Trip Grading

We want you to pick the right mountain bike, gravel or bikepacking trip in Scotland for your fitness and technical ability – it helps ensure you’ll be riding with people of a similar skill level and can ride at the pace you want to ride at.

We’ve developed a trip grading based on our experience riding the terrain that features on our trips, as well as meeting and learning from riders from all over the world and understanding their expectations.

Please read the following guidelines carefully to ensure you pick a mountain bike, gravel or bikepacking holiday in Scotland suited to your skill and fitness. If you are unsure if a trip is right for you, please contact us.

Technical Ratings

The goal of the Technical Rating is to understand the ability of the rider as it pertains to obstacles, conditions and trail design. This means it has nothing to do with your physical endurance, but is instead strictly a measure of your technical ability. Making sure you accurately rate your Technical Ability will ensure you have an exciting ride, while remaining within your ability level to keep you safe.

Please note, we also use ‘+’ to designate when a trip is at the top of a grading e.g 2+ is just below grading 3; and ‘++’ when a trip grading subsumes all other higher gradings e.g. 3++ would be suitable for 3+ riders as well as grading 4 and 5 riders.

Rating: 0

You have never ridden a bicycle off-road before. You have no mountain biking skills. Maybe you are a roadie, or you have some mountain biking friends that want you to have as much fun as them and keep pushing you to come out riding with them. This will be your first introduction to the world of mountain biking, gravel riding or bikepacking.

Rating: 1

You are still new to mountain biking, gravel riding or bikepacking but have ridden off-road a few times before and have basic bike handling skills. You are comfortable on a mixture of double tracks and estate roads, and trails approximately 36 inches wide or more that are firm and stable, with mellower gradients, some rocks and roots but nothing too severe. You are comfortable traversing unavoidable small obstacles such as roots and rocks that are up to 2 inches tall.

Rating: 2

You have been riding a mountain or gravel bike off-road for a season or two. You have consolidated basic bike handling skills and an appetite to progress to the next level. You are comfortable on a mixture of singletrack and landrover track, on uneven, loose and occasionally steep gradients, with some variation in trail surfaces from rocks to roots. You are comfortable on narrower trails approximately 18 inches wide that are mostly stable with some variability. You are comfortable traversing unavoidable obstacles such as roots, rocks and logs that are 8-10 inches tall.

Rating: 3

You are a confident mountain or off-road biker and have been riding technical terrain for at least 2 years including exposed singletrack and rough landrover track, on uneven, loose and frequent steep gradients, with frequent variation in trail surfaces from rocks to roots. You are comfortable riding on trails approximately 12 inches wide that vary greatly in their stability and may be unpredictable including loose rock. You are comfortable regularly traversing unavoidable obstacles such as roots, rocks, logs and drop offs up to 15 inches tall, and some obstacles encountered may exceed that. 

Rating: 4

You are an expert mountain or off-road biker and have been riding expert level trails for at least 5 years. You probably think of yourself as a ‘mountain biker’ and you already know that the more competent a bike handler you are beforehand, the more you’ll get from the trip; you’re confident riding unpredictable terrain and using bunny hopping and front/rear wheel lifting techniques and relish unpredictable, varied natural ungraded trail surfaces including a mix of flowy and loose rocky or rooty singletrack, landrover tracks, steep technical climbs (including hike-a-bike sections) and descents, frequent rocks, slabs and water bar drainage features.

You are comfortable riding on trails of any width that are highly unstable and are completely unpredictable including loose rock. You are comfortable regularly traversing unavoidable obstacles such as roots, rocks, logs and drop offs well over 15 inches tall, and many obstacles encountered will exceed that. You are comfortable riding any technical trail features that may be present on the trail.

Rating: 5

Level 5 is reserved for our Level 4 Expert riders who live and breath mountain biking and the gnarliest off-road environments, taking every opportunity to manual, nose-wheelie and bunnyhop the trails. You love the biggest, most technically challenging trail features – up or down. Speaking of which, you also know that in order to go down, you must pedal (and carry) up and can handle any trail conditions or obstacles identified in Level 4.

Endurance Ratings

The goal of the Endurance Rating is to understand the ability of the rider as it pertains to overall physical endurance. Riding on the road or in “Spin Class” is great and all, but gravel riding and mountain biking is a slightly different animal (ask anyone who has made the switch). The reason being is that the terrain is changing every second, which forces your entire body and your mind to be involved in the exercise process. This exertion will cause exhaustion to set in a lot quicker than you think. Be sure you read the descriptions carefully because we want you to have fun out there, not think this is a form of cruel and unusual punishment.

Please note, we also use ‘+’ to designate when a trip is at the top of a grading e.g 2+ is just below grading 3; and ‘++’ when a trip grading subsumes all other higher gradings e.g. 3++ would be suitable for 3+ riders as well as grading 4 and 5 riders.

Rating: 0

Cycling (on any surface) is not something you do regularly, but you find yourself on a bike a few times a month in the summer. You have never ridden a bicycle off-road before, and after reading the preface for this section, you are probably wondering why you have even considered doing this. Activities involving exercise are not a priority in your life.

Rating: 1

You will likely be caught on your mountain or gravel bike a few times a month or on your road bike once or twice a week when the weather is decent. You are at an average fitness level, and occasionally do other activities that qualify as exercise. You usually find yourself riding for 2 hours on the road, or 1 hour on the trails, and you ride at a relaxed pace.

Rating: 2

You are a mountain biker or gravel rider riding once a week, or a roadie riding twice a week or more when the weather is cooperating and some days when its not. You are at an average fitness level, and regularly do other activities that qualify as exercise. You can ride on consecutive days and usually find yourself riding for 3-4 hours per day on the road, or 2 hours per day on the trails, and you ride at a relaxed or moderate pace.

Rating: 3

You are an avid mountain biker or off-roader riding twice a week or more, and the weather isn’t a big factor for you. You are at an above-average fitness level, and regularly do other activities that qualify as exercise. You usually find yourself riding for 3 hours on the trails, you’ll ride on consecutive days, and you ride at a moderate pace.

Rating: 4

You are a very avid mountain biker or gravel aficionado, who is considered an ‘athlete’ by friends and only getting out on the trails twice in the week is a bad week for you. Riding and exercising is a frequent part of your weekly routine: you relish sustained challenging riding including long rides of 4 – 6 hours at a moderate pace for four or more days in a row. The weather is never a factor for you, rain or shine – you are riding. 

Rating: 5

You are fit! You devour 6 – 8 + hour rides for five or more days in a row. You are an XC or Enduro racer who probably missed their flight to the World Cup / Enduro World Series / Grinduro this year because you were too busy training so you opted to come for a ride with us instead. You train on your bike daily, and you are comfortable riding on trails for distances in excess of 60km per day and climbing vertical in excess of 7000 feet in a day. You ride your bike everywhere, in all weather conditions, and would likely enjoy riding in a hurricane.

Drop-in

As simple as it sounds – when you can’t make it for longer – drop in on our most popular tours by picking three or more days and we’ll provide you with all the information so you can come join us.

All-mountain

Mountain biking by another name – riding the whole hill and sometimes getting off and carrying or pushing to reach those tricky to access (but oh-so-worth-it) descents. This is the kind of riding most regular mountain bikers are familiar with – you’ll encounter almost every kind of terrain and gradient and may include some hike-a-bike.

Enduro

In reality, a mountain bike race format known for its leisurely ‘liaison’ climbs to access technical descents – it’s become pretty much interchangeable with ‘mountain biking’ around the world. For us, the main distinction to ‘all-mountain’ is a higher quota of technical, downhill biased riding.

Gravel

Gravel riding combines the best of road and mountain-biking – consisting mostly of distance riding over unpaved roads, forest tracks – through mountain passes and glens to explore the unexplored.

Bikepacking

Bikepacking is multi-day mountain or gravel biking carrying only the bare necessities on a bike – to explore further, to camp/bivvy wild and immerse yourself in Scotland’s mountains and glens.

“10/10. Incredible weather!And I think what made a big difference was the fact that the guides almost didn’t seem like they were working, but had fun as a part of the group. They were so helpful and laid-back but at the same time very professional. Extremely good at what they do! And fun.” Salla Oksanen, Finland

“Exceptional in all aspects. Phenomenal guides, accommodations, and organization. Easily one of the best trips I have ever been on.” Mat Rondina, USA

“Their knowledge of mountain biking and trails across Scotland is mind-blowing, it felt like they knew every trail, path and track everywhere we went and I have no doubt it’s the same on all of their trips.

Go-Where Scotland are the go-to for mountain bike trips in Scotland. Having followed them on social media for over a year, seeing the incredible locations they take their guests to and reading their customer reviews I committed to a weekend in Royal Deeside – the Mountain Royale trip.

All the guests had a voice as to where we went and what we rode each day and I think everyone was delighted with what we rode – no mean feat with six keen riders and six big personalties even when the weather didn’t play ball on the second day.

Andy and the guides, Huw and Aneela, were super friendly, entertaining and competent with a balanced focus on enjoyment and safety. It was quickly apparent we were getting to experience the best of the local area each day depending on the weather and what the group were up for. I can’t recommend Go-Where highly enough, if you’re at all interested in their trips go for it, they won’t disappoint.” Al Conroy

“ The guiding throughout the week was second to none. Our guide must have a GPS in his head as we were following routes that seemed non-existent in places, then out springs the most awesome trails.

Really well organised from initial booking to the end of the trip. Every detail covered. Very warm welcome from Andy and his lovely wife Aneela who joined us for a couple of days.

Our aim was to explore the natural riding trails in the Caringorms. All expectations were exceeded. The diversity of the terrain and rides, not to mention the most beautiful landscapes and scenery. You can travel the world and not witness scenery that’s so dramatic and awe inspiring as the Scottish Highlands. Photos don’t do it justice.

Epic. We were completely shattered by the end of it. But we even rode on our day off as we couldn’t get enough. Every day was different. The grin factor was extremely high.

We were referred to GO-WHERE by a friend who described their knowledge of the Highlands as impressive. We were not dissappointed – the guiding was excellent. Very attentive, aware of the surroundings and environment. Always had a contingency plan of trails if the weather changed. But most importantly, we felt safe – Andy would never take unnecessary risks, and there were places where you could get really lost without an expert guide.

Just wish we could do it all again. We’ll start saving for another trip in a few months. Many, many thanks for such a memorable trip from us both.” Nicky and Jonas Hjerpe

“Absolutely amazing. Taking the trip on my own I was slightly concerned about how everything would work but as it turned out I had nothing at all to be worried about! From the second the van pulled up to its Edinburgh Park stop everyone was out chatting and introducing each other, immediately making me feel part of the group.

Once settled at the accommodation a fantastically enjoyable routine of broadly organised chaos & merriment, with Andy as ringmaster, developed. It created a great atmosphere with no one feeling under any pressure to do or not do anything. Also, throughout the week Andy and Huw tailored the daily timings and riding to the group which made for much more of a holiday feeling than I had expected!

“The only problem was it was so damn good, how can the next one match it..? 

Keep doing what you’re doing…. It’s already A+ service..” Cam Fletcher

“Pretty f*%kkin awesome mate, aye!

I think what really struck me is how genuine and utterly authentic you both are. Amazing biking and views and weather are brilliant to have and do, but ultimately without the warmth and care you both showed it would just fall flat. The trip was super slick and professional where it needed to be, and relaxed and marginally ‘fawlty towers’ where it didn’t matter – great fun, spontaneous, exuberant and full of energy! It’s perfect :)” Jessica Wiegand

“I had an amazing time. One of the best trips I’ve ever been on.

Coming from rural northern canada I had the misconception that scotland wouldn’t have much rugged, wilderness compared to canada. I was wrong! Scotland is beautiful and there is so much to explore. We could not have done it without our guides Andy and Huw. I was blown away by their knowledge of biking and the terrain. They also made us feel very welcome and comfortable with lots of laughs and stories on the trail and over delicious meals. It was an excellent way to explore scotland. I’ll be back!

10/10 for sure! They were absolutely amazing.

I’ve guided a lot myself and i can say with complete confidence and certainly that the trip would not have been the same without them. They were very skilled, support and fun which i think is the best combination. The guides made the trip. I wouldn’t go with anyone else. I can’t recommend them enough.” Linnea Rudachyk

“As a Canadian girl coming from Vancouver having only ever ridden trails on the north shore, Squamish and whistler you guys blew my socks off.

I would have to say this was one of the best weekends of my life and I’ve been a tad sad since it ended. From the scenery, to the riding, to the hospitality, to the organization, to the food, to the company and the laughter there was not one area that would need any sort of improvement. And I can hardly wait to come back.

If it wasn’t for our guide I don’t think the experience would have been the same. He was informative and we always knew what was coming at us around the corner, what to look at and the history of where we were riding. He never put us in jeopardy and made sure we all started and finished the rides with a smile on our faces.

I think it is obvious from above that this trip was exactly as it was promised.

I would rate this trip as a ‘if you don’t get yourself over here and ride it you are seriously missing out’ rating.

So, what does that equate too? 10/10?” Hayley McGowan, Vancouver

Where we stay during our mountain bike tours of Scotland plays almost as big a part in the overall experience as the trails we ride.

We use a wide variety of accommodation, from wild camping and bothy huts in remote wilderness settings to rustic hostels through to comfortable and friendly inns and guest houses, luxury self catering lodges, castles and everything in between.

Wild

Bivvying, bothying or wild camping under the stars; getting up close and personal with nature in every sense; what these trips lack in facilities, they make up for in adventure!

Rustic

Basic, simple accommodations handpicked for their wonderful locations and honest hospitality, generally with shared facilities

B&B

Enjoy warm hospitality, a hot shower, great food and a comfortable bed at the end of a day in one of our favourite 3 or 4 star hotels, guesthouses or Highland inns ( deluxe – 5 star – superior comfort options are also available upon request)

Lodge

Think of it a bit like a ski lodge (without the snow obviously!); a comfortable self-catering vacation rental chalet in the heart of mountain biking heaven, our lodges provide a fantastic base in a prime location to come back to at the end of a big day in the hills

Luxury

Castles, secret hideaways and ‘those in the know’ boltholes in locations across Scotland, perfect places for those looking for something a little bit different from their time in Scotland

Strathspey is a land of contrasts – deep, silent forests of ancient Scots Pine shelter beneath some of the UK’s highest summits, where the sub-arctic landscape is more similar to Scandinavia than the rest of the British Isles.

The trails here have something for everyone to enjoy, from long days out in remote backcountry to technical mountain trails in the main Cairngorm massif and loam-rich rollercoasters through the pines. With so much choice on offer we can tailor the riding to what you want to ride.

From the ski town of Aviemore, we can choose to explore further into some of Britain’s largest areas of native Caledonian forest, through ancient drove roads and into a post-glacial landscape that still bears the marks of the glaciers that carved it. The maze of pristine singletrack in Speyside is as varied as it is widespread, so join us on a trip off the beaten track and into the hills!

An adventure wouldn’t be an ‘adventure’ without a degree of risk. It’s our job to manage those risks so you have the best time possible.

As well as substantial field first aid kits, your guides will be packing or distributing among the group essential group emergency items including mobile telecom’s, VHF long-range radios, emergency survival shelters, and extra emergency clothing and supplies.

We employ robust late back procedures, and every trip has been fully risk assessed. While no one can guarantee a 100% safe trip, we do everything possible to minimise risks.

And long before we depart we ensure the trip is suitable for you – none of this one size fits all approach; it simply doesn’t work!

Add to that our comprehensive pre-departure package including trip notes and essential kit, all you’re left to do is get in shape and count down the days!

Expert Mountain Bike Guides

Our guides are fully trained and qualified to the highest standards essential to operate in the mountain environments our trips take place.

When you pay for our services, you’re paying for the reassurance that we know our way around the mountains, how to read people, the local conditions, logistics, fix mechanicals etc and always have a second ‘A plan’ up our sleeve.

As well as being extraordinarily great human beings (as standard!), all guides hold as a minimum the Mountain Bike Leader qualification, and emergency outdoor first aid qualifications. We believe these to be the most robust and rigorous qualifications in the business and the minimum standard for running trips like ours in Scotland. They’re not easy to come by but your enjoyment is a serious business. We’re serious about your enjoyment.

“Superb, great set up, fantastic riding and excellent organisation. World class!

Challenging but exceptional fun. Very highly rated guides. Skilled people managers with a confidence inspiring level of knowledge and experience.

Mainly though you’re nice folks to go riding and hang out with.

I was slightly wary of a river crossing as I’ve never done one before but your people and risk management skills put me at ease and made the whole thing an enjoyable adventure. Jase King

“An amazing experience and one that I’ll always remember for many reasons.

I sincerely hope that I have the health and time to do this again. I don’t think I’ve laughed so much in years. Ian Bayetto

“I had a fantastic time. Right from the first phone call Andy couldn’t have been more helpful and I felt like I was talking to a friend who I had known for years.

All the information I needed was emailed before the trip so I knew exactly what was what before I set off and I really enjoyed how laid back this trip was, all the best places to drink coffee/beer and eat have been discovered. Lizzy Farley