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    Scott McCabe

    Scott McCabe

    Eat | Ride | Climb

    Mini Bio

    I have been bike mad for about 10 years now, mainly road cycling but over the last few years, I have also embraced the chunkier tyres and baggier clothes for plenty of fun mountain biking action. I enjoy cycling all over Scotland and also travel to Europe to seek out the smoother tarmac and sunny climbs when I can. I have a passion for all things outdoor and adventure. When I’m not out my bike, I’ll be out climbing or in the hills.  

    I have studied Physiology and Sports Science at University, worked as a landscape gardener, trained as a chef, travelled around on my bike and become a qualified Mountain Leader and Mountain Bike Guide. Instructing, guiding and introducing people to the outdoors in Scotland is now proudly what I can say I do for a living.

    Favourite Place to Play

    Everywhere and anywhere that there are rolling roads or scenic single-tracks for the bikes or mountains and crags to walk and climb. Having lived in different areas across Scotland there is something special and appealing to all of them but the West Coast and Islands certainly have a bit of everything for my tastes, including the food and the whisky!

    Not a lot of People Know This

    I used to be a keen rugby player and played at a fairly high level until I realised getting broken a few times a week wasn’t the best idea

    Qualifications Read More
    • Mountain Leader
    • Mountain Bike Leader
    • SPA
    Experience Read More

    I am incredibly fortunate to have experienced many wild and wonderful places across this country and overseas: from mountain biking through the incredible pine forests of the Cairngorms to rock climbing in the Alps to riding some of the most famed road bike climbs in Europe, and a whole lot more in between.

    I have worked with children and young people in educational programmes in the outdoors. I have guided and lead trips and expeditions to many amazing spots throughout the Scottish Highlands and it is here where I continue to spend most of my time. It is a part of the world that holds so much charm, intrigue and almost endless possibilities…

    Biggest Adventure Read More

    Hard to pick what I would call my biggest adventure. Certainly, the longest one I’ve undertaken was a bike packing trip around Spain. Cycling almost every day and carrying everything you need in a small bag or 2.

    Specialist Subject Read More

    Food. I love eating (and cooking) as much as I love the adventures. The local produce available around Scotland is superb, sampling local delicacies is an important part in getting to really experience the culture of anywhere you visit.

    What Fellow Travellers Say About Scott

    They were awesome guides

    Alan Braverman
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 07/09/2024

    Our guides, Scott and Simon, were exceptional. They anticipated our every need. They took great care to make sure we understood the daily routes, what challenges we might face, that we were safely crossing busy roadways when encountered and being sympathetic to our needs and fears.
    Simon and Scott were great companions during the rides and at breakfast, lunch and dinner, sharing their profound knowledge of the countryside, the villages and history of Scotland.

    Gregg Hackett
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 27/08/2024

    Simon and Scott were the best! We love them both and hope to go on another trip with them.

    Diane McCahill
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 26/08/2024

    Simon and Scott were amazing and we hope to do another trip with them.

    Diane McCahill
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 26/08/2024

    Guides were great. Knowledgeable, considerate and fun.

    Gillian Griffiths
    24WSPD Private Departures
    Reviewed on 28/05/2024

    Scott and Neil excelled as our gudes. Nothing was too much and they were very flexible and supportive

    Brigitta Stockinger
    24WSPD Private Departures
    Reviewed on 20/05/2024

    We have been guided by Scott before and as before he was really fantastic. This year Scott was joined by Neil who also was amazing. It can't be easy handling our group of 8 women scientists with quite an age range- I am 78- but they really were a terrific duo, we could not have wished for better.

    Anne Cooke
    24WSPD Private Departures
    Reviewed on 20/05/2024

    Scott was excellent. Exceptional empathy, getting all the currents and non-said and making the best of it. He made sure everyone of us would get what they were looking for in all the important and nice-to-have aspects of the trip.

    Anne-Laure Courbes
    Wilderness Walking - Glencoe and the Highlands
    Reviewed on 27/07/2023

    Well done Scotty & Andy you managed all issues extremely well and kept the bonhomie with & within the total group going beautifully.

    Charles Hall
    Road Cycling - Arran, Islay & Jura
    Reviewed on 11/07/2023

    Scott is a wonderful guide! He managed to be accommodating and organized, inquisitive and knowledgeable, and flexible and purposeful - all at the same time. And with a great sense of humor to boot! He was a great guide.

    Aimee Margolis
    Wilderness Walking - Glencoe and the Highlands
    Reviewed on 08/07/2023

    Thank the guides for staying with me in hard climbs, but also chasing down those zippy e-bikers when they went astray.

    Terra Levin
    Road Cycling - Arran, Islay & Jura
    Reviewed on 02/07/2023

    Both Scot and Andy did a wonderful jog. Both really knowledgeable and helpful.

    Jennifer Hall
    Road Cycling - Arran, Islay & Jura
    Reviewed on 28/06/2023

    Both guides Scot and Andy were excellent. Nothing was too much trouble for them and they were cheerful at all times.

    Ian Noble
    Road Cycling - Arran, Islay & Jura
    Reviewed on 28/06/2023

    Scott Mccabe guided us through the 7 days Glencoe Highlands. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him. He was attentive, kind , warm , putting everyone at ease. Itineraries were executed seamlessly. From daily walks and through mealtime conversations, Scott made everything comfortable and fun. We truly loved our trip !

    Bharathi Vengadasalam
    Wilderness Walking - Glencoe and the Highlands
    Reviewed on 28/06/2023

    We had a fantastic pair of guides, Scott and Ben. They were a great team, had great senses of humour coupled with knowledge and interest in the areas we travelled through while additionally catering for us throughout our days of cycling.

    Anne Cooke
    23WSPD Private Departure
    Reviewed on 20/05/2023

    Scott and Ben were so supportive and friendly- Nothing was ever too much bother and their instincts about when we would need a coffee stop were spot on !! The bikes were immaculate always and Bens ability to play music with my bike brakes was impressive (my own bike's brake which got wet on a ferry crossing!).
    The encouragement on our rainy day on Harris was especially needed. It is just great knowing they are there!

    Doreen Cantrell
    23WSPD Private Departure
    Reviewed on 15/05/2023

    Scott was the best!!

    Marianne Nazzaro
    Wilderness Walking - Autumn Highlands
    Reviewed on 22/10/2022

    Scott was wonderful. Excellent selection of trails and beautiful scenery. He was also highly knowledgeable (and very patient) with all of our questions on Scottish history and nature.

    Marcy Rose
    Wilderness Walking - Autumn Highlands
    Reviewed on 16/10/2022

    Scott was knowledgeable about the area, ensured we were fed and comfortable!

    Janna Miller
    Wilderness Walking - Autumn Highlands
    Reviewed on 16/10/2022

    Scott was wonderful! Knowledgeable, attentive, and responsive, with a healthy dose of good humor!

    Catherine Woolley
    Wilderness Walking - Autumn Highlands
    Reviewed on 16/10/2022

    Scott McCabe was fantastic and knowledgeable, and was super flexible with any needs or changes that we made. We felt smarter every day we were with him.

    Maria Dittrich
    Wilderness Walking - Autumn Highlands
    Reviewed on 13/10/2022

    Scot made the trip, everything was well organised and we appreciated his knowledge, patience and support.

    Mark Cheesmore
    Wilderness Walking - Autumn Highlands
    Reviewed on 11/10/2022

    Very Knowledgeable Guide.
    We learned loads, pitched perfectly

    Eimear Coffey
    Wilderness Walking - Autumn Highlands
    Reviewed on 09/10/2022

    Scott and Will were outstanding guides. They extremely attentive to all of our needs no matter what and were extraordinarily friendly throughout the trip. They were very well organized and worked very hard to make our tour experience a high quality, memorable event.

    Bob McGennis
    Road Cycling - Tour of the Borders
    Reviewed on 04/10/2022

    Very friendly, knowledgable and helpful.

    Jeffrey Drobil
    Road Cycling - Tour of the Borders
    Reviewed on 03/10/2022

    I cannot speak too highly of our guides who, as mentioned previously, went the extra mile literally and metaphorically to support our group of 7, most of whom were unfamiliar with British roads.
    They were always there to negotiate crossing of major (fast) routes and/or potentially confusing road junctions as well as providing frequent welcome 'tea breaks'.
    This support provided a sensation of security and of not being 'left out of sight' if separated from the pack for any reason.

    Mike Rothwell
    Road Cycling - Tour of the Borders
    Reviewed on 03/10/2022

    Scott and Will were beyond helpful and approached perfection. Those in our party who have been on many bike trips said they were the best they ever had. They really took great care of us.

    James Trapp
    Road Cycling - Tour of the Borders
    Reviewed on 03/10/2022

    Dan and Scott were absolutely outstanding-could not fault a thing. Be it questions on history, geography, culture, horticulture or biology, there were no questions they could not answer

    Jean Balloon
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 18/09/2022

    Scott and Dan were both excellent guides. They were very knowledgeable of the area, it's history and of the wildlife.

    The briefings each evening on the next day's ride were clear and informative. For me, it was helpful to have a paper outline of the next day's ride and in particular to be forewarned of where the big hills were.

    Scott and Dan worked together really smoothly and one or other was always waiting at key junctions to stop me going the wrong way, or at the bottom of a particularly steep hill to offer a lift.

    Nothing seemed to be too much trouble for them and they were keen to accomodate, where possible, everyone's requirements.

    Andrea Garman
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 13/09/2022

    Both Scott and Dan seemed experienced and knowledgeable guides. Very friendly and helpful too and they also provided very tasty picnics.

    Jill Bobek
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 05/09/2022

    Scott was well organized, thoughtful and very good company. He did his very best to give us the best experience we could have.

    Stephen Smith
    Wilderness Walking - The Knoydart Peninsula
    Reviewed on 05/07/2022

    Adapted to the weather, added in Canna. Scott was knowledgeable, observant, interested and interesting, adaptable, sharing, great at group dynamics, added so much with his observations about the weather and the sea, boats, the land, history, etc. He also did a great job connecting the group members with all the hosts, people who ran the boat, etc. so we had a glimpse into Duone life rather than having the feeling of just being waited on.

    Amy Wishner
    Wilderness Walking - The Knoydart Peninsula
    Reviewed on 30/06/2022

    Our guides, Cube and Scott, were awesome! They took very good care of us, helping make various adjustments to make me more comfortable. They also were great company and incredibly knowledgeable about many topics, not just cycling. I felt incredibly pampered and well taken care of. They truly exceeded my expectations in all respects. They were always polite, professional, and I could tell they truly loved showing me their homeland of Scotland.

    Jaqueline Hummel
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 23/06/2022

    Scott was an excellent guide and very personable

    Jeff Lee
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 22/06/2022

    Scott is a fantastic, first-class tour leader: enthusiastic, happy, positive, interesting, good with people, encouraging, accommodating, and on and on. He did a first-class job. Guides like him have a huge role in the overall excitement and good spirit of a tour!
    Our second guides had to switch out mid-tour, so we spent less time with them, but they did a good job too and all worked hard for us. Much thanks to all three!

    Calvin Miller
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 21/06/2022

    Both Scott and Simon were excellent, would love to do a trip again with either of them!

    Dave Morton
    Road Cycling - The North Coast 500: Highlights
    Reviewed on 18/05/2022

    We had the same guides as out last trip. They were excellent as usual, hope we get them again!

    Anne Cooke
    22WSTM - Tailor Made Trips
    Reviewed on 18/05/2022

    As much as I dislike filling out comments, I can’t say enough about our guides, Simon and Scott. They were amazingly knowledgeable about our surroundings, the history, the trips, local to do and see, current events or anything we chose to talk about. Nothing seemed to be a bother, they were on top of any requests or questions and couldn’t be any more accommodating and make us feel like old friends.

    Judy Fentiman
    Road Cycling - The North Coast 500: Highlights
    Reviewed on 16/05/2022

    Scott and John and the prefect guides- friendly and non judgmental about hill walking on a cycling holiday

    Doreen Cantrell
    22WSTM - Tailor Made Trips
    Reviewed on 09/05/2022

    Scot and John were superb, helpful and always accommodating.

    Rose Zamoyska
    Road Cycling - Scotland's National Parks
    Reviewed on 20/09/2021

    Scott and John were really wonderful. Easy going, helpful, cheerful and with good senses of humor. What more could you ask for. Multiple folks commented that often when you are at the back you feel bad with the guide waiting for you, but Scott just chatted away so pleasantly that everyone had a great time. And John was lovely and helped give us great advice.

    Pam Schwartzberg
    Road Cycling - Scotland's National Parks
    Reviewed on 16/09/2021

    our guides Scott and John were fantastic

    Brigitta Stockinger
    Road Cycling - Scotland's National Parks
    Reviewed on 13/09/2021

    Our guides Scott and John were just a delight to travel with. Always supportive and caring. Wonderfully flexible to ideas our group had for changes . And good suggestions and advice throughout that allowed us to challenge ourselves without overdoing it. Being supported to adopt ones own pace made every day really enjoyable.

    Doreen Cantrell
    Road Cycling - Scotland's National Parks
    Reviewed on 13/09/2021

    What a wonderful pair of guides! We appreciated their knowledge, company and willingness to adapt the different routes. They were always positive and encouraging. Much appreciated!

    Gillian Griffiths
    Road Cycling - Scotland's National Parks
    Reviewed on 13/09/2021

    The guides we had on this trip were absolutely fantastic. They were flexible, helpful and listened to us- not easy as we were nine potentially stroppy women. They really made the trip the joy it was for us.

    Anne Cooke
    Road Cycling - Scotland's National Parks
    Reviewed on 13/09/2021

    Scott was a great guide. Everything ran really smoothly and he was also great company.

    Kate Criswick
    Wilderness Walking - Cairngorms National Park & Royal Deeside
    Reviewed on 16/08/2021

    Scott friendly, helpful, encouraging, patient and cheerful throughout.

    Gordon Allan
    21WSTM Tailor Made trips
    Reviewed on 09/08/2021

    Scott was brilliant.

    George Collee
    21WSTM Tailor Made trips
    Reviewed on 06/07/2021

    Scott was simply excellent - as described earlier. We made sure we let him know.

    Peter Kellier
    21WSTM Tailor Made trips
    Reviewed on 06/07/2021

    Scott had excellent knowledge, was super helpful and positive and a really excellent guide. Dan was a great second in command.

    Marianne Colpman
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 28/06/2021

    Scott and Dan were friendly, very knowledgeable and good to travel with.

    Richard Hall
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 21/06/2021

    Scott was really amazing. Both Scott and Dan made the trip so enjoyable informative and fun. They also had high regard for our safety and wellbeing. They were fun and we honestly could not have asked for more.

    Susan Neville
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 21/06/2021

    Scott was outstanding. Superb people skills. Calm at all times. Kind, supportive, encouraging and with a sense of humour. An excellent leader. He had great knowledge of the Hebrides and first class communication skills. Every meal time was enriched by his contributions.

    William Neville
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 21/06/2021

    Scott McCabe was superb. Really experienced in the geography, nature and a great cyclist / mechanic / mentor

    John Neal
    Self Guided+ Cycling - North Coast 500
    Reviewed on 08/06/2021

    Scott and Tim were excellent guides. Very knowledgeable and informative and took a relaxed and flexible approach in the current circumstances. I also really enjoyed the walk with Doug from Trees for Life.

    Carolyn Thomas
    Wilderness Walking - Autumn Highlands
    Reviewed on 29/10/2020

    Both Scott and Tim were excellent guides. Very good organisation, always felt very safe and they were good fun. Also a shout out for our host at Trees for Life - fascinating chat.

    Louise Fussell
    Wilderness Walking - Autumn Highlands
    Reviewed on 18/10/2020

    If there was something above excellent, I would select it. Scott and Tim were just fantastic--thoughtful, knowledgable, accommodating, a pleasure to talk with and be around--the type of people who I thought "why don't I have friends like them back home".

    Jason Green
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 08/12/2019

    Craig and Scott are awesome and a tribute to the quality of guides you employy

    James Knisley
    19WSPD_Private Departure
    Reviewed on 11/08/2019

    Pros: Everything we did.
    Cons. Nothing.

    Binoy Shah
    19WSPD_Private Departure
    Reviewed on 08/08/2019

    Scottiago And Craig Bond were excellent, hard working, and very professional. Made our trip smooth running and extremely enjoyable.

    Francis Lichon
    19WSPD_Private Departure
    Reviewed on 05/08/2019

    Tim and Scott were two of the best guides I’ve had in all my many bike tours. Lots of knowledge and never once made me feel hurried or like I was holding them back.

    Letitia Sokoll
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 22/07/2019

    We had mixed abilities on our trip and they accommodated everyone. Extremely knowledgeable about history, flora and fauna

    Mary-Beth Moran
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 17/07/2019

    Tim and Scott did a great job guiding our group throughout the tour. They had their work cut out for them with our diverse group of riders and they made it work smoothly. Also, thank you for celebrating my birthday on the tour, and providing chocolate! They made everyone feel welcome and comfortable throughout the week.

    Amelia Dauer
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 17/07/2019

    Both guides were excellent and did their best to respond the needs of a large and rather diverse group. Their love for Scotland and her beauty was evident throughout the trip and as they shared stories and information. I am not always the easiest person to satisfy as I have a huge need for alone time, and unless there was a safety reason to ride as a group, they never made me feel badly about satisfying that need by riding in front or behind.

    Melissa Hall
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 15/07/2019

    Scot McCabe is an especially good guide , patient and personable with all ages ! A great sense of humor (that was enhanced for myself by having Naomi and her mom Heather along) ! Fun stuff. Always aware of Scots competence in case of change of plans, or if an emergency had occurred. Just a very considerate person to personal needs, like going out of his way to provide specific snacks like gluten free, or soecific interests like wool, ETC
    Much appreciation and thanks

    Tara Troutner
    Wilderness Walking - Outer Hebrides: Uists, Barra and Mingulay
    Reviewed on 22/05/2019

    Our guide, Scott, was perfect! Extremely personable, knowledgeable, enthusiastic. He felt like a friend. Really going to miss him!

    Sy Balsen
    Wilderness Walking - Outer Hebrides: Uists, Barra and Mingulay
    Reviewed on 20/05/2019

    Scot was wonderful. Everyone in the group travelled together really well. I believe Scot set the wonderful tone that we all followed through on. His also has a real knack for explaining things - everything from the day’s plan to the history of the region.

    Karen Balsen
    Wilderness Walking - Outer Hebrides: Uists, Barra and Mingulay
    Reviewed on 20/05/2019

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