to operate in a sustainable way. We are working hard to improve our procedures, policies and our impact on the environment that we work in, so for a copy on our ‘responsible tourism policy’ please contact us on info@mtbholidayscotland.com.

How this trip makes a differenceAlthough the Highlands and Islands of Scotland is one of the most stunning parts of the country, it is also one of the least affluent regions. This is because of the remoteness of the rural communities and the low levels of employment. During our Scottish mountain biking holidays we benefit the local communities by bringing tourism to their areas and using local services, guides, drivers, and by doing so we help to support local businesses, create employment and contribute to the overall sustainable development of the region. We have a ‘leave no trace’ policy on our mountain biking holidays to ensure that our impact in these beautiful regions will not have a negative effect on this fragile environment. During our trips our guides will pass on their knowledge and explain the reasons behind our environmental policy and the ‘leave no trace’ ethos. We are also on hand to advise you on how you can make a difference as we travel through the remote wilderness of Scotland. Guests in the past have thrown away banana, orange and apple skins, saying ‘it will degrade,’ which is true, but it will take a long time to do so, it is not a natural waste product of Scotland, and if every member of my groups did it every trip, of every year, how would this unspoilt landscape look?

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Highlands and Islands Adventures, 80 Grigor Drive, Inverness, IV2 4LS, Scotland | info@mtbholidayscotland.comphotography © andymccandlish | website by 2dynamic Ltd | design by Abby Franklin

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