Cairngorms adventure tour, Scotland

COUNTRY:
Scotland
LOCATION:
Cairngorms, Scottish Highlands
DEPARTURES:
2013: 13 Jul
PRICE:
From £970 - £1190 (8 days) excluding flights
MORE INFO:
Minimum age: 18 years Price includes: All breakfasts; Seven nights' self-catering accommodation in a country house; Services of fully-qualified, experienced guides; 1 day guided canoe trip; 1 day guided wildlife walk; All group safety equipment; Transport around Highlands. Single supplement £220; Bike hire on request, additional cost.
VOUCHERS:
Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday
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Cairngorms adventure tour, Scotland

Cairngorms adventure tour, Scotland

Small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.

How Cairngorms adventure tour, Scotland makes a difference

Environment

Although the Highlands and Islands of Scotland is one of the most stunning parts of the country, it is also one of the least affluent regions. This is because of the remoteness of the rural communities and the low levels of employment, so during our Scottish mountain biking holidays we benefit the local communities by bringing tourism to their areas and using local services, guides and driver; by doing so we help to support local businesses, create employment and contribute to the overall sustainable development of the region.

Our local guide, who lives in a small village on the west coast, has taken his mountain biking experience and put it to good use, by building local mountain bike trails with the local kids, teaching mountain biking skills and working with the local schools to encourage mountain biking amongst the children and young adults.

Such schemes have a ’knock-on’ effect on the local communities and not just the one or two people directly linked to our company.

We have a 'leave no trace' policy on our mountain biking holidays to ensure that our impact in these beautiful regions will not have a negative effect on this fragile environment. During our trips our guides will pass on their knowledge and explain the reasons behind our environmental policy and the ‘leave no trace’ ethos.

We are also on hand to advise and educate customers on how they should be handling themselves as we travel through the remote wilderness of Scotland. Guests in the past have thrown away banana, orange and apple skins, saying ‘it will degrade’ which is true, but it will take a long time to do so, is not a natural waste product of Scotland and if every member of my groups did it every trip, of every year, how would this unspoilt landscape look?

All of our mountain biking holidays start at Inverness railway station to encourage travel by rail. In our joining instructions we encourage clients to arrive by public transport, and also have a section on our website which includes links to train timetables and booking services to make it easier for clients to choose to travel by rail.

Damage to the environment: Our guides will explain to our guests how fragile the environment is that they are passing through, how best to preserve it and that all their waste should be taken out and disposed of in the correct manner when we return to civilisation.

Community

Although the Highlands of Scotland are one of the most stunning parts of the country, it is also one of the least affluent regions. This is because of the remoteness of the rural communities and the low levels of employment, so during our Scottish mountain biking holidays we benefit the local communities by bringing tourism to remote local communities and using local services, cafes, guides and drivers; by doing so we help to support local businesses, create employment and contribute to the overall sustainable development of all the villages and businesses we pass through and use during this holiday.

Our local guide, who lives in the Cairngorm national park, a small village where we are staying on this tour, has taken his mountain biking experience and put it to good use, by building local mountain bike trails with the local community, teaching mountain biking skills and working with the local schools to encourage mountain biking amongst the children and young adults.
Such schemes have a huge knock-on effect on the local communities, tourism and not just the one or two people directly linked to our company, but the whole area that makes up the Cairngorm national park initiative in the Highlands of Scotland.

Cairngorms adventure tour, Scotland

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The story of the provider of Cairngorms adventure tour, Scotland

This specialist mountain bike tour company was born out of director Euan’s passion for mountain biking in the beautiful landscapes of the Scottish Highlands, and his desire to share these amazing experiences with like-minded people. Since 2007 the company has gone from strength-to-strength and in 2012, in response to customer demand, they expanded their adventures to other fantastic destinations, such as Nepal and Mexico. Euan is keen that his small group mountain bike tours offer authentic experiences and leave a lasting positive impression on customers and local people alike, which is why he uses local guides, fixers, and family-run accommodation in every location they visit.

Holiday provider no: 1592

Cairngorms adventure tour, Scotland

Reviewed 27 Aug 2012 by Sam Ball4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


The house we stayed in was a lovely place to be based from and come back to of an evening. The most memorable day was our day off. We were asked what we would like to do and everyone asked to go cycling for the day! We went off and did two amazing downhill runs which combined some uphill climbs that I would never have thought I could have been able to do. So this was a really exhilarating, rewarding and enjoyable day. Everyone had a great time.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


I would recommend that you have some experience in mountain biking so that you can get the most out of the amazing routes that are available in the Cairngorm.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?


Yes I did. The holiday was covered off by local people - the cycling, wildlife walk and day spent canoeing.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


The holiday was brilliant and I would not think twice about booking another holiday with them. The people leading the holiday stayed with us at the house/accommodation. They were good fun and amazing cyclists. The holiday was very personal and the group was small and a lovely mix of people. The Cairngorm is beautiful!
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