From 3-13 August Glasgow and Scotland will play host to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, with the world’s finest cyclists set for fierce competition on the country’s trails, tracks and roads.
For those keen to experience their own two-wheeled adventure, specialist tour operator Wilderness Scotland offers a range of cycling trips across the Highlands and Islands. Either led by expert guides or self-guided, the trips offer challenging single tracks and sweeping roads, while the epic scenery of the Highlands unfolds at a slower, more immersive pace.
North Coast 500
Scotland’s answer to Route 66, the North Coast 500 is one of the world’s most renowned road routes, but one best enjoyed at the slower pace of two wheels. This week-long guided tour takes cyclists to the NC500’s very best sections, from the ‘wee mad road’ on the Coigach peninsula and the rugged sea cliffs of Sutherland to John O’Groats, with short transfers between. On the halfway-point rest day, cyclists enjoy an included boat journey with views of Scotland’s highest waterfall and the local seal colony. Accommodation each night is in characterful small hotels serving the best of local produce and the finest whiskies.
Price: from £2,595 per person based on 2 sharing, including 6 nights’ accommodation, all meals, zodiac boat ride, support van, transfers and guiding. Carbon cost of 148kg per person. See wildernessscotland.com/north-coast-500
Mountain Bike Coast to Coast
Wilderness Scotland’s guided coast to coast mountain bike ride is an absolute epic, featuring a week of superb riding from Aberdeen in the east to Ardnamurchan in the west. The pioneering route covers 375km and an awesome 7000m of ascent and descent – the ultimate coast to coast mountain bike ride in the UK. The trails are as varied as the spectacular scenery of the Scottish Highlands and range from flowing single track to rocky and challenging mountain passes to mellow forest fire-road. Beginning in Aberdeen, 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. Wilderness Scotland has invested in finding the very best accommodation and meals for the trip, based upon their detailed knowledge and experience of the region.
Price: from £2,295 per person based on 2 sharing, including 6 nights’ B&B accommodation, all meals, transfers, and the services of a qualified guide. Carbon cost of 129kg per person. See wildernessscotland.com/coast-to-coast
Road Cycling: The Grand Tour
This is a classic journey, connecting together the capital of the Highlands, Inverness, to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, with a week full of cultural heritage and natural beauty. The first sections of the trip take cyclists from the battlefield of Culloden into the Whisky Country of Speyside, following an 18th century military road, and then into the Cairngorms – Britain’s largest and wildest national park. Here, the climbs are steep, but the views are worth it, with stops in the beautiful villages of Tomintoul and Ballater. Heading south, the trip then takes in the city of Dundee, Glamis Castle, and the easy rolling roads of Fife, before crossing the Forth, following the banks of the Clyde and into Edinburgh. Throughout the tour, the group stays in some of Scotland’s finest inn and guesthouses, with dinner included each night.
Price: from £2,445 per person based on 2 sharing, including 6 nights’ B&B accommodation, all meals, ride support, luggage transfers, and guiding. Carbon cost 137kg per person. See wildernessscotland.com/grand-tour
Self Guided Plus+ Cycling: The Caledonian Way
This new holiday is one of Wilderness Scotland’s Self-Guided Plus trips, an innovative type of holiday that combines the freedom and flexibility of a self-guided adventure with the comforting security and knowledge of a Wilderness Scotland guide who helps transfer luggage, drives a support van and performs bike maintenance as required. This holiday take guests on the Caledonian Way, Scotland’s newest long distance cycling route, which winds from the Mull of Kintyre to the Highland capital of Inverness. Highlights of the route include: the remarkable Kilmartin Glen, with its incredible breadth of human history including 150 prehistoric monuments; a beautiful, traffic-free stretch between Loch Creran and Loch Levan where it is pure mountain wilderness; and the challenging Glendoe climb.
Price: from £1,465 per person based on 2 sharing, including 6 nights’ B&B accommodation, Wilderness Scotland soigneur, support van and luggage transfers. Carbon cost 180kg per person. See wildernessscotland.com/caledonia-way
