ALL MOUNTAIN
coast-to-coast
Scotland’s mountain bike holiday experts
coast-to-coast
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HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS ADVENTURES
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Our new “All mountain coast-to-coast� mountain bike holiday is the culmination of years of research and riding to find the ultimate point-to-point mountain bike ride on the British Isles. This mountain bike holiday will see you riding nearly 300km from the east coast town of Bonar Bridge and ending your week at the stunning fishing village of Applecross on the rugged west coast of Scotland. During this epic mountain bike trip you will ride the best trails that Scotland has to offer, from the high plateaux of Torridon to the coastal splendour of Applecross. COAST-TO-COAST
coast-to-coast diary by Euan Wilson, head guide It’s early on a bright summer’s morning in Inverness, the capital of the Highlands of Scotland. I am meeting a group of enthusiastic mountain bikers from around the globe who are joining us on our epic all mountain coast-to-coast holiday. After the introductions, we grab a coffee, pack the van and head north east to the village of Bonar Bridge, and the starting point of our impending all-mountain adventure. On arrival, we treat ourselves to a good lunch then get the bikes out for an afternoon ride to stretch our legs and to settle any of the pre-trip nerves. We head to the most northerly trail centre in Scotland, Golspie, which boasts a fantastic climb and the longest man-made descent in the country.
Day three, and there’s a bit of respite for the legs as we take a boat ride across the loch to the start of the trail. This is the only powered mode of transport we’ll experience all week, so we all make the most of the 10-minute crossing before getting stuck into some classic Scottish mountain biking. Today we’re riding through some of the most impressive mountain areas in the Highlands, and the group ranges from waxing lyrical about the scenery to being struck dumb by its beauty. The final stretch of the day is a sweet singletrack descent into the village of Poolewe where we spend the night.
The next morning there is a mood of quiet anticipation amongst the group, but after a cup of tea and a hearty breakfast, the conversation soon picks up as everyone relives the thrills and spills of the previous day’s ride. Time to throw our kit in the van, say goodbye to the support driver and set off into the Scottish wilderness where we’ll be lucky to see two people all day! With the weather looking good for us and the trails riding nicely, this first leg - the longest but easiest day of the trip – turns out to be the perfect start to our Scottish coast-tocoast mountain bike holiday.
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Great adventure, giving a real sense of achievement. Riding group were particularly impressed with Euan’s handling of the party - using a relaxed, good humoured and flexible approach he allowed the adventure to flow naturally and stepped in at just the right moments to ensure team member welfare. S. Robertson, Scotland
From Poolewe we head in the direction of Loch Maree, which is the good weather option for day four. Soon after leaving the village we take a natural climb that weaves its way through a narrow rock formation to the summit, where we have the obligatory photo stop to capture the view of Loch Maree and Slioch. We spend the rest of the day in the shadow of these two stunning natural features until our final stop of the day in Kinlochewe. We have a fantastic home cooked meal and a few beers to finish off the evening.
get the legs warmed up again before we set upon the toughest singletrack climb of the week.
Day five starts with a lively breakfast, full of tales of the previous day’s antics. Once we are all fed and watered it’s time to ride Torridon, and some of the best trails in the whole of the UK. The ride to the top of the now infamous descent passes largely without incident; the odd sigh and curse but on the whole, job done! Sitting at the top of the hill, eating a snack and dissecting the climb, you get some time to look around and appreciate where you are, and believe me, it is amazing. And now, for the descent. Every member of the group swoops, hops and drifts their way to the bottom where, for five minutes, everyone is talking at each other at the same time and not one person is listening to any of it. That’s the sign of a good day on the bike!
As we work our way up this stunning valley the crew comment that I’m ‘sure making them work for their beer today!’ but as soon as we crest the hill to start our 6km descent all of the grumbling turns to whooping and laughing. As we drop out at the bottom of the trail onto the road everyone looks at me expectantly: ‘Where now?’ I turn and point 100m up the road to the pub, our accommodation and the waiting van. A trail that ends with a 6km descent and a pub in sight? Now that’s what I’m talking about! Sitting next to the log fire with a beer in our hands, sore from two amazing descents, we chat about the highs and lows of the day’s riding until close to midnight. Day seven and our final day of riding is a coastal singletrack extravaganza that offers us amazing clear views over to the Isle of Skye and back into Torridon. After a nice piece of singletrack and a couple of stream crossings we descend a lovely rocky singletrack descent to the west coast village of Applecross and the end of our epic coast-to-coast journey. Let the celebrations commence!
We meet our driver for a delicious lunch of locallysourced produce like, cheese, bread, baking and fruit and veg. After we set off we have a short road spin to
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itinerary Day 1 | Arrival day and bike preparation
We will pick you up at the meeting point in Inverness and drive you from there, up the east coast to the Highland village of Bonar Bridge and your top quality B&B on the banks of the Kyle of Sutherland. Once there, we’ll set up your bikes, talk over the week ahead and hopefully get out for a ride, then relax into the holiday with a local beer or two and some great local food.
Day 2 | Bonar Bridge to Ullapool
After a good sleep and a famous Scottish breakfast we will ride straight from the B&B onto the trails that circle the Balblair woods at the back of Bonar Bridge before heading on our westerly journey. Today you will be riding through classic Scottish glens that will get some miles under our belts, before spitting us out on some stunning singletrack leading to the Highland town of Ullapool.
Riding from Kinlochewe to Annat through the mountains of Torridon is our favourite part of the coast-to-coast ride. It has everything that you can possibly want from a mountain bike ride, from stunning views, technical climbs, long, sweeping descents and grin-inducing singletrack! With its multi-peaked mountains, Torridon is perhaps the most striking skyline in the Scottish Highlands.
Today is your rest day, where you can explore the local area, read a book in the bar or join the guide for a half days mountain biking up a local hill, it’s your choice!
We will start today with a boat crossing over Loch Broom on our way to some of the most mouth-watering singletrack in the country, if not Europe. Once we turn westwards again the trail starts to open up in front of you, climbing up and over to Dundonnel forest, Fionn Loch and onto Poolewe, by which time your cheeks will hurt from grinning! Although the wolves and bears have long vanished from this part of the world, there’s a raw, wild atmosphere that remains and you’ll be forgiven for glancing over your shoulder now and again.
Day 4 | Poolewe to Kinlochewe
Day 7 | Shieldaig to Applecross
We’ll ride a lovely low-level piece of singletrack alongside a stunning inland loch that will lead us straight to the village of Shieldaig. After admiring the view, we will move further along Loch Torridon, then cut through the middle of the Applecross peninsula on some of the most remote and unused singletrack we’ve been on all week. This leads us straight to Applecross bay and the end of our coast-to coast. You’ll be rewarded for your efforts with local ales and first-class local food at the Applecross Inn, one of the best pubs on the west coast of Scotland.
Day 8 | Departure day
Today we will ride off-road straight from Poolewe on a fantastic section of singletrack that rises high above the head of Loch Maree before descending to the banks of the loch itself and our own private section
HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS ADVENTURES
Day 5 | Kinlochewe to Annat
Day 6 | Day off or half day’s local ride
Day 3 | Ullapool to Poolewe
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of singletrack. Depending on time, there is the chance for us to ride a 15km extra loop at the end of Loch Maree.
We will spend the morning packing the bikes, organising your luggage and transport you back to Inverness to say our goodbyes.
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the details Holiday price
Further information on Scotland
£915 per person
Scotland 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:
This includes: • All breakfasts • 7 nights’ accommodation • T he services of a fully-qualified, expert mountain bike
Meal costs
guide for the duration of the trip • T ransportation 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 • Support driver throughout the week • All group safety equipment
• T he average daily lunch and dinner costs are £25
The price does not include:
• W here we will be travelling there are few banks, so
per person, not including drinks • T ipping is not compulsory, but if you were to tip, 10% of the cost of your meal would be acceptable
Currency • T he currency in Scotland is GBP (£), and this is the
only currency that will be accepted, without exception • 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
you will need to have enough cash to see you through 3-4 days of travelling
Tipping
Bike hire
Visas
We can arrange bike hire for you for the duration of the trip. The cost of mountain bike hire is as follows: • G ood quality hard-tail mountain bike with disc brakes, from brands such as, Cove, Rocky Mountain and Kona – £150 per week • G ood quality full-suspension bike with disc brakes, from brands such as, Cove, Rocky Mountain and Turner – £240 per week
Visitors 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.
It 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
During the online booking process you will be able to book your bike hire, but remember to enter your correct height.
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Health and safety • N o vaccinations are required for visiting Scotland • Y ou 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 • G uides are fully trained first aiders
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Meeting point and how to get there Most 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 rail Three 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 coach Coach 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 air
Accommodation and food One 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.
Kit list • Gloves (appropriate to the time of year)
Our 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.
HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS ADVENTURES
If your group requires transfer from another Scottish airport, please ask.
• Helmet (essential)
Highlands and Islands Adventures guides
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Inverness 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.com www.easternairways.com or www.hial.co.uk.
• 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
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Holiday insurance
How this trip makes a difference
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. 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.
Although 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?
Responsible travel Highlands 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.
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Highlands and Islands Adventures, 80 Grigor Drive, Inverness, IV2 4LS, Scotland | info@mtbholidayscotland.com photography © andymccandlish | website by 2dynamic Ltd | design by Abby Franklin © Highlands and Islands Adventures 2011