North Coast 500 cycling tour in Scotland

Planet

What better way to travel sustainably than by exploring an area by bicycle? Our tour across the Scotland will see riders pedal over 500 environmentally-friendly miles each. Travel to the start and end points of the tour by train is encouraged as a more energy efficient mode of transport compared to car/air travel. Although we will be providing a support van, we will choose one that is as fuel efficient as possible and ensure that the shortest routes are taken between destinations.

We have chosen to cycle along quiet roads so that the riders can experience the countryside and ride through authentic Sottish Highlands. We will limit the group to 12 plus 2 crew to ensure we don’t overcrowd an area.

We will try to reduce waste by purchasing lunch items that have the least amount of packaging, and wrap individual picnics in paper, rather than plastic, bags. We will buy only free-range meat and dairy products. Riders will be asked to use refillable water bottles rather than disposable plastic ones, thus reducing plastics manufacturing and waste disposal.

We will “leave no trace” and collect ALL rubbish (including items such as apple cores and banana skins, as although these are biodegradable they may not be native to the local environment). Rubbish will be disposed of responsibly in the correct bins/compost collection points.

We also try to minimise the environmental impact of running our office by: using paperless booking; communicating via email; printing stationery on recyclable paper; re-using and recycling paper; switching off our office equipment at night.

People

By cycling along the Scotting coast our riders will experience changes in landscape, flora, and fauna, and climate as they journey through the regions of the Scottish Highlands.

We hope to promote the local economies of the areas we travel through by staying in small, independent hotels and B&Bs. Local village pubs and restaurants situated close to the hotels will be chosen for evening meals with a preference for those that use local produce thus helping to reduce the number of food miles. Items for packed lunches will be purchased local grocery stores and butchers. We will make good use of GPS guidance to help us find local cafes when stopping for coffee and cake.

Participants will be advised to ride in a responsible and friendly manner and encouraged to interact positively with local residents. Riders are encouraged to buy produce from local shops rather and we are happy to transport these for them to the final destination.

Safety of riders is paramount and all are advised to: take out adequate travel insurance that covers cycling as an activity; wear the correct clothing for the varying environments; wear a helmet and hi-viz clothing and use bright front and rear lights. All riders will be provided with maps and emergency numbers and fully briefed at the start of each day.