Coast to Coast MTB

Our Coast to Coast mountain bike holiday is, without doubt, an exciting and adventurous traverse across Scotland. You will mountain bike in remote settings, absorb breath-taking scenery and create personal experiences that will live long in the memory

The journey starts from Loch Hourn on the northwest coast, through the Highland mountains to Stonehaven on the east coast. In total, you will cycle 374km and climbing approx. 6000m over 6 riding days.

The setting is idyllic as we start the adventure into Glen Arnisdale. Panoramic views open up to Skye and the Small Isles providing a magnificent setting for back-country MTB. Continuing across the remote Shiel peninsula, we cycle into the Great Glen on the shores of famous Loch Ness.

Our ride from the west side of Loch Ness leads us through the Monadliath Mountain range to beautiful Cairngorm National Park. The Cairngorm Mountains dominate the horizon as we cycle on stunning single-track and double track trails towards Tomintoul.

We ride along the East fringe of the Cairngorm Mountains into Royal Deeside. The mountains in Deeside are known as the White Mounth and stretch as far as the eye can see. A wonderful ride over these rolling hills brings us to Edzell; our final overnight accommodation. Leaving Edzell we ride through wonderful forests and you'll notice the landscape change as we get closer to the finish in the coastal village of Stonehaven.

Our accommodation will be in small Highland villages, where most importantly you will be met with the warmest of welcomes. At the end of each day, you will never be far from the warmth of a local pub and be able to sample a ‘wee dram’ and taste fresh Scottish produce. This holiday provides you with the very best Scotland has to offer all in one package.

This MTB holiday is most suitable for intermediate mountain bikers. However, the route is not overly technical and therefore, fit individuals who ride bikes regularly will also appreciate this holiday.

Highlights

  • Ride in remote idyllic mountain settings away from the crowds
  • Enjoy the encounters with wildlife found along the way
  • Experience the warmth and generosity of the Highland people
  • Create a truly memorable life experience

At a Glance

From £1,295 per person
Single room: a limited number of single rooms are available from £250

Grade
Intermediate +
AccommodationMixture of quality hotels, guesthouses & B&B's
Duration8 Days
LocationMainland
StartInverness Station @ 12.00
FinishInverness @ 14.15 (we can also arrange drop-offs in Stonehaven or Aberdeen)
Route DistanceYou cycle 374km and climb approx. 6000m over 6 riding days
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Route Map

Book your Trip

At a Glance

From £1,295 per person
Single room: a limited number of single rooms are available from £250

Grade
Intermediate +
AccommodationMixture of quality hotels, guesthouses & B&B's
Duration8 Days
LocationMainland
StartInverness Station @ 12.00
FinishInverness @ 14.15 (we can also arrange drop-offs in Stonehaven or Aberdeen)
Route DistanceYou cycle 374km and climb approx. 6000m over 6 riding days

Itinerary

Day 1 – Inverness – Glen Shiel

The start of the trip is from Inverness train station. From here we travel to the northwest coast. After we have checked into our accommodation, we check our bikes, take a warm-up ride and get prepared for the start the following morning.

Day 2 – Corran – Fort Augustus 

Amid stunning scenery of high mountains and awesome seascapes, the crofting village of Corran is where you begin your epic coast to coast MTB journey. Situated on the narrow Fjord like sea loch of Loch Hourn the steep slopes of Beinn Sgritheall dominates this remote and off the beaten track location. We cycle into Gleann Dubh, aiming for Kinloch Hourn. The cycling is along superb rocky trails, with testing small climbs. We leave Kinloch Hourn and climb toward Loch Cuaich along a quiet road allowing our limbs to recover from the rocky trail. The gentle climb to Loch Lundie provides great views towards Ben Nevis. We finish the day Fort Augustus, the gateway to Loch Ness from the West.
| 74km, 1350m ascent, 1300m descent | overnight Fort Augustus

Day 3 – Fort Augustus – Kingussie 

Situated in the Great Glen, Fort Augustus takes its name after General Wade constructed a fort here after the 1715 Jacobite uprising. He built a network of roads still known as General Wade’s Roads. The Corrieyairack Pass – a General Wade road – is a challenging yet achievable climb reaching a height of 772 meters on loose and rocky trails. So, it’s steady as you go, finding your tempo and feeling a sense of achievement as you get to the top. Wonderful views down to Loch Ness and the Lochaber mountains await. What follows is an exhilarating technical descent into the Spey valley. This is Scottish mountain biking at its best; fast-flowing, passing through woodland all the while following the River Spey. We end this stage of the route in the village of Kingussie.
| 58km, 1020m ascent, 820 descent | overnight Kingussie

Day 4 – Kingussie – Tomintoul

The NW Highlands are behind us and we enter the Grampian mountains. An unforgettable day of mountain biking is in store, using a combination of ancient drove roads, flowing single-track and estate roads. The scenery is enticing with wide-open glens, ancient woodland forests, picturesque lochs, sparkling rivers and always with views of the high Cairngorm Mountains. We have a quick stop at the historical Ruthven Barracks, before reaching the Rothiemurchus Estate and Glenmore forest. The most committing part of today’s route follows from here as we ride out onto some wild moorland single-tracks to Tomintoul where we end today’s ride.
| 69km, 1180m ascent, 1090m descent | overnight Tomintoul

Day 5 – Tomintoul – Ballater

Riding out of Tomintoul, thoughts may turn to mix with Royalty! Completing our circumvent around the Cairngorm Mountains we follow the River Avon. Being sufficiently warmed up, we tackle the climb over the West side of Culardoch, which offers spectacular mountain views to the west. A long fast descent follows, leading us into Deeside and Balmoral Castle. For the final section of the route, we can cycle through the grounds of the Queen’s castle and on to the flanks of Lochnagar. We descend into Glen Muick and follow the River Muick on to Ballater where we’ll be staying for the evening.
| 58km, 750m ascent, 910m descent | overnight Ballater 

Day 6 – Ballatar – Edzell 

Our day of riding offers the chance of cycling on to the summit of Mount Keen; Scotlands most easterly Munro. We ride alongside the River Dee before turning up Glen Tanar. Capercaillies are often found in Glen Tanar, so listen out as we cycle through the majestic pine forest towards the Mounth Road. The Mounth Road is a technical single-track route and may require short sections of hike a bike. The vistas are superb and are surely helping us to take our minds off the uphill grind. The route skirts around the west of Mount Keen, but you are free to take the steeper option to the summit! This allows for almost 2km of awesome single-track descend. We follow the beautiful River Esk to our end-point in the village of Edzell.
| 65km, 850m ascent, 990m descent | overnight Edzell 

Day 7 – Edzell – Stonehaven 

Excellent tree-lined trails of Drumtochty Forest take us further east. We are leaving behind the high mountains and ride through a landscape of rolling hills and farmland. Soon the smell of the North Sea reaches us as we descend into the town of Stonehaven. Passing through the town, our journey ends at the dramatic coastline with views out to Dunnottar Castle. This is the time to let it all sink in and to think back of the epic journey you’ve accomplished!
| 50km, 835m ascent, 835 descent | overnight Stonehaven 

Day 8 – Travel back home

After our last hearty breakfast, we will travel back to Inverness. A drop-off at the railway station in Stonehaven or Aberdeen airport would be possible.


What's Included

Included:

  • 7 nights bed and breakfast in comfortable hotels and guesthouse
  • (Packed) lunches (Sun - Fri)
  • The services of qualified and experienced NWF mountain bike guides
  • Support vehicle throughout your trip
  • Baggage transfers
  • Transfers from and back to Inverness

Excluded:

  • Travel to and from Inverness
  • (Packed) lunches on days 1 & 8
  • Dinners
  • Bike & helmet hire (available if required)
  • Travel insurance
  • Miscellaneous expenses like drinks, entrance fees etc

Book your Coast to Coast MTB