Discover Scotland's Mountain Bike Narnia

The success of high-profile mountain bike events, such as the UCI World Cup and more recently the World Championships, both hosted by Fort William, has put Scotland on the map as a destination for world-class mountain biking. Forestry Commission Scotland, along with other public and private sector organisations have supported and facilitated the construction of mountain bike trails of such high quality that IMBA has awarded Scotland an A+ in the ‘global superstar’ category for two consecutive years – a feat as yet unaccomplished by any other nation. Yet, this gives recognition only to a very small part of what Scotland has to offer in terms of truly world-class riding; the kind that can’t be found in the relatively safe, constant environment of our forests. The kind that you read about in the magazines thinking, “I must give that a go,” but never quite getting round to it. The untamed landscape of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland hides a wealth of trail gems just waiting to be discovered, but these aren’t always shown on your OS map, and they’re certainly not way-marked. So how do you uncover the secrets of this mountain bike Narnia? Get a local to show you. Highlands and Islands Adventures offers guided mountain bike holidays, specialising in the less well-worn and often more rewarding trails in the wild, unpredictable environment of the Scottish Highlands and Islands. The main focus for the team at Highlands and Islands Adventures is to take you on an adventure to experience the real Highlands, with weekends and week-long holidays riding a variety of awe-inspiring trails around the region without vehicle support. Based in Inverness, Highlands and Islands Adventures has the distinct advantage of being, in the main, not more than two hours from the best riding in Scotland and as a result, can offer a large degree of flexibility in their holidays. Examples of their holidays include: the Skye singletrack weekend; 170 mile glens, which takes you from Glasgow to Inverness along the West Highland Way and Great Glen Way; and the naturally high weekend where you’ll ride some of the spectacular trails of the Cairngorms to the top of a Munro (just think of the descent on the other side!). Your accommodation may be a good quality B&B or guest house or, in the case of 170 mile glens and the Cairngorm weekend, you could be pretty much self-sufficient, carrying all your gear – tents, food, clothes, etc. – in kit trailers on the back of your bike. The nature of the Highlands and Islands Adventures holidays, particularly the more self-sufficient ones, means that team work is fundamental to the group’s enjoyment. Everyone has a hand in carrying the gear, setting up camp, cooking, so whether you’ve come as a group, or joined a group as an individual, you’ll all know each other a whole lot better by the end of your holiday! Even on less adventurous holidays the key to enjoyment and of course to safety, is everyone looking out for one another. The Highlands and Islands Adventures guides are fully qualified to the high standards of the Scottish Mountain Bike Leader Award scheme and trained in first aid, but out in the quick-changing climate of the Scottish Highlands ‘all hands on deck’ is a necessity when it comes to safety. Their range of holidays does include man-made trips to show-off the quality of the trail building that has won Scotland that A+ IMBA award two years in a row, and also to introduce the idea of natural trail riding to the die-hard man-made riders. Highlands and Islands Adventures also offers women-only options on all of their holidays because they appreciate that women’s needs are sometimes quite different from those of their male counterparts…and that it can be quite nice to have a break from all that testosterone when you’re out on a ride! So, the next time you're reading your favourite mtb magazine, contemplating thinking about riding that excellent-looking route, why not log on to www.handiadventures.co.uk and explore the range of holidays on offer in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Go on, challenge yourself! Author: Euan Wilson, Highlands and Islands Adventures

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