Guided Bikepacking & Gravel Riding in Scotland

My wife Sam and I have been gravel riding locally for a few years and were keen to take the next step into bikepacking. We’d been on road cycling holidays with John before, so when we received an invite to a test weekend he was running, it was a no-brainer. It turned out to be a fabulous weekend – the route was great, and as our off-road confidence grew, John adjusted the second day to make it a bit more challenging, which we loved! We also picked up so many little tips that would have taken us years to stumble across on our own. Thanks John, looking forward to next trip already.

John was a great source of local knowledge, practical, mechanical and occasionally emotional support over the course of the weekend. An expedition into the Scottish landscape is not to be underestimated but with John’s open, friendly positive nature and expert guidance you are in good hands and will have a laugh as well as a memorable adventure.

I’d done a bit of bikepacking in the Peaks and thought I had a decent idea of what to expect—but bikepacking in Scotland was on another level. The scenery absolutely blew me away. One minute we were weaving through ancient pine forests, the next skirting remote lochs with not another soul in sight. The tracks are much rougher and therefore more energy sapping than what I'm used to down south, but that just made it more of an adventure. John's focus on preparation before the trip was superb, he made sure everyone was set up properly, from kit choices to nutritional advice, it felt like we were in safe hands the entire time—he’s got the perfect balance of being both laid-back and super organised. I came away buzzing with confidence and can’t wait to get back up.

We’d been wanting to go bikepacking in Scotland for a while, and this weekend with John totally delivered. The route was amazing—remote, challenging in all the right ways, and absolutely stunning. Being able to stay at John’s place the night before and after the trip was such a bonus. It saved us the hassle (and cost) of extra accommodation, and gave us time to properly sort our kit, relax, and not feel rushed and after three days out on the trails, it was great to have a hot shower, a proper bed, and a look around Glasgow before heading home. Warning, don’t fall for his deer spotting challenge, I lost both days and had to deliver coffee to his tent both mornings 🤣

Brilliant weekend, just brilliant. Trained it up to Glasgow, stayed at Johns, then cycled the cairngorms outer loop and back at work for Monday. Word to the wise, the outer loop in two days is tuff.