Scottish Highlands 5-Day Challenging

Scottish Highlands
5-Day Challenging

(5 Reviews)

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Overview

  • Tour DifficultyChallenging
  • Tour Duration5 Days / 4 Nights
  • Daily Saddle Time4-6 Hours
  • Daily Elevation546 m (1845 feet)
  • Daily Distance43 km (27 miles)
  • Total Distance129 kms (80 miles)
  • StartFort William, Scotland
  • FinishInverness, Scotland
  • Local AirportsEdinburgh or Glasgow
  • Tour SeasonApr 1 - Sept 31
  • Lakes & MountainsYes
  • Electric BikeYes
  • Gravel BikingYes
  • Mountain BikingYes

Overview

  • Tour DifficultyChallenging
  • Tour Duration5 Days / 4 Nights
  • Daily Saddle Time4-6 Hours
  • Daily Elevation546 m (1845 feet)
  • Daily Distance43 km (27 miles)
  • Total Distance129 kms (80 miles)
  • StartFort William, Scotland
  • FinishInverness, Scotland

Highlights

  • Fort William: Starting in Fort William, relish in the towering beauty of Ben Nevis, the UK's highest peak.
  • Neptune's Staircase: A series of eight interconnected canal locks, forming the longest staircase lock in Britain.
  • Caledonian Canal: A 100 km (60 mile) man made waterway connecting Scotland from East to West.
  • Loch Ness: Britain's largest and most impressive lake. Home to the infamous Loch Ness Monster, locally know as "Nessie".
  • Urquhart Castle: A historic castle ruin on the shores of Loch Ness, offering stunning views and a glimpse into medieval Scottish history.
  • Inverness: The capital of the Scottish Highlands, Inverness has an abundance of charming pubs to try locally made Scotch Whisky.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Fort William

Welcome to Fort William, your gateway to adventure. Nestled at the foot of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak, this charming town invites you to explore the Great Glen and beyond. Prepare for your journey with a visit to the local shops or stock up on essentials at the large supermarket. If you’re craving a hearty meal, Fort William offers a delightful array of restaurants to satisfy your appetite. Before settling in for the evening, don’t forget to pick up your bike—it’s the key to tomorrow’s stunning ride. Rest well, and get ready to embrace the beauty of the journey ahead.

Day 2: Fort William - Invergarry

Distance: 44 kms (27 miles) / Elevation Gain: 345 m (1160 feet) / Saddle Time: 3-5 hours

Your journey begins with a gentle, flat ride—perfect for easing into the adventure ahead. Leaving Fort William and Inverlochy behind, you’ll head northeast, your front wheel aimed at the promise of discovery. Pause to admire the engineering marvel of Neptune’s Staircase before gliding along peaceful canal-side gravel paths. Ancient forests and breathtaking views over Loch Lochy accompany your ride, offering serene spots for a midday rest. As you skirt the final hillside, a satisfying descent brings you to Invergarry, your haven for the night. Reward yourself with a hearty meal and a well-deserved rest.

Day 3: Invergarry - Drumnadrochit

Distance: 48 kms (30 miles) / Elevation Gain: 798 m (2690 feet) / Saddle Time: 4-6 hours

Today’s journey is challenging but deeply rewarding. A short ride along the A82 leads you back into serene woods and along the hillside above Loch Oich. Descend to the water’s edge and follow the Caledonian Canal to Fort Augustus, where the shores of Loch Ness await. Take a break, explore the town, and enjoy a bite to eat.

Undulating forest roads guide you to Invermoriston, a perfect spot to rest and admire the falls or visit the nearby stone circle.

Next, a big climb prepares you for a choice: the High or Low route. On a bike, the Low route is your best option, saving the high path for hikers. The day’s steepest climbs come late, so pace yourself and take breaks as needed.

A final stretch through woodlands brings you to Drumnadrochit, where you can relax and reflect on your day’s achievements in this charming village.

Day 4: Drumnadrochit - Inverness

Distance: 36 kms (23 miles) / Elevation Gain: 493 m (1660 feet) / Saddle Time: 3-5 hours

Prepare for a thrilling day of contrasts! The first half of your ride presents challenging climbs that test your resolve, but what goes up must come down, rewarding you with exhilarating descents. If the technical sections push your limits, don’t hesitate to walk your bike—you’ll soon be greeted by a well-earned pause with cake, tea, and coffee at the route’s most demanding point.

Take a moment to visit the charming outdoor café at the Abrachian Forest campsite—you won’t regret it. The second half of your journey is a cyclist’s dream, with sweeping downhill stretches leading you to the Highland capital. As you glide into Inverness, the iconic castle serves as a majestic finale to your ride. Spend the evening soaking in the city’s beauty before preparing to head back in the opposite direction.

Day 5: Depart from Inverness

It’s your final day, and time to leave the bike behind to explore the Scottish Highlands capital. Rest up at one of the rustic pubs or distilleries for a Scotch Whisky reward. It’s time to start planning your next adventure.

Map

Accommodation

All our accommodation selections are in-house reviewed. We partner with family-owned, charming guesthouses and hotels where you can relax and recharge. Below are some sample accommodations on our Scottish Highlands tours. Depending on availability, the accommodation you stay at may vary but will always be of a similar standard.

Fort William: Torlinnhe Guesthouse

Welcome to Torlinnhe Guest House, offering exceptional hospitality and luxury value accommodation in Fort William ‘The Outdoor Capital of the UK’, on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands.
Situated 1 mile South of Fort William city centre ( 20 min walk or 5 min by car) this award-winning guest house has beautiful views over Loch Linnhe and the Ardgour peninsula.
The guesthouse provides 8 stylish and modern en-suite rooms and two luxury lodges.
All individually finished and designed with you in mind.

Invergarry: Lundie View B&B

Sharon and Alan welcome you to Lundie View B & B. The original part of the property was a Croft House built around 1850. Later in 1910 it became the village post office.

The House is set in a wraparound garden with stunning and ever changing views over The Great Glen. There is an outside decking area and garden seating, and a designated smoking area. To the back of the property is the Aberchalder Forest, with high and low walks and a beautiful back drop view from the bedrooms.

Inverness: Aye Stay B&B

Award winning boutique, family run B&B in Inverness in the only listed building in area from 1890 closest to the renowned Eden Court theatre right in the heart of the city, the Gateway to the Highlands.

Aye Stay gives you the ideal base to explore the city and the spectacular sights of the surrounding areas. The world famous Loch Ness is nearby, the start of the North Coast 500 driving route, Distilleries, Historic sites, theatre, bars and restaurants are within easy reach. Voted best B&B 2021 NC500 Scotland’s Route 66.

FAQ

What Is the cycle like?

This tour is in our Challenging difficulty grading. Consisting of a blend of cycle lanes, quiet country roads but predominantly technical forest trails, it is recommended to be comfortable riding in all terrains. The mid stages of the tour have prolonged, steep, gravel ascents. A high level of fitness and experience is recommended.

We offer hard-tail mountain bikes, gravel bikes and if you are having doubts about your fitness levels, we also offer electric mountain bikes on this tour.

Is this tour for me?

This tour is a test of mental and physical fortitude. By conquering these challenges, you will be treated to some of the most breath taking scenery in the whole of the Britain. If you enjoy a rush of adrenaline, some of the descents are quite steep and are sure to get the heart racing.

The region can be at points very remote, so if you enjoy feeling like it’s just you brushing with unspoiled nature and wildlife, this tour will be perfect for you.

Tour includes

  • 4 nights accommodation in charming guesthouses and hotels.
  • A hearty breakfast each morning
  • Luggage transfers between accommodations
  • Detailed itinerary, GPX files and printable maps of your route
  • Tips on local attractions, history & evening meals
  • On call support before and during your tour

Tour excludes

  • Flights and transfers to and from the trail heads
  • Lunches & Dinners
  • Insurance
  • Bike rental (Selected on checkout)

The Bikes

You have a choice of bringing your own bike or renting your tour bike through us during booking. For the Scottish Highlands, the bikes available are robust electric or manual mountain bikes and manual gravel bikes. If an electric bike is chosen, it will bring the daily saddle time down by approximately 1 hour.

We only partner with the best bike suppliers for all our destinations so you’ll be guaranteed well maintained, premium brand bikes such as Cube, Trek or KTM.

All bike rentals come with helmet, lock and repair kit. A network of mechanics are on call in case of any mechanical issues faced while on tour.

What Is The Climate Like?

We offer tours in Scotland from April – September. At the start of the tour season, the average temperatures in Inverness are approximately 8 °C (45 °F). This is the quietest times of the season to miss queues at landmarks and also the driest time of the year. Temperatures peak at 18 °C (64 °F) in July & August. Temperatures as high as 25 °C (77 °F) have been recorded, but these are quite rare. Please see image below for reference.

As you will be cycling through a glen, you’ll encounter micro climates where the weather can suddenly shift. It is recommended to have emergency wet gear packed at all times while riding. Precipitation in this region is typically quite frequent but light in nature.

Is The Tour Easy To Navigate?

We include detailed navigation instructions and GPX files for your ride. Our navigation app is easy to use and we give a detailed instructional video on how to use it. If you are having any difficulty, we are on call at all times to assist you.

There is some marked signage on the routes to keep you on course, as well as many fellow bikers and hikers on the trails to steer you in the right direction.

What If There Is An Issue On Tour?

Included in your tour, is 24/7 message and video support. If you have an issue with navigation, bike breakdown, accommodation, medical, etc, we are at the touch of a button away at all times.

We have an extensive network of suppliers along the route, who will resolve the problem as swiftly as possible.

More FAQ

If you haven’t found the answer you’re looking for above, visit our general FAQ page for more information or simply reach out to us with the “Ask A Question” button on the side.

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Price

Scottish Highlands 6-Day Challenging

From$657
(5 Reviews)
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Tour Includes


3* or 4* Accommodation Throughout

Breakfast Each Morning

Luggage Transfer

Itinerary & Navigation Documentation

Tips & Local Insights

24-Hour Support

From$657
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