- Voted one of the Trips of the Year by Outside Magazine
- The ultimate mountain bike ride in the UK traversing the Scottish Highlands from coast to coast.
- 350km of superb riding from big mountain passes to ancient pine forest singletrack.
- 6 nights accommodation in locally-owned guest house and small hotels
- Breakfast and lunches, plus 2 evening meals (Meals included indicated as B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
- All transport throughout the trip, starting in Aberdeen and finishing in Inverness
- Private boat trip on beautiful Loch Shiel
- A support vehicle & trailer throughout
- The services of qualified and experienced mountain bike guides and assistant guide/support driver throughout your trip.
- All group safety and bike maintenance equipment.
Red Graded Mountain Biking Holidays 7-9
Our red graded trips are designed for regular mountain bikers with a high level of both fitness and riding skill. You can expect up to 8 hours of riding each day through a wide variety of terrain. Although unlikely, there is the potential for longer days under certain conditions. Distances covered will be in the range of 50km-70km each day and this will normally include significant ascent and descent. You may need to plan some pre-trip preparation to build your stamina to cope with being in the saddle for consecutive days.
Trail conditions will vary from easy trails to rocky land-rover tracks and technical single-track. The single-track will often be technical requiring a good skill set. The hardest trips in this grade will challenge even the most skilled rider with rock gardens, drop offs and steep ascents and descents.
27th Apr - 3rd May 2019
Tim Francis
A passionate biker and hill-walker, Tim is a former business development manager who spent 4 years working in South America...8th Jun - 14th Jun 2019
Amanda Shepherd
Find out more about pro-tenniser Amanda Shepherd here!20th Jul - 26th Jul 2019
Neil Macpherson
Globetrotter Neil has found paradise in the Cairngorms National Park. Learn more about him here.17th Aug - 23rd Aug 2019
Graham Moss
Graham shares his film star past and love of sailing in a very relaxed way...14th Sep - 20th Sep 2019
Graham Moss
Graham shares his film star past and love of sailing in a very relaxed way...ACCOMMODATION AND MEALS
This trip features some of the best hotel and guest house accommodation and food along the route we travel. We use a variety of accommodations such as country inns, guesthouses and small hotels, all hand-picked by us. Accommodation is in a choice of double or twin rooms with ensuite facilities.
Lunch each day will be either a wilderness picnic or taken at a local cafe/restaurant. Drinks and snacks are provided throughout the day as you require. Evening meals are included on the first and final evenings, and on this itinerary and we have the flexibility to take evening meals in local restaurants or pubs. Based upon our knowledge and experience, we will visit the best places to eat along the routes.
SINGLE ROOMS
There is no supplement charged to solo travellers, however you will be required to share a room with another person of the same sex. If you require a single room please request this at the time of booking and we will check availability for you. A single room supplement of £295 is charged if a single room is available – please see booking form terms and conditions.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
You will be met by your Wilderness Scotland Guide at Aberdeen Railway Station at 9:00am on Day 1 of your trip. At the end of the trip you have the option of being dropped at 10:30am at Fort William Railway Station or at Inverness Railway Station at 1:30pm.
For advice on getting to and from Scotland please our travel advice page on our website: www.wildernessscotland.com/faq/travel-to-scotland/
Trip Details
Our Coast to Coast mountain biking itinerary is an absolute epic and, without a doubt, one of our favourite trips. It features a week of superb riding from Aberdeen in the east to Ardnamurchan in the west.
Our pioneering route covers 400km, 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, we have made further improvements this year which 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.
Why choose the Wilderness Scotland Coast to Coast?
With many coast to coast itineraries out there, how do you know which one’s best? Through 20 years+ of experience, knowledge and passion, we believe our trip is the one to choose. Hopefully the following facts will help you make up your mind:
• Our 350km route features some of the best trails in Scotland. We have made it our mission not just to get from A to B, but to ride the best trails along the way.
• Over the years, we have ridden all the alternatives and know that the route we have devised offers the best riding, scenery and challenge. Unlike other routes, ours is genuinely coast to coast – right from the North Sea to the crashing surf of the Atlantic at Ardnamurchan Point.
• We invest each year in finding the best accommodation and food partners for the trip based upon our detailed knowledge and experience of the region. No other company offers such a high standard of accommodation and food throughout the trip.
• All of our guides are professionals from the Highlands and know the trails inside out. Riding with them, you can 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.
START POINT – Aberdeen
END POINT – Inverness
Our Coast to Coast mountain bike trip was voted one of the trips of the year in the US’ leading outdoor publication. Outside Magazine. You can read the recommendation here.
Cycling Journalist and writer Rob Penn also complete the Wilderness Scotland Coast to Coast. To read his account of his trip in The Guardian, click here.
Trip Itinerary
Day One – City of Aberdeen to Ballater
We meet in Aberdeen where we begin our bike journey west across Scotland. We ride through Royal Deeside, following the route of the old railway line built for Queen Victoria. After lunch we continue to Dinnet, to ride some of the best-kept secret single-track on Deeside, through beautiful birch and pine forest around the Burn of Vat and Cambus o’ May. (L, D)
Distance: 64km Ascent: 900m Descent: 770m
Day Two – Lochnagar and Balmoral to Tomintoul, Via Glen Builg
A classic day, typical of riding in the Scottish Highlands. In the morning we leave Ballater behind, following the River Muick, rising slowly towards Lochnagar. Climbing over the shoulder of the mountain, we then drop down to explore the trails around Balmoral Estate. Lunch is taken at Invercauld, followed by a long steady climb into wild Scottish countryside and a real mountain experience. Overnight in Tomintoul, the highest village in the Highlands. (B, L)
Distance: 62km Ascent: 1410m Descent: 1210m
Day Three – Through the Cairngorms
Arguably one of the best day rides in the UK, today’s route takes us through the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. Challenging hill climbs, beautiful ancient forests and sparkling lochs provide the backdrop to some of the country’s finest trails. Your guide will show you the way on this area’s hidden trails which link together to provide an unforgettable day in the mountains. Having traversed the National Park, our final is the village of Newtonmore. This is a classic and challenging day and one you are likely to remember for a long time. (B, L)
Distance: 66km Ascent: 1060m Descent: 1150m
Day Four – From the East to the West Highlands
From Newtonmore we continue our journey west, following an old military road before taking the backdoor into Laggan Wolftrax – one of Scotland’s best mtb trail centres. Some excellent downhill leads to morning coffee and a recharge before we head into a remote glacial valley which passes through the heart of the mountains. Double track combines with single track to leads us into the West Highlands. Overnight in Spean Bridge. (B, L)
Distance: 70km Ascent: 1050m Descent: 1200m
Day Five – Spean Bridge to Acharacle
The lower reaches of the Great Glen Way lead to Fort William where we take a short hop by boat across Loch Linnhe. Once ashore on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula we head south and then west to ride through one of the Highlands’ finest glens – remote, wild and dramatic. Our route leads to the shores of Loch Shiel and the historic village of Glenfinnan. The day ends in style when we are picked up by private boat for a journey down the loch to reach our overnight accommodation. (B, L)
Distance: 78km Ascent: 1230m Descent: 1315m
Day Six – Acharacle to Ardnamurchan Point
An awesome final day to finish. From Acharacle we head straight off-road into the Ardnamurchan wilderness. Heading west we join a beautiful coastline trail before climbing into the hills to reach one of the best and most challenging singletrack sections of the route. The views to Skye, the Small Isles and the Outer Hebrides are simply breathtaking on a clear day. After lunch we tackle the final short section of road and coastline singletrack to our final destination Ardnamurchan Point – the most westerly point on the UK mainland! A truly epic location to finish our journey. Celebratory dinner and drinks in Acharacle. (B, L, D)
Distance: 61km Ascent: 1540m Descent: 1560m
Day Seven – Return to Inverness
Following breakfast we load the vehicle and bikes and drive back to Inverness,taking around 3.5 hours. There is also the option of being dropped off in Fort William if you wish to get an earlier train south to Glasgow. (B)
Prices and Dates
109 people viewed this trip in the last week1 Booking in the last 72 hours
Book with confidence - we guaranteee our trips to run as soon as 2 people book.
2019 Trip Dates
Trip Reviews
Every client receives a feedback survey when they return from their guided, self guided or tailor made holiday with us.
Once completed the review is published on our website just as soon as our database updates. The little touches and details are important to us and where issues are raised we make positive changes to our trips to improve your experience.
That's why we read each of our client's reviews and although we don't respond to all of them, if it's glowing feedback then we get the satisfaction of helping to make your holidays truly memorable.
by Alex Adams 17/09/2018
Pre-Trip Service
Very good, friendly, contact during the pre-trip period. It would be useful to be able to review the bike hire sizing information that you hold using the client log in page. (The bikes we ride change over time.)
Trip Comments
Great group of people on our trip. I hope to catch up with them all again.
Great guides: Graham and Tim worked to a well thought-out itinerary. They were observant and flexible, recognising what group members were thinking at different times. Importantly, they were also just good guys to spend time with!
Great variety of tracks through stunning Scottish countryside.
The only slight negative from my point of view on the whole trip was the hire bike. It was old-school geometry and pretty tired, giving drive train problems and a broken spoke. However, I was able to borrow Tim's newer style bike on the final day for the more challenging terrain on Ardnamurchan peninsula which worked out well for me.
Accommodation and Food
In different ways, I enjoyed all the places we stayed. At each place staff/owners happily catered for my need to have refrigeration and freezer access for medicine kit.
Your Guide
Graham and Tim were very effective guides. They were well organised and yet not unnecessarily directing, letting the group mould the activity during the day. Nice blokes - I'd happily have them along with my friends on any trip I organise in NZ.
The Bottom Line
The Wilderness Scotland Coast to Coast Mountain Bike trip was thoroughly enjoyable. It was challenging but quite achievable within a great group of participants with effective and yet friendly guides. I hope to get back for another trip.
by Scott Bredehoeft 02/09/2018
Pre-Trip Service
Everything was spot on. Any questions I had were answered via phone or email almost always within a day
Your Guide
Tim and Graham were excellent throughout the entire trip. Dry wit, good riding tips, historical and geographical knowledge were excellent.
The Bottom Line
I had a done a prior trip with Wilderness Scotland was expecting the company and the guides to be excellent. The 2nd time around was even better than the first. I had multiple friends and family members following the trip from back home and the daily upload of photos from the guides while actually on the trip was a big success back home. The details of the trip (miles, climbing meters per day, etc) was very helpful in pre-trip training plans. My bike rental was excellent and far exceeded my expectations. I cannot give a higher recommendation to Wilderness Scotland, their staff and their guides.
by Natalie Giroux 30/08/2018
Trip Comments
The guides were exceptional. They were thoughtful and conscientious with a great sense of humour. They shared they ove and knowledge of Scotland with passion. The lunches were healthy and fulfilling with a nice variety of Scottish delicacies. They manage to create a nice friendly atmosphere amongst a group of strangers. They were very attentive to everyone's needs and encouraging everyone to do their best. Tim and Graham truly love what they do and enjoy sharing their passion with us.
Accommodation and Food
Some accommodations were awesome (Fort williams for example) others were not so great (Tomintoul). Some breakfast were decadent and others not so much...
Your Guide
The guides were exceptional. They were thoughtful and conscientious with a great sense of humour. They shared they ove and knowledge of Scotland with passion. The lunches were healthy and fulfilling with a nice variety of Scottish delicacies. They manage to create a nice friendly atmosphere amongst a group of strangers. They were very attentive to everyone's needs and encouraging everyone to do their best. Tim and Graham truly love what they do and enjoy sharing their passion with us.
The Bottom Line
Best trip of my life!!! Very well organized... Lots of life lessons learned... but the key takeaway is "sometimes giving up is just not an option, you have to keep going"....
by Svante Ostblom 28/08/2018
Pre-Trip Service
Upgrade the kit list with boot dryers
