Where to go and what to take on a bikepacking trip to Scotland: Hear from expert cyclist Nigel Bishop

Hello! I’m Nigel, co-founder of Fawkes Cycles alongside the brilliant Mandy Jones. I’ve spent the best part of 40 years knee-deep in bikes — racing them, fettling them, banging on about them to anyone who’ll listen. So I thought it was about time I put all that to some proper use, starting with a blog on bikepacking through Scotland.

Recently, I undertook an unforgettable bikepacking trip to Scotland. For a long time, I’ve wanted to tackle a cross-country ride from the furthest point west to the furthest point east of mainland Britain, completing it over a series of rides. While many riders opt for the traditional “Land’s End to John o’ Groats” challenge, I felt that route was a bit “old hat,” as it is done by thousands of people every year. I wanted to experience something a bit different, and the Scottish leg of this journey offered the remote adventure I was looking for.

In this post, I’ll be sharing all the details of my trip to help you prepare for your own Scottish bikepacking adventure. I’ll cover the route I took, the best time to visit, practical packing tips, my bike setup, and the kind of fitness you’ll need to hit the road safely. Enjoy!

• Plan your route: Always pre-plan your route beforehand. Scotland’s a big place with lots of empty space and not much in between. Outside the main towns it’s unlike the rest of the UK – there’s not going to be a handy corner shop or garage you can drop in to pick up supplies. Choose your start and destination, plan how much cycling you can reasonably do per day, and include your rest stops, overnight stays, and where you can pick up essentials along the way. If this is your first time bikepacking in Scotland and you want a tried-and-tested route, feel free to use mine below.
• Packing: Always make a bikepacking trip packing list before you go so you know you have everything you need. For a multi-day bikepacking Scotland​ trip, you will need everything from snacks to safety and first-aid equipment. Not sure where to start? I’ve included my essential bikepacking Scotland kit list​ below.
• Emergency preparation: In addition to your basic first-aid kit, make sure you share your plan with someone you know. If you’re cycling alone, you could even use a GPS tracker or AirTag to ensure someone always knows where you are. I use a Hammerhead Karoo 3, which links to my phone and has live tracking – just make sure you take a powerbank to keep it charged. It’s also worth making sure you have a hard copy of the essential emergency numbers, in case your phone runs out of battery or signal!

Bike preparation, specifications and modifications

Getting your bike ready for your trip is also essential when preparing for a bikepacking trip​. To tackle the rugged and unpredictable Scottish terrain, you need a rig you can trust. 

If you’re wondering what bikepacking bikes are good for Scotland, I rode my Ridley Kanzo Fast, a fantastic gravel bike that switches seamlessly between fast road riding and off-road trails.

Because I knew the route would throw a bit of everything at me, I made a few specific modifications to my setup. Whether you’re an experienced bikepacker or just getting into the hobby, preparing your bike properly can make or break a trip. You can also find all of these upgrades right here at Fawkes Cycles:

Panaracer Gravel King SK Plus Tyres (700x45c)

When you are miles from civilisation in the remote Highlands, the last thing you want to deal with is a flat tyre. The “Plus” version of these tyres features heavily reinforced, bead-to-bead puncture protection. The “SK” stands for Small Knob, meaning the tread rolls fast and efficiently on the tarmac sections, but still grips brilliantly when you transition to loose gravel or dirt. At a plush 45c width, they offer enough volume to run lower pressures, giving you incredible comfort and stability, which is absolutely vital when navigating rocky descents with a fully loaded bike.

Shimano GRX825 Di2 Groupset

This is Shimano’s latest 12-speed electronic gravel groupset, and it is a total game-changer for long-distance riding. Electronic shifting means that even at the end of a 100-mile day when your hands are tired, a tiny tap of a button delivers a perfectly crisp gear change every single time. The brake hoods feature a gravel-specific ergonomic design with a ribbed texture, giving you confident grip on rough terrain. Plus, the clutch in the rear derailleur keeps the chain firmly under tension, preventing chain slap and dropped chains over the bumpy stuff.

Coast Carbon Wheels with a Classified Hub

This is arguably my favourite part of the build! The Classified hub houses a two-speed internal gear system right inside the rear wheel hub. This incredible piece of engineering allowed me to ditch the front derailleur entirely and run a clean, reliable 1x (single chainring) setup at the front, without losing the massive gear range of a traditional 2x system. That extra “bailout” gear was an absolute lifesaver when I had to winch my heavy, bag-laden bike up the steep, roller-coaster climbs alongside Loch Awe. Paired with the Coast Carbon Wheels, the whole setup remained incredibly lightweight, stiff, and aero.

From Portavadie, I cycled to Auchenlochan, up Loch Ruel to the A886, then the B836 round the head of Loch Striven to Dalinlongart, and finally to Dunoon on the Clyde. I then took the Clyde ferry to Gourock and finally made my way to Glasgow, the finish of my route.

Of course I still had to get home, so to finish off the day I took advantage of being in Scotland and took the train to Perth and then to Auchtermuchty for an overnight stay with family. All in all, one of the best bikepacking routes in Scotland I have ever taken, and definitely one for your bucket list.

Notes on the terrain

I knew this route would be a mix of roads and trails, so my gravel bike was the obvious choice for this trip, giving me ultimate flexibility. In terms of the gradients, if one thing is for certain, if your cycling trip is in Scotland, you can guarantee there will be hills to climb. But for me, that’s the main draw of cycle trips in Scotland. In England, the highest mountain is Scafell Pike in the Lake District, but in Scotland there are hundreds of mountains, even higher than this well-known peak, offering scale and views you just can’t get in England.

While the majority of the route was fine for a cyclist with a decent base of fitness, one of the toughest sections was riding down the west side of Loch Awe to avoid the main roads. The terrain felt like a relentless “roller coaster” of ups and downs, though it offered absolutely beautiful views of the forestry land.

​When not to go bikepacking in Scotland: The best weather & avoiding midges

Timing your Scottish adventure is crucial to avoid the infamous midges. Scottish midge season generally runs from late May to early September, with peak activity during the hottest and most humid months of July and August. They are also notoriously troublesome in the West Highlands and other boggy, sheltered environments across Scotland.

However, I embarked on my trip at the end of August. The conditions were superb, and the weather was brilliant throughout the journey. Most importantly, I didn’t have any trouble at all with the dreaded Scottish midges, which had just about finished their season by that time of year. For the best views and the most comfortable camping experience, late August/ early September is highly recommended. I also camped by coastal areas to catch a bit of wind, which the midges hate.

Knowing what to pack for a bikepacking trip​ is one thing; knowing how to pack it is another. Here is a list of all the bikepacking bags I took to Scotland and what I put in each.

How to train for a bikepacking trip​

You might be wondering if you need to be a professional athlete to take on a trip like this. The great news is that this route is attainable for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness and a sense of adventure.  

I didn’t do any specific fitness training leading up to the trip. However, my history of regular cycling certainly helped my “ability to suffer” on the longer days in the saddle. The first day was the toughest because I pushed hard to make it to Kilmory Beach; if you are less experienced, you could easily split the route into more days.

The most important aspect of your preparation isn’t just physical fitness, but self-sufficiency. The distances between towns and grocery stores are much longer than in urban environments. I carried a micro-stove, a pan, and enough gear to cook for myself when there was nowhere else to stop.