- Overview
- Why this trip?
- Trip Grade
- Gallery
- Cost
Date: Contact us for start dates
Host: Local guides
Cost: Contact us for pricing on these varied adventures
Mountain Biking Coast to Coast
This Coast to Coast mountain biking itinerary is an absolute epic. It features a week of superb riding from Aberdeen in the east to Ardnamurchan in the west.
This pioneering route covers 350km, an awesome amount of ascent and descent, and is the ultimate coast to coast mountain bike ride in the UK. In the quest to make a great trip even better, further improvements this year mean more superb Highland trails and a higher standard of accommodation throughout the trip. The trails are as varied as the spectacular scenery of the Scottish Highlands and range from flowing singletrack to rocky and challenging mountain passes to mellow forest fire-road.
Beginning in Aberdeen, we leave the city behind and ride all the way across the Highlands through the backcountry to the tip of the Ardnamurchan Peninsula, the westernmost point of mainland Britain. This is a truly superb multi-day mountain bike ride offering world class riding through some of the most spectacular scenery in the Scottish Highlands.
Mountain Biking Across Scotland
This guided mountain bike holiday takes you on a journey across Scotland and provides a great challenge for novice to intermediate riders.
After a warm-up ride on Day 1, we bike for four days to cross Scotland, from Fort William on Scotland’s Atlantic Coast to Inverness on the Moray Firth. With 3-5 hours riding each day, you will have plenty of time to soak in the sights of the Highlands as you ride and at the end of each day. Along the way, you’ll be accompanied by an expert guide and a support vehicle which moves your luggage each day (and provides a lift, if required!). This means you are free to focus on simply enjoying the ride and the changing scenery each day.
Accommodations – Staying in 3 or 4 star hotels, guesthouses and Highland inns, you can enjoy warm hospitality along with a hot shower, great food and a comfortable bed at the end of a day.
Road Cycling Coast to Coast
The Highland Coast to Coast cycle is a rewarding journey of 262 miles/419km travelling from Aberdeen on the east coast to Applecross in the west. Cycling across the country we’ll climb over 17,000 feet/5,180 metres, including the UK’s highest and in our opinion arguably the most challenging road climb. Throw in some excellent Scottish cuisine, including the Applecross Inn (Scotland’s Pub of the year in 2012), changing and stunning scenery each day, along with a huge array of cultural experiences, ranging from castles and distilleries to a fantastic boat trip long Loch Ness, this is sure to be holiday to remember.
Questions? Please contact one of the Civilized Adventures' Custom Travel Advisors at info@civilizedadv.com
Why choose "Mountain Biking Coast to Coast"
- Our Scottish partner has 20 years+ of experience, knowledge and passion
- This 350km route features some of the best trails in Scotland.
- Over the years, our Scottish partner has ridden all the alternatives and they know that this route offers the best riding, scenery and challenge. Unlike other routes, this one is genuinely coast to coast – right from the North Sea to the crashing surf of the Atlantic at Ardnamurchan Point.
- Our Scottish partners invest each year in finding the best accommodation and food partners for the trip based upon their detailed knowledge and experience of the region. No other company offers such a high standard of accommodation and food throughout the trip.
- All of the guides are professionals from the Highlands and know the trails inside out. Riding with them, you can be sure of discovering the best riding, learning a huge amount about Scotland, being safe, developing your skills and, for sure, having a lot of fun.
This trip was voted one of the trips of the year in the US’ leading outdoor publication Outside Magazine.
Why choose "Mountain Bike Across Scotland"
- Mountain bike across the Scottish Highlands from Fort William to Inverness
- Improve your mountain bike skills with help from our expert guide
- Explore Highland villages, visit ancient castles and go monster-spotting on Loch Ness!
- Perfect for beginner to intermediate riders looking for a challenge and to develop their skills
Why choose "Road Cycling Coast to Coast"
- Ride right across Highland Scotland from the east to the west coast
- Quiet roads, testing climbs and superb descents through the UK's most spectacular landscapes
- Visit the beautiful Cairngorms National Park, atmospheric Loch Ness and the mighty mountains of Torridon
- Perfect for beginner to intermediate riders looking for a challenge and to develop their skills
Mountain Biking Coast to Coast
Trip Grade: “Red 8”
- Designed for regular mountain bikers with good level of fitness and technical riding skills
- Pre-trip preparation may be needed to build stamina
- 6-8 hrs of riding/day
- Wide variety of terrain
- 50-70km riding /day
- Wild mountain environments – weather is a factor
- Trails: easy fire road trails to rocky land-rover tracks & technical single track (often technical)
- Hardest trips will challenge even the most skilled rider (rock gardens, drop offs, steep rooty ascents & descents)
Mountain Biking Across Scotland
Trip Grade: “Green 3”
- Suitable for people new to mountain biking or with limited experience
- Trips are active yet laid back with plenty of opportunity for instruction, sightseeing and relaxation
- 3-5 hrs riding/day
- Mostly flat and undulating terrain
- 20-35km rides each day
- Trails generally straightforward with quiet minor roads, forest trails and easy sections of fun single-track
Road Cycling Coast to Coast
Trip Grade: “Red 7”
- Designed for committed cyclist who love cycling and spend many weekends each year riding
- Longer days (challenging)
- Testing climbs & fast descents
- May involve several challenging days in a row with significant amount of climbing
- Sometimes exposed to the elements
- 40-80 km/day (as listed)
- Can include some of the most testing climbs in the UK
Pricing for these tours varies by itinerary. Please contact us for more information.