Mull of Galloway to John O’Groats

Just back from cycling the Hebridean Way with Skinny Tyres and I
recommend it highly as an example of the best of cycling in Scotland –
quiet roads, plenty climbing, beautiful scenery, lots of wildlife spotting,
superb food, and excellent back up from Scott and Skinny Tyres. High
points are numerous – munching a crab roll overlooking a golden beach
after a day of cycling in the sun, alpine style climb out of Tarbert, owls
and lapwings in touching distance from the road, sea food in the
restaurants at night, and great company. Weather was generous as
well – mostly dry or sunshine, some rain, minimal heavy rain, wind in
your face and also behind, and no snow or hail! I was one of only two
punctures in ten people cycling for four days. Scott immediately spotted
my glum face and sent me off for a coffee while he sorted it for me.
Thanks again Scott!

The Hebridean Way cycle tour with Skinny Tyres exceeded my expectations in every way! Scot was a wonderful guide – knowledgeable, kind, organised and attentive. Endless supplies of amazing snacks, including Soreen and Kendal mint cake, both new to me!

We enjoyed Scot’s Hebridean Way tour last year so much, that we chose to to join him on his Scotland C2C last week. A truly amazing experience…
Scot’s thoughtful, meticulous planning allows you cycle on quiet back roads, away from the tourist traffic.
Scot’s extensive knowledge of cycling in Scotland and his brilliant logistics were abundantly clear, allowing us to simply cycle and enjoy every minute.
We can’t recommend Scot and Skinny Tyres highly enough. If you’re thinking of a Scottish cycling holiday, then this is the place…and the man!

We hired Scot and Skinny Tyres for a one off Lands End to John O
Groats support vehicle. We got a lot more than that, not just
transportation but cycling advice, encouragement and motivation, well
stocked car boot with all sorts of high calorie goods and mechanical
support. Over 920 miles he had an uncanny knack of knowing when we
would need him, which was often! He was never more than minutes
away. Skinny Tyres and Scot also promoted the charity we were riding
for helping raise extra funds, they were also a very personable business
and socialised easily with our group. Probably the difference between a
tough trip and a trip of a lifetime, thoroughly recommend them.

Scot planned a four-day cycling loop starting/ending in Glasgow. The
scenery was exceptional; I feel like I got a great a real taste of Scotland
on the ride – mountains, lochs, castles. We even passed a church with
bagpipes playing. The support that Skinny Tyres provided along the
way, including GPS maps, mechanical assistance, refuelling stations and
nice accommodations made all of our rides run seamlessly. I can’t
recommend Skinny Tyres highly enough and hope to return for another
tour sometime.

We’ve recently returned from a tour of the Outer Hebrides with Scot
and Skinny Tyres and it was, quite simply, the best organised cycling
tour we’ve experienced.
Scot’s attention to detail was evident throughout the whole week and
his carefully planned logistics made it easy for us to simply cycle and
enjoy the stunning scenery along this amazing route.
One particularly pleasant aspect of the holiday was Scot’s decision not
to put wine on the table every night, but instead, to allow all his clients
to choose anything from the menu. We have previously experienced
hotel ‘set meals’ with other cycle tour companies which can best be
described as inedible ‘slop’, so Scot’s alternative approach was
gratefully appreciated.
We will, hopefully, be signing up to other Skinny Tyres tours (we just
wish you organised some continental tours too, Scot!) and we can
highly recommend this company if you’re considering a UK cycling tour.
Thanks for a fantastic week to all those friendly, fun folk on our trip and
especially to Scot for his outstanding preparation and hard work.

I recently completed the Hebridean Island Hopper with Skinny Tyres. What a fantastic trip and what a brilliant cycle touring company Skinny Tyres are! I’ve done quite a lot of tours with other companies and while the standard is always high in my experience, Skinny Tyres is the best company I’ve ever toured with. The love Scot has for what he does and for Scotland showed through the whole trip – fantastic routes, brilliant support, quality accommodation and great evening restaurant selections (plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans), but what made it really special was the local knowledge Scot shared, both during the day and in the evening, advising of local sights to see and frequently taking us there in the evening too!
I genuinely can’t recommend Skinny Tyres highly enough and am looking forward to another trip next year!

Scot planned two days of fantastic road riding around Perthshire. The
friendly support we received was second to none. The route Scott
planned for us gave us a challenge, but we all succeeded. I definitely
recommend Skinny Tyres for any cycling trips and will be using again.

Scot and his team organised with all logistics and most helpful advice on
how to get the best trip in these remote Islands.
It was a beautiful ride and with Skinny Tyres behind us providing daily
route plans and GPS maps we could not get lost and just had to pedal
back and enjoy the magnificent scenery and the good food and friendly
pubs, B&Bs, that we visited. Thoroughly recommend 100% Skinny
Tyres!

I joined a Skinny Tyres weekend as a novice cyclist who’d signed up for
the Etape Caledonia. My worries evaporated once I met the other
cyclists who were just like me! Scot, Erni and Toby are outstanding
coaches and, over the weekend, built my knowledge skill and
confidence. They are all very experienced and keen to share with other
cyclists. I had been nervous about what I’d taken on, but they made
me feel it was realistic and achievable. The training weekend was great
fun – thanks to the team and the other cyclists – and the Etape itself
went well despite challenging weather!

I booked a training ride with Skinny Tyres ahead of the Etape Caledonia
and it has helped immensely, not only with my preparation for the
Etape but also with my cycling in general. Scot was friendly, motivating
and extremely patient, and provided constant coaching and
encouragement throughout the day. Advice and direction on
descending, cornering and climbing have given me so much more
confidence on the bike, and being able to cycle around the trickier parts
of the route with someone who knows what is coming next will prove to
be priceless during the etape – the steep hill hidden behind a sharp
corner, the energy sapping undulations in the closing stages, the point
on the Scheihallion road when it changes from horrific to ‘terrible but
bearable’ … They day itself was fantastic, but the guidance on nutrition
and on training, which Scot provided both before and after, was
excellent as well. All booked up for a second day next month.

I had an amazing trip on the Outer Hebrides. Scot was such an experienced, attentive and knowledgeable guide. He clearly really wanted me to have the best trip possible. I really appreciated the smaller group size too. Highly recommend.

I am a year late writing this review but wanted to make sure I finally
got it done because Skinny Tyres is just fantastic. You could not ask for
more from a cycling tour organizer. My wife and I had just a wonderful
experience.
After a couple rounds of discussion to understand what we were
looking for, Scot did a great job putting our routes together. We did the
snow roads in the Cairngorms National Park area (killer climbs btw).
Scot provided excellent bikes and completed a thorough fitting before
we started our three days of riding. During the rides he was there for
support (eg snacks, gear change, route info) but otherwise invisible
giving us the feeling of riding on our own without any of the hassle
organizing things.
The one thing that I hadn’t expected was the incredible riding photos
that Scot took of us. He is a talented photographer and provided a
thumb drive of some really beautiful pictures of us riding through the
amazing scenery. The pictures alone are worth the total cost of the
Skinny Tyre fees (which are quite reasonable).
This is the second tour I have done with Skinny Tyres and I look
forward to riding with them again someday. Really nice people too …

Skinny Tyres is owned and run by Scot. The name gives it away- he is a Scot by birth, and the beauty of Scotland is something that he and his tours can definitely show you.
The tour was one of the best cycling experiences of my life. If you want to explore Scotland’s stunning coastal beaches, see and cycle the mountains in Skye and have an epic and wild time on Mull then this is the company for you!
Scot takes care of your mechanical needs and also the trip costs includes a 3 course dinner every night. There are easy to follow routes which take you to stunning vistas and plenty of snacks to prevent you from getting tired.
Scot is flexible and so he is adept at altering routes and flexing plans if this is needed or of customers have specific requests.
If you are looking for a genuine person who really wants to share the beauty of Scotland with you, then look no further!

We did a bespoke demanding cycling holiday in the Outer Hebrides
designed and guided/supported by Scot. Conditions and logistics were
challenging and his skills as a 5-star guide tested to the limit. And he
rose to every challenge with enthusiasm, skill and empathy. The best
guide I’ve worked with.

I have done four trips with Scot in Scotland – including a MTB Coast to
Coast, Cape Wrath down west coast on gravel bikes and a RB south to
north, most recently, in the Outer Hebrides. All trips have been
absolutely fantastic. Scot is absolutely first rate in all aspects of guiding
– route development, day support, organisation, safety, local knowledge
and much more. I have cycled and mountain biked all round Europe
and the trips with Scot consistently rate at the top. I could not
commend Skinny Tyres more highly.

We just had a great week cycling the Hebridean Way. Scot was brilliant throughout – he could not have done more to help and sorted everything the whole way along. You can just cycle at your own pace even if it takes you all day which means that the trip suits a wide variety of abilities. My wife, who cycles more than I do, did superbly on her hybrid with a great sense of achievement at the end whilst I thoroughly enjoyed a less challenging week on my ebike. Great company with the others in the group too! All in all, a memorable week. Thank you Scot.

Did a four-day tour of the Outer Hebrides with Scott and it was
fantastic. He organised the whole thing from beginning to end and was
on hand throughout with navigation, technical and nutritional support.
Scott is very professional and great company too. It was my first trip
with Skinny Tyres and hopefully won’t be my last. Couldn’t recommend
more highly. Many thanks

I recently enjoyed a fantastic and very professionally supported trip
across the Outer Hebrides with Scot and Dagmara. I’ve been on trips
with Skinny Tyres before and loved them … this was no exception.
Every single detail was thought about and provided for … Scot’s
primary concern is always the welfare of his clients. The trip was
spectacularly beautiful wild and wonderful…a part of the UK I would not
have thought about without proper support … I cannot recommend
Skinny Tyres highly enough

Scot has organised two trips for us in Scotland. One in 2018 which was
a MTB coast to coast and the other one in 2019 which was from
Durness to Inverness via the West Coast on gravel bikes. Both trips
were exceptional. Scot is an outstanding guide and the planning and
execution in both cases were flawless. Scot takes exceptional care over
all aspects of the trip and I could not recommend him highly enough. I
have done MTB, road biking, ski touring and hiking challenges all round
the world and the trips with Scot have certainly been near the top.
Thank you!

I visited Scotland for the first time in September. I made arrangements
with Scott from Skinny Tyres for an afternoon ride. Scott handled all of
the details and made everything easy. All I had to do was to pack my
bike shoes and pedals. Scott structured a ride from the village where I
was staying and he arrived with the bikes. After that it was nothing but
the simple joy of a great guided ride. I look forward to visiting Scotland
again and I will most certainly look to hire Skinny Tyres for what I am
sure will be another great bicycle ride experience. Thank you, Scott.
Your guided ride was a true highlight of my trip to Scotland!

I was in Scotland with an international group that opted to do a
several-day bike ride of the Glasgow area before a major meeting. Scot
and his group were fantastic – they skilfully managed the complexities
of a sizable group of riders from many countries and abilities. The trip
was fantastic. It was a memorable trip and I would definitely use
Skinny Tyres again. Even riding in the rain part of the time … really
great and would definitely do again!!!

Enjoy the cycling, the views and the company – Scot and the fabulous
Skinny Tyres team ensure that navigation, logistics, snacks,
mechanicals are all taken care of.
We had a great day in Highland Perthshire around Schiehallion and
Loch Rannoch on some – but not all – of the Etape Caledonia route.
The Skinny Tyres team provided route navigation and instructions on
calling for help from the support van before we set off. On the road we
were kept going with snacks, friendly advice and local knowledge from
the team.
The support van is like the tardis: a fully stocked bike workshop as well
as a mobile café.
A great experience – thoroughly recommended whether or not you’re a
seasoned cyclist.

I booked in for an individual coaching session to build my confidence
and skills on my road bike from a cycling pro. Scot was fantastic; I was
so nervous, but he immediately put me at ease and took time to talk
through things and went at my pace. I got loads out of the session –
Scot taught me lots to practice and gave me advice on my posture,
positioning and how to ride efficiently. I have lots to work on – but I
feel so much more confident in my abilities and technique after
spending time with Scot and getting his invaluable advice and feedback.
I would highly recommend Skinny Tyres to any cyclists – whether
coaching for beginners like me – or for the more advanced cyclists
looking for training support. I hope to return for some training once I
master the basics!! Thanks again Scot.

The Hebridean Way cycle tour with Skinny Tyres exceeded my expectations in every way! Scot was a wonderful guide – knowledgeable, kind, organised and attentive. Endless supplies of amazing snacks, including Soreen and Kendal mint cake, both new to me!

As one of nine to travel to Scotland from Australia to participate in the
Atlantic Raid, the Skinny Tyres crew more than exceeded our
expectations. They were professional, engaging, organized and
excellent cyclists. The route was challenging, rewarding and once
completed, provided for wonderful bragging rights. We highly
recommend this tour and will be back for further adventures with the
Skinny Tyres crew.

Scott and his team did an amazing job organizing and guiding our
heterogeneous group of people with very different cycling experience.
The tour was fun all the time and we had a great experience in the
Scottish Highlands.

Being a social female rider, in a group of friends who rode the Atlantic
Raid, I was unsure if I was capable of the six-day cycle. Much to my
surprise I found I was not out of my depth mainly because of the help
of Scot and his team. At no time was I pressured or felt unable to
complete the journey. We all had mechanical support and loads of
goodies to get us up the hills. The scenery was amazing and our group
of nine took tons of wonderful footage in the remote north of Scotland.
We are already talking about a return visit next year. Many thanks to
Scot and Skinny Tyres!

Perfect support for a ride in Scotland! Full equipped van to support you
along your day of riding (clothes, food, mechanical issues, luggage …).
Experienced guide and owner Scot has so much knowledge of the area
that will provide you with all the necessary info!!!

I recently completed the Hebridean Island Hopper with Skinny Tyres. What a fantastic trip and what a brilliant cycle touring company Skinny Tyres are! I’ve done quite a lot of tours with other companies and while the standard is always high in my experience, Skinny Tyres is the best company I’ve ever toured with. The love Scot has for what he does and for Scotland showed through the whole trip – fantastic routes, brilliant support, quality accommodation and great evening restaurant selections (plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans), but what made it really special was the local knowledge Scot shared, both during the day and in the evening, advising of local sights to see and frequently taking us there in the evening too!
I genuinely can’t recommend Skinny Tyres highly enough and am looking forward to another trip next year!

I contacted Scot to ask for his help in supporting me attempt an
impromptu John o Groats to Lands End ride in early October. Even
though it was very short notice (72 hours) … he moved heaven and
earth to make himself and colleagues available for the nine-day plus
one rest day trip. I’d met Scot before whilst he was guiding for Marmot
Tours on cycling trips in Europe, so I knew I was in safe hands. His
support van is fully kitted out with tools to deal with any mechanical …
I had a few! The quality of his support is exceptional … he was never
more than 10-15 mins away if I needed him and always stayed fairly
close to offer encouragement, hot drinks or food just when I was
flagging. His knowledge of the route was first rate especially in the
Highlands and his local historical knowledge always added some colour
to the long days in the saddle. Scot is a very friendly person easy to get
along with and chat to. His number one priority is always his clients’
well-being. He is very adept with the laptop and garmin in making sure
I had perfect turn by turn routes loaded into my garmin for each day.
Before I forget he is also a great photographer
I could go on but all in all I would highly recommend Scot and Skinny
Tyres if you want first rate, friendly and professional cycling trip
support.

Scot Tares and Skinny Tyres were recommended to me by a cycling
friend who had a fantastic tour with them in Spain. I was in Scotland
and looking for a good ride but only had one day available. Scot setup a
fantastic day of riding for me and my son through part of the Perthshire
highlands starting and ending in the quaint village of Pitlochry. The ride
was beautiful. Picture postcard perfect: Scottish hills, small villages,
castles, lochs, streams, stone bridges, Highland cows, and wandering
sheep.
Logistics were totally on point. I told Scot what kind of ride I was
looking for and he did the rest. A car picked us up in St Andrews where
we were staying and drove us approximately 90 minutes to Perthshire.
Scot had arranged excellent road bike rentals and assigned one of his
teammates (the wonderful Dagmara) to support our ride. She didn’t
ride with us but rather drove the support car as we did our ride. The
car was never in sight except when we needed it for things like
shedding a jacket, grabbing a snack, or refilling a bidon. A great
combination of great ride support while giving you the feeling of riding
alone through the quiet countryside.
It was a great experience and I highly recommend Skinny Tyres if you
are looking for an over-the-top riding experience in Scotland. I plan to
be back next spring for a multi-day ride. Can’t wait!

I wanted an adventure this year as I turn fifty. This holiday and
experience didn’t disappoint at all. Everything was excellent it really
was. Fully supported all the way. Scot and Dagmara were excellent
they were there if you needed support and were at pitstops along the
way. Giving you food and water or just somebody there in the distance
as you were cycling along. Scot and Dagmara was there with you all of
the way and you didn’t feel alone at any time. Each day the bikes were
out ready in the morning for you to carry on cycling. Your bags were
carried and put in the hotel when you reached your destination for that
day. they carried your day bag if you needed anything whilst you were
cycling. The ferries were all sorted and Scot was there all of the time
making sure everyone was on the ferry and off. Organised a whats app
for the cycling group so he was always in communication with you.
Hotels and food were excellent welcoming modern clean and tidy. The
people on the islands were friendly and welcoming just a happy place.
You don’t need to be worlds best cyclist this holiday is for all abilities
and is supported all the way. GPS files of maps are easily downloaded
to your Garmin and you are given hard copies of maps and directions.
Before dinner Scot always does a debrief of the days cycling and speaks
about the following day what to expect and if you need to be at the
ferry terminal etc so you are always up to date of whats going on and
where you need to be. Each day Scot counted us out in the morning
and counted us back in and made sure that everybody was back in the
hotel and safe. So if you want an adventure and experience that you
will remember and you will talk about endlessly as I have. I would fully
recommend Scot and Dagmara of Skinny Tyres to book your cycling
holiday. Outer Hebrides was Epic.

Just back from a great day out on the bike with this company
Great planning and a really well organised event with some very
friendly places along with the support van with the TdF klaxon!!
Will definitely keep an eye out in the future for their events and trips.

Well planned, well organised and well run six-day Hebrides road bike
trip with excellent support by Scot and Dagmara who always worked as
a team.
Much appreciated and a memorable trip through amazing landscapes.
Lucky with the weather too