Two-minute tour of Scotland

Two-minute tour, mountain biking in Scotland

Pausing to admire the loch, mountain biking in Scotland

Pausing to admire the loch, mountain biking in Scotland

Where? Scotland is the northern-most nation in the United Kingdom, on the western edge of Europe, and east of the United States and Canada. The Highlands and Islands are the most northerly region of Scotland, and also the most diverse and beautiful


When? The best times to experience mountain biking in Scotland are between April and October. 2013 is the Year of Natural Scotland, a celebration of Scotland’s wild places


Why? Spectacular scenery, world-class mountain biking, delicious local food, whisky!, castles, history, friendly locals, remote wilderness, real adventure


Best for beginner mountain bikers? If you’re just getting into mountain biking our Tastes and Trails of Scotland tour, or our Cairngorms Adventure, could be just what you’re looking for


Best for intermediate mountain bikers? Our coast-to-coast Scotland tour is a real adventure and ideal for intermediate mountain bikers looking for a challenge and to improve their biking skills


Best for experienced mountain bikers? Our mountain bike tour in Torridon and Skye, on the west coast of Scotland, is our most technically advanced trip and perfect if you’re looking for the best mountain biking in Scotland. This tour is also a ‘must-do trip’ in National Geographic Adventures’ Ultimate Adventure Bucket List 2013!

Find out more about our mountain biking tours in Scotland and book your perfect 2013 adventure!

Reviews of our mountain bike tours in 2012

As the end of the year fast approaches, we’ve been reflecting on the past 12 months and the incredible adventures we’ve had, and rather than give you our perspective on it, we thought we’d do a round-up of customer reviews of our mountain bike tours in 2012.

And just for fun, we’ve created this word cloud from comments made by our customers this year!

Customer comments


Coast-to-coast Scotland, September (Dave and Margaret, USA)
…epic, challenging, awesome. A few words to describe our recent holiday with H&I Adventures. This was our first experience with H&I Adventures and we’re already trying to figure out when we can holiday with them again. We were impressed with the resources available to allow individuals of varying abilities to maximize their experience over the course of the week. The skill level rating and description for this tour reflects the scope and scale of all that the Coast-to-Coast Scotland has to offer.

Ecuador, December (Holger, Germany)
Amazing trip and perfect trails in the very beautiful country Ecuador. Unbelievable how different the trails are: from jungle trails to sandy trails in the desert, up to Highlands and downhill on the slopes of Cotopaxi. Perfect bike trip with lots of culture and gorgeous landscape!

Nepal, November (Gavin and Elaine, Scotland)
If you love the idea of riding some awesome trails in the Himalayas then this is a must. If you also love the thought of mixing this with a cultural experience unlike any other then even better. Every day is special in its own different way making this without a doubt one of the best adventure experiences you’ll ever have.

Torridon & Skye Scotland, September (Luke, Canada)
Amazing trip from beginning to end!!! Trails were challenging and fun. The scenery is inspiring and absolutely beautiful. The guides were knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly and I’m a better rider today because of them. Even the food and accommodations were great! Best of all, I now have some new riding buddies to go on future trips with. H&I Adventures took care of everything perfectly!

Mexico, October (Cynthia, USA)
This adventure is a great cultural biking experience. Welcoming and friendly local guides, fantastic food, amazing biking, breathtaking views, and fun company made this trip truly memorable!

Cairngorms Scotland, June (Samantha, England)
A brilliant holiday! The trips out were amazing with beautiful scenery and challenging routes. Being in a small group was ideal as we all got a chance to get to know each other. Also meant that the holiday could be tweaked so it suited everyone. I would definately recommend this holiday… for the cycling, the beautiful Cairngorms and the holiday itself which felt personal and very relaxed.

Nepal, October (Brian, England)
Ride in the shadows of the Himilayas from rainforest to baron wastelands it feels like riding on mars. If you really want to see all that Nepal has to offer and I mean ALL book it! The most amazing trip you will ever do!

Coast-to-coast Scotland, September (Joni, USA)
Leg busting climbs and thrilling descents! I’d travel to the ends of the earth with H&I Adventures, dedicated as they are to providing adventure and comfort while safety and competence lead the way.

Torridon & Skye Scotland, June (Fernando, Spain)
An amazing bike trip. Best way to know awesome landscapes, trails and people. and all of it put together with a fantastic guide. The food and acommodation are really good. The Torridon area is unforgetable and what can I to say of Skye…. uffff. If you are thinking about this trip, no doubt any more, do it!

This is just a selection of the comments that we’ve received from the fantastic people we’ve had the privilege to mountain bike with this year, and if you’d like to experience one of our unforgettable adventures for yourself, join us for the ride in 2013! You can also follow us on Facebook to see more informal, ‘live-from-the-action’ photos and videos of our tours.

National Geographic Adventure puts Torridon & Skye in their bucket list!

We’re over the moon to see our mountain bike adventure in Torridon and Skye in National Geographic Adventure’s 2013 ‘Ultimate Adventure Bucket List’!

Hans Rey mountain biking in Scotland

Mountain biking in Scotland at its best, Torridon and Skye

This magnificent mountain biking experience in Scotland should be on every mountain bike enthusiast’s bucket list, and comes on recommendation from Scotland’s own trials star Danny MacAskill, who rode with us in Torridon and Skye in 2010 (watch the video) and listed this tour as his ‘Must-do Trip’.

Danny says of the jagged peaks that pierce the skyline in this part of Scotland’s west coast:

“They’re like mini-Alps, with a really bare, rugged, lunar-like landscape full of amazing mountain biking trails.”

If the best mountain biking in Scotland is on your bucket list for 2013, join us on one of our three scheduled mountain bike tours in Torridon and Skye next year and find out what all the fuss is about!

MountainBike Magazin Germany features Torridon and Skye tour

Mountain biking on Skye with MountainBike Magazin

MountainBike Magazin on Skye

We recently hosted the guys from MountainBike Magazin in Germany and showed them our favourite trails in Torridon and Skye, Scotland.

You can read the full feature in this month’s edition of MountainBike Magazin, and drool over the incredible pictures that they took on their road trip around Torridon, Skye, and the spectacular west coast of Scotland.

Our last trip of 2012 is fully booked, but if you feel inspired by the article and think you’re up to riding the rocky, technical trails of Torridon and Skye, you can join us for this epic mountain bike adventure in Scotland next year; first trip runs from 25th May to 1st June 2013.

In the words of one customer:

Had an awwwwwsome mtb holiday with H&I Adventures. Couldn’t imagine a better way to learn and see more of the real Scotland.

Book your place online, or get in touch to find out more about mountain biking in Torridon and Skye, Scotland.

Late availability on mountain bike tours in Scotland

If you’re still deciding where to spend your summer vacation, we have some last minute places on our world-class mountain biking tours in Scotland. There’s no better way to leave the stress of work life behind than pedalling it all out on an amazing mountain biking experience in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland.

Cairngorms Adventure Tour, 14th – 21st July

Loch in the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland

Glen Feshie in the Cairngorms, Scotland

Our Cairngorms Adventure Tour is perfect for beginner to intermediate mountain bikers and gives you the chance to really soak up the diverse natural beauty of the Cairngorms National Park, the largest in the UK.

As well as fantastic mountain biking you’ll also enjoy a day’s guided canoeing on the River Spey, a guided wildlife walk, and a tour and tasting at one of the region’s many famous whisky distilleries.

Join us in July to experience the splendour of the Cairngorms by booking your place online, or contact us for more information. 5 places remaining

Coast-to-coast Scotland, 28th July – 4th August

Mountain biking coast-to-coast Scotland

Mountain biking coast-to-coast Scotland

This is the ultimate coast-to-coast mountain bike route in Scotland; almost 95% off-road, from the east coast town of Bonar Bridge, to Applecross in the west.

You’ll stay in 3- and 4-star welcoming B&Bs, and your luggage will be transferred every day so that you’re free to enjoy the spectacular landscapes and the challenge of riding across Scotland on your mountain bike.

You can book your place online via our secure booking system, or contact us for more information on our coast-to-coast mountain bike adventure in Scotland. Only 4 places remaining

Tastes and Trails of Scotland, 11th – 18th August

Tastes and Trails of Scotland adventure tour

Talisker Bay, Isle of Skye

If you’re looking for an adventure tour that’s a little bit different and special, our new Tastes and Trails of Scotland tour will be right up your street.

Highlights of the tour include a ride on the Jacobite Express steam train, voted by National Geographic magazine as one of the best train journeys in the world; a wildlife boat trip; distillery tour and whisky tasting; and lunch at the Michelin-starred Kinloch Lodge on Skye.

If you like the idea of enjoying the finest produce and stunning scenery of Scotland’s west coast this summer book online, or contact us for more information. 6 places remaining

Torridon and Skye, 25th August – 1st September

Mountain biking in Torridon and Skye, Scotland

Mountain biking on Skye

If you’re looking for the best mountain biking that Scotland has to offer, look no further than our epic Torridon and Skye mountain bike tour.

We’ve hand-picked the most exhilarating trails in the most dramatic landscapes in Scotland to give you the crème-de-la-crème of mountain bike tours. Not for the faint-hearted, this trip incorporates some awesome, rocky, technical riding that will challenge your bike-handling skills, but then reward you with sweet singletrack descents.

View more trip pictures on our flickr page.

If this sounds like your idea of mountain bike heaven, grab one of the last places and book online, or contact us for more information. Only 4 places remaining

Foodie mountain bike tour in Scotland

Scottish mountain bike holiday experts Highlands & Islands Adventures, best-known for their epic all-mountain tours, have just launched a new trip that focuses as much on the fabulous food, drink and culture of Scotland as it does on the tasty trails.

 

The new, week-long ‘Tastes and Trails of Scotland’ mountain bike tour gives you the chance to explore some of the more off-the-beaten-track corners of the west coast of Scotland – not just on your mountain bike – but by steam train, boat, and on foot, ensuring you soak up as much of the wild, natural beauty of Scotland as possible.

 

Highlights of the vacation include: a trip on the Jacobite Express steam train, made famous in the Harry Potter movies; a Michelin-starred lunch at Kinloch Lodge on Skye; a walk to a secluded hilltop bothy; whisky tasting; a wildlife boat trip off Applecross followed by world-class seafood at the Applecross Inn; and more outstanding Highland hospitality than you can shake your kilt at!

 

This mountain bike adventure takes in the majesty of the Cairngorms, the pure, white sands of Arisaig, the rugged wilderness of the Isle of Skye, and the untouched beauty of the Applecross peninsula.

 

H&I Adventures currently have three dates planned for 2012 at a cost of £955 per person. This includes seven nights’ 3-star accommodation, breakfasts, all transport throughout the week, the services of a fully qualified mountain bike guide and driver, a wildlife boat trip, and a distillery tour and whisky tasting.

 

For all the info visit www.mtbholidayscotland.com/tastes-and-trails.html or contact info@mtbholidayscotland.com

Mountain bike tour of Torridon and Skye, Scotland

We have just returned from an amazing week touring the Torridon and Skye areas of Scotland by mountain bike, and it was truly epic!  We had no rain all week, sweet singletrack, world-class food and a great group of people from around Europe.

It was such a great tour that it has taken us all week to filter our pictures and cut them down to just 35 pictures to add to our Torridon and Skye photo album on Facebook, jump over to Facebook to check them out!

That was our last Torridon and Skye tour of this year, but don’t worry because we have just launched our 2012 dates on our website, remember to book early to avoid disappointment!

We have had a great summer season here in Scotland, and hope you have too!  We are now hard at work preparing for our last coast-to-coast mountain bike tour of the year next week, exciting new tours for 2012 (Cairngorms Adventure tour and Tastes and Trails) and also some VERY exciting news that will be released later in the year!

Until next time, ride on!

 

Mountain biking tour on Skye, Scotland

I was reading the Guardian website last night and I came across a tour that we organised for them back in 2009, that was a great trip!  We no longer offer the weekend version of the Skye trip on our site, but we do offer a  Skye and Torridon bike adventure, as well as our a new tour for 2012 that will see us eating and biking our way around the west coast!

To read the Guardian story and see their pictures you can follow this link

To see our Torridon and Skye holiday click here

And if you would like to be one of the first to hear about our new ‘West coast, biking and food tour’ email info@mtbholidayscotland.com