MOUNTAIN BIKE-PACKING THROUGH SCOTLAND
A cycling holiday is the ultimate way to travel, says Dutch CUBE Stores ambassador Levey van der Voort. ‘The adventure begins long before the first kilometres are ridden: gathering equipment, fitting bags, testing the bike, and endlessly dreaming about what’s to come. And then that magical moment when you get on your bike and start your journey entirely under your own power. That feeling remains special.'
Normally I ride my trusty CUBE Nuroad gravel bike, but this time a different adventure beckoned. A week of bikepacking on a mountain bike, straight through the Scottish Highlands. In this blog, I’ll take you along on my first real mountain bike bikepacking adventure.
It always starts with an idea
Like so many great adventures, this one also started with inspiration. I came across photos and stories from Scotland on various channels. Soon I was sold. Scotland had been on my bucket list for years, and how wonderful would it be to discover this country by mountain bike?
My eye fell on the MT550, a challenging route that is well-known among mountain bikers. Many hikers also trek through the same area. That gave me some confidence; if so many people have gone before you, then it must be feasible. Once the route is planned, the real adventure actually begins: the preparation.
The planning: route, practicalities and equipment
A trip like this requires good preparation. You don’t just get on a plane with a packed mountain bike and then spend a week trekking through the Scottish wilderness. Flying with my bike is fortunately not new to me. Within Europe, it’s often well-organised. Usually, I get a large bike box from the bike shop that not only fits my bike but also much of my equipment.
Then begins the process of deciphering the route. Nowadays, an enormous amount of information can be found online. The experiences of people who have already ridden the route are especially valuable. They help you to avoid surprises as much as possible and provide practical tips that are genuinely useful along the way. I try to find out as much as possible beforehand about accommodation options, resupply points, weather conditions, water levels, vegetation, public transport, and of course, the technical difficulty of the route. The better the preparation, the more peace of mind you’ll experience along the way.
And then the equipment. Every bikepacking trip requires a different setup. Normally, I like to travel minimally and as self-sufficient as possible. My gravelbike equipment has been increasingly optimised over the years. But a mountainbike simply demands more from your gear. The terrain is rougher, the stress is greater, and the chance of technical problems increases.
Ready to go
Packing the bike box has almost become a ritual. I try to make it as easy as possible for myself on the road. In addition to the bike, the box often holds my helmet, bags, tent, and spare parts. This way, I usually don't have to check in extra luggage and I keep my travel manageable.
A few practical tips from experience:
- Let some air out of your tires;
- Fill empty spaces in the box with protective packaging material;
- Make sure fragile parts are securely fastened.
A bike box takes quite a beating during transit. You don't want to face unpleasant surprises when you arrive at your destination.
After all the anticipation, it's finally time to depart. After the flight, I transfer to the train towards the Scottish Highlands. That train journey alone is a gift. For hours, the train winds through an impressive landscape of mountains, rivers, and vast valleys.
At the hostel, the final preparations begin. The bike is reassembled, gets a final technical check, and I go in search of the last fresh groceries. After that, it's mainly about going to bed on time. The adventure really starts tomorrow.
The route
When I think back to this trip, I still get butterflies in my stomach. The surroundings feel raw, pure, and untouched. The changing weather conditions fit perfectly with the dramatic landscape. It feels like you're part of nature. Already on the first day, it became clear that my bag setup wasn't entirely suitable for this terrain. On the rough ground, my pannier rack took a beating. Actually, I had somewhat anticipated this at home during a short test ride on the mountain bike trail. After a few steep descents, the first malfunctions were already appearing. At the end of the first day, a creative repair session followed. Fortunately, improvisation is also a bit part of bikepacking. During my preparation, I had already read several warnings about the notorious hike-a-bike sections. These are paths where cycling is simply not possible, and you have to walk. Stubborn as I was, I thought: it won't be that bad. It was that bad.
In fact, it was much harder than I had ever imagined. For miles, I walked on narrow trails, alternately with the bike in my hand or even on my shoulders. More than once I wondered what on earth I had gotten myself into. Since then, I’ve drawn one clear conclusion: hike-a-bike is definitely not a walk in the park. Yet, it was also part of this journey. Precisely because it was so tough, every long descent felt like a reward.
One with nature
Apart from the occasional hiker, you hardly encounter anyone along the way. For days, you are alone with nature. The bothies (free-to-use huts along the route) feel like a warm welcome after a long day. You live simply, need little, and notice how quickly your mind clears. The feeling is hard to describe. Reflection, peace, and trust perhaps come closest. At the same time, you continue to marvel. For example, when you stand before a river you have to cross. Of course, I had read that water levels in Scotland can vary greatly, but it's only when you actually stand before such a raging river that you realize what that means. Sometimes you can cycle through it. Sometimes swimming almost feels like a better description. Once on the other side, it often turns out not to be so bad again. Then that feeling of freedom dominates once more. You feel small in such an immense landscape, but at the same time incredibly rich to be able to experience this. Scotland has made a deep impression on me. I can recommend it to every adventurous cyclist. And once you've been there, I don't really need to explain why anymore.
Together or alone
Many of my cycling adventures I have experienced alone. That is very instructive, it gives you a great sense of freedom and self-confidence. In Scotland, it was the first time I thought that perhaps being with two people is not a bad idea at all. I felt the risks were greater and the routes more isolated. With two, you have the luxury of being able to react more quickly if things go wrong during a fall or technical malfunction. You have each other as a backup. Alone, you are more vulnerable in this case, and a safety net feels further away. During this trip, that vulnerable feeling kept haunting me during the fast technical descents. I started cycling more cautiously, which for the first time made me feel less free when alone. So next time, I’ll be looking for a buddy.
However, there are few 'crazies' in my area who want to come with me. When I arrived at the hostel, a lady of about 50 who had just completed the route alone arrived early in the morning. Long story short, you are often not the only one in the world with these crazy ideas. So if you start looking for like-minded people, you will definitely find them.
The lessons I learned
Every journey teaches you something. This trip taught me perhaps even more than all the others I've done.
- Test your equipment extensively. Half an hour of cycling around the house doesn't tell you nearly everything.
- Take the experiences of others seriously. They are often written for a reason.
- Hike-a-bike is harder than you think.
- Bikepacking on a mountain bike is really different from on a gravel bike.
- Invest in sturdy equipment. Not every bike bag or pannier rack is made for days of abuse on rough trails.
- Traveling alone is not always better.
That's precisely what makes bikepacking so beautiful. Every trip teaches you something new. And that's exactly why the next journey usually begins as soon as you're back home.