Essential Information - The Wild West

Holiday Status 

Before booking your holiday with us, please check the status of your chosen tour. We strongly advise against booking any flights or making other travel arrangements until the tour is marked as Guaranteed. 

To confirm your place, simply pay the deposit. This deposit can be refunded at any time until the tour status changes to "Guaranteed". Your final balance will be due 56 days before the tour start date. 

When you book, you are agreeing to our booking conditions – please take a moment to read them in full. 

Each tour requires a minimum number of participants to go ahead. As bookings come in, the status will update from Available, to 2 More to Guarantee, and finally to Guaranteed once the minimum is met. You can always check the current status on the ‘Dates and Prices’ section of the tour page. 

Tour status definitions: 

• ✅ Guaranteed – The tour is confirmed and open for booking. 

• ✅ Guaranteed – Limited – Confirmed to run, but only a few spaces left. 

• ⏳ Available – 2 More to Guarantee – Tour is open but needs just 2 more bookings to confirm. 

• 🟢 Available – Open for booking but not yet confirmed to run. 

• 📩 Contact – Please get in touch if you're interested in this tour. 

• ❌ Fully Booked – This tour is no longer available. 

Once a tour is marked Guaranteed, you can confidently go ahead with booking your flights and making travel plans. We don’t cancel trips once they reach guaranteed status, except in very rare and exceptional circumstances. 

• Support vehicle
• Accommodation
• Most meals (see trip notes for details)
• Snacks during cycling days
• Transfers on the end day of the tour
• Local English speaking guide(s)

• International flights
• Alcoholic drinks
• Meals not stated on the itinerary
• Travel insurance
• Bike hire (available if required)

Flying to the Scottish Highlands couldn’t be easier.  Inverness airport is located 10 miles from the city centre and is serviced by both taxi and bus services. Taxi will cost around £20 for the 20 minute journey to your guest house, the bus services which takes around 30 minutes to the city centre. Check the following airlines for more information:

British Airways (from London Gatwick and Heathrow) 
Easyjet (from London Gatwick, London Luton, Belfast and Bristol) 
Loganair (from Manchester) 
FlyBe 

Traveling by Train

You can buy train tickets on the day of travel,  however this can work our costly so booking in advance is advised.

For train information please follow these links:

scotrail
thetrainline

Traveling by Bus

Regular services connect Inverness with Glasgow, Edinburgh and London along with most other main UK bus stations. The Bus Station is located in the centre of Inverness and is approximately 1 miles from your guest house (about £6 taxi fare). 

💱 Currency Exchange

Scottish Currency
The currency in Scotland is the British Pound Sterling (GBP). Both English and Scottish banknotes are accepted throughout the country.

There’s no need to exchange money if you’re arriving from the UK. Travellers from abroad should bring or exchange to GBP.

What to Bring

• A Visa or Mastercard debit/credit card for payments and ATM use

• Travellers from the US, EU, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand: bring GBP or exchange your local currency at home or upon arrival

• Contactless cards and mobile payments (e.g., Apple Pay) are widely accepted

• It’s still useful to carry some cash for remote areas

Where to Exchange

• On arrival at Inverness Airport:

  • Currency exchange services are limited

  • ❌ Airport exchange rates may be poor

  • ✅ ATMs are available for direct GBP withdrawals

✔ Your redspokes guide will help locate ATMs in Inverness and along the route

💸 Spending Money

We recommend budgeting around £400 ($540) for the full tour. This should cover meals, drinks, optional activities, and souvenirs.

Typical Costs in the Scottish Highlands

Scotland offers great local produce and pub food. Prices are slightly higher in remote areas due to limited access and seasonality.

🧭 Helpful Tips

• Card payments are accepted almost everywhere

• Keep some cash for local shops, remote cafés, and tips

• Inform your bank of travel plans to avoid card issues

• ATMs are available in Inverness and small towns, but may be sparse in rural areas

💁‍♂️ Staff Tipping

Tipping is not mandatory in the UK, but is appreciated for good service.

💷 Suggested tip: £60–£80 per person

Tips are typically collected at the end of the tour and distributed by your lead guide.
All redspokes staff are fairly paid—gratuities are a personal thank-you for exceptional support.

Bike Hire

Road Bikes - We have selection of Trek Emonda & Specialized Diverge E5 Elite bikes.

 Trek Emonda ALR 4

E-bikes are TREK Powerfly. A durable aluminium frame that fully encases a long-range 625 Wh battery for great aesthetics and protection on the trails & Boardman HYB 8.9 which is a fast and practical flat-bar hybrid style e-bike, which uses the sophisticated, German engineered Fazua Evation drive system.  

E-Bikes Available

Hybride/Touring - We have Trek FX 3 Disc Hybrid BikeHybrid/Touring

A pump, spare tube, tyre levers and multi tool are included in the price of the bike rental. All bikes are equipped with flat pedals. Those who prefer to use spd or clip-in pedals, are welcome to bring these with you. You are also welcome to bring your own saddle. 

The bikes will come with one water bottle cage fitted.

You are required to bring your own cycle helmet as this is not included as part of your bike hire and hire or purchase options cannot be guaranteed.  It is mandatory for cycle helmets to be worn at all times when cycling.  Failure to wear a cycle helmet is at your own risk and might also affect the validity of your travel insurance.

If you wish to hire a bike or have a single room for the tour this can be arranged for you at extra cost. You will have the opportunity to request these extras at the time of booking or, subject to availability, at a later date, by emailing your request to us.

If you require additional accommodation or transfers in advance of the trip start date or at the end of your trip we can arrange this for you at extra cost.

We have a wide mix of cyclists on our tours from couples, friends to solo travellers. Our prices are based on twin shared accommodation. If you sign up for one of our tours as a solo traveler we will twin share you with another person of the same gender in your group. If you prefer to have your own room this can be arranged for an extra charge.

All breakfasts, lunches an snacks are included in your trip price apart from on non cycling days, please check the itinerary for full details. If you have a special dietary request, please advise us at the time of booking. Most diets can be catered for, but it is always important to advise us in advance.

It is mandatory that you are well-insured for the full duration of the tour. This must include cover for personal injury, medical expenses, death, repatriation, helicopter or aircraft rescue, loss of luggage or equipment, travel cancellation or curtailments and negligent damage to or breakage of hire equipment  (all costs for damage or breakage are payable at the time of the incident, to be reclaimed from your insurers.)

You should also ensure that there are no exclusion clauses limiting protection for the type of activities included in your tour. Any claims concerning matters for which you are insured must be directed to your insurers. We strongly recommend that you take out insurance at the time of booking your trip to ensure that you are covered in the event of cancellation.

For people within the UK Snowcard Insurance Services specialize in all mountain sports holidays including mountain biking. Follow the link above to obtain full information and a quote.

Most night you will be in hotels, other nights will either be bed and breakfast of guest houses.  We choose accommodation on the basis of comfort rather than luxury. Our prices are based on sharing a twin room. Should you wish to have a room all to yourself there is a single supplement option on the majority of our tours. For more information on the additional costs please see our dates and prices page.

You will at all times have the security of a back-up vehicle; either a jeep or a bus. The vehicle will carry your luggage (we transport your main baggage by support vehicle from each overnight stop to the next) and yourself if you want. The backup van will be with us throughout the day stopping around every 12 miles (20 km).

Our leaders carry a good tool kit and will help to fix any bike problems so all you normally need to carry is a daypack, for your camera etc. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be equipped for all repairs, so if you are bringing your own bike on the tour you must ensure that it is in good working order. If in doubt, have it fully serviced by a bike shop before you travel.

If you decide to bring your own bike we would recommend a road bike. We strongly recommend that you have it fully serviced before going on the tour. Ensure that wheel spokes are adjusted, greasing all bearings, check gear and brake cables, tighten all nuts and bolts, check chain, quick release clamp and tyres. Put in a new inner tubes and check wheel rims aren't worn.

We recommend that you take the following items with you.

• Multi tool
• Tyre levers
• Pump
• Spare inner tubes
• Spare spokes
• Check with your bike shop for disc/ brake pads
• A few links for your chain
• Spares for any unique things for your bikes i.e fluid or bleed kit.

We strongly recommend that you contact your doctor or local Travel Health Clinic at least 8 weeks before going on your trip for advice on the correct vaccinations required for your trip. Also please refer to advice from National Travel Health Network and Centre . 

There are no mandatory vaccinations for this trip, however the following are recommended Tetanus, Diphtheria, Hepatitis.

Vaccination requirements can change and we aren't medically qualified to answer your questions regarding vaccinations so please also check again with your health professional before departing for your trip.

Scotland has 4 seasons (spring, summer, autumn & winter) and is generally discribed as cool and wet.  If you don't like the weather you're experiencing at any moment just wait 5 minutes as it's remarkably changeable and you can experience all four seasons in one day. 

redspokes tours run at the optimal times of the year: in June with spring flowers in full bloom and September enjoying autumnal shades. Conditions are balmy, days are long and light, midges are least in evidence and you are avoiding the full blown tourist season. 

Average maximum temperatures in March, Arpil & May range from 7 degrees to 13 degrees. June, July and August are the warmest months with average temperatures ranging from approximately 15 to 17 degrees and longer days due to the higher latitude.  Autumn brings temperatures ranging from around 8°C (46°F) to 14°C (57°F) from September to November.  December, January & February are the coldest months with an average temperature around 5 degress.  On average snow falls between 15-20 days a year but with more falling on the peaks and mountains. 

In terms of clothing this is clearly up to you and we can only supply a rough guide as to what to take. This guide is entirely flexible and should be tailored to your specific needs. 

• Cycle Helmet
• Sunglasses
• Water bottle or camelbak
• Base layer tops
• Fleece jacket/ pullover
• Waterproof/ Windproof cycling jacket (breathable fabric)
• Padded cycling shorts
• Long cycle tights
• Lightweight socks & heavyweight socks
• Trekking Shorts 
• Clothing to wear in the evenings
• Lightweight T-shirts 
• Long-sleeved shirt 
• Fingerless cycling gloves
• Warm gloves
• Warm fleece hat
• Buff
• Towel
• Sunscreen

Our guides carry first aid supplies, however we recommend you bring your own first aid kit which should contain the following item; 

• Paracetamol/ Ibuprofen (or whatever you prefer for headache)
• Lomotil or Diacalm
• Rehydration salts (Dioralite)
• Antiseptic cream
• Throat lozenges
• Plasters (band aids)
• Eye drops
• Anti bacterial hand wash
• Antiseptic wet wipes
• Midge Repellent

Miscellaneous

• Energy Bars (gels, power bars)
• Energy/recovery drinks
• Camera

Scotland - Capital City Edinburgh

• Status: Semi-autonomous part of the United Kingdom
• Population: 5.4 million
• Area: 78,772 km² (30,414 sq miles)
• Languages: English, Gaelic
• Major religion: Christianity
• Monetary unit: 1 pound sterling = 100 pence