Discover Scotland’s Untamed Beauty: Cycling Adventures Await with Wilderness Scotland!

Aviemore, Scotland. June 14, 2023: Wilderness Scotland, a leading adventure and sustainable travel operator, is showcasing its range of exceptional road cycling and mountain biking experiences, just in time for the highly anticipated UCI Cycling World Championships, which will be held in Scotland this summer.

Running from August 3-13, 2023, the world’s greatest riders will come together in Glasgow and across Scotland to compete, set against a stunning backdrop of lochs, castles, iconic monuments, and stunning towns and cities.

“We’re incredibly excited about the UCI Cycling World Championships coming to Scotland,” said Stevie Christie, managing director of Wilderness Scotland. “The cycling experiences here are unrivaled – something that will be on full display this summer on a global stage – and our various road cycling and mountain biking adventures offer something for every level, whether you are just starting out or looking to really test your limits, our itineraries offer an amazing way to explore Scotland’s diverse landscapes.”

ROAD CYCLING

With itineraries that explore Scotland’s many treasures – from the highlands and the islands to its dynamic cities – cyclists have the chance to navigate winding roads and conquer challenging ascents while reveling in the beauty that surrounds them. Here are just a few of Wilderness Scotland’s fantastic road cycling tours:

Scotland’s National Parks

• Duration: 7 days/6 nights
• Region: Perthshire and the Southern Highlands
• Grading: Moderate to Challenging
• Low Carbon Adventure: Daily Carbon Footprint of 16.9kg

The roads in and around Scotland’s National Parks are among the best places in the country for exploring by bike. With beautiful landscapes, smooth and quiet roads, charming villages, and plentiful cafés and pubs, it’s a cycling paradise. On this trip, guests explore the best routes through the mountains and alongside lochs and rivers. They will ride past ancient castles, standing stones, and other fascinating monuments to Scotland’s rich history.

The Grand Tour

• Duration: 7 days/6 nights
• Region: Multi-location
• Grading: Moderate to Challenging

This classic road cycling tour connects the Highland capital of Inverness to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. Travelers explore the country via quiet and spectacularly scenic roads, while enjoying such highlights as a visit to the poignant Culloden Battlefield, a journey through The Cairngorms National Park, a stop at Glamis Castle, known as “the most beautiful castle in Scotland,” and various opportunities to sample the local spirits.

Arran, Islay, and Jura

• Duration: 7 days/6 nights
• Region: Multi-location
• Grading: Moderate to Challenging

This island-hopping trip combines scenic roads, excellent accommodation, delicious food, and some of the world’s finest whisky. Throughout the week, guest will have a chance to immerse themselves in the stunning coastal landscapes of southwest Scotland. Exploring the Isle of Arran, Islay, the whisky island of Jura, these small islands were made for bike exploration, and guests can expect fascinating wildlife, history, and culture along the way.

MOUNTAIN BIKING

For those seeking an adrenaline-pumping off-road adventure, Wilderness Scotland’s itineraries follow trails that range from gentle forest tracks to technical descents, offering an immersion into the rugged beauty of the region. Here are a few examples of some adventures that await:

Coast to Coast

• Duration: 7 days/6 nights
• Region: Multi-location
• Grading: Moderate to Challenging

This is one of Wilderness Scotland’s original trail adventures and one of its favorites. Covering over 248 miles (400km), from the North Sea on the Aberdeenshire coast to the crashing waves of the Atlantic, the itinerary traverses some of the most spectacular scenery in the Scottish Highlands. From incredible flowing singletrack to rocky mountain passes, mellow forest paths to technical descents, it’s a stunning and engaging route forged by passion and experience.

The Hebridean Trail

• Duration: 7 days/6 nights
• Region: Outer Hebrides and St. Kilda
• Grading: Moderate to Challenging

This extraordinary mountain bike journey takes you through one of Europe’s last true wilderness regions, the Outer Hebrides. Crowned the Hebridean Trail, this 174-mile (280km) bike journey weaves its way through seven superb islands on a variety of ancient paths, historic by-ways, mountain tracks, and impossibly quiet roads. Guests get a deep dive into life on the islands, where Gaelic is the first language, the landscapes are wild and untamed, golden eagles and red deer roam free, and human history dates back over 5,000 years.

Bike Across Scotland

• Duration: 7 days/6 nights
• Region: Outer Hebrides and St. Kilda
• Grading: Easy to Moderate
• Low carbon adventure: Daily Carbon Footprint of 17kg

A great challenge for novice to intermediate riders, this itinerary explores the Scottish Highlands, from Fort William on the Atlantic Coast to Inverness on the Moray Firth. With five to six hours of cycling each day, guests will have plenty of time to soak in the sights of the Highlands, from villages and ancient castles to the blue expanse of the famed Loch Ness.

On all its cycling trips, Wilderness Scotland offers an excellent fleet of road and mountain bikes available to hire that will be fully customized to each guest’s specifications and ready to ride on Day 1 of their tour.

For information on all the above trips, and to see the full line-up of trips across the Highlands and islands of Scotland, visit WildernessScotland.com