On the first day of this Tour d’Ecosse, the Skedaddle team will be waiting to meet arrivals at either Inverness train station or airport, for the transfer to our accommodation close to the vibrant centre of the city. For those driving to Inverness accommodation details will be provided in advance. Afternoon arrivals are recommended to allow enough time to set up bikes ready for riding the next day.

The rest of the day is free for relaxation and exploration of the city. Inverness is the capital of the Highlands and sits on the mouth of the River Ness. Its impressive castle and old town are well worth a visit. If your preferences are littoral rather than urban it is also possible to enjoy a coastal walk and, for the fortunate, perhaps even spot one of the dolphin pods that call the Moray Firth their home.

In the evening we will eat out as a group in a local restaurant, an opportunity to get to know the rest of the party and to chat to your guides about the trip ahead.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 820 Metres Approx.

Our journey begins gently as we leave the city via the famous Kessock Bridge and enter the Black Isle to the north of Inverness. Immediately over the bridge we make use of a short section of cycle path which drops us down onto the northern shore of the Beauly Firth where it is not uncommon to see dolphins and seals as we ride.

After leaving the waterside we head inland for a few miles until we reach the town of Dingwall, the gateway to the Cromarty Firth and the start of a beautifully quiet backroad that leads us onto and over the only really significant climb of the day as we head over the hills of Easter Ross to reach our lunch spot at Bonar Bridge on the Dornoch Firth.

After lunch we head further north, leaving the main road a few miles beyond the town, passing the salmon leap at Shin Falls and pushing on through forests on narrow, single-lane roads to our final destination of Lairg on the southern tip of Loch Shin.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,200 Metres Approx.

After a hearty Scottish breakfast, we depart northwards for a short while before taking a sharp left to head out to the wild west coast of Scotland. For most of the morning will be on lovely quiet single-lane roads, the first 20 miles of which follow the shoreline of the beautiful Loch Shin and then later lead us, constantly surrounded by mountains, into the Glen of Allt Ceann Locha.

Eventually we reach the sheltered inlet of Laxford Bay, a few miles beyond which we take another sharp left turn to begin heading southwards along a spectacularly-rocky and undulating shoreline. Through tiny village and crofts, we dip and dive along the engaging coastal road, taking an occasional break to admire the views over to the Isle of Lewis and Harris way off in the Hebrides.

Beyond the remote fishing villages of Kylestrome and Kylesku the road rises sharply for just over five miles as we leave the coast and head inland slightly towards Loch Assynt.

All that remains, after reaching the summit, is a swift descent down to the loch followed by a rolling, generally downhill, road that delivers us to Lochinver, our home for the evening and our first chance to sample the mouth-watering seafood that the west coast is famous for.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,040 Metres Approx.

Today’s our shortest day on the bikes, but what it lacks in distance is more than compensated by its dramatic sawtooth profile.

With the dramatic Suilven peak to our east, a series of sharp little climbs begin almost immediately as we leave Lochinver. After travelling south for just less than 15 miles we change direction and head west to explore one of the many remote coastal peninsulas; the short excursion on almost empty roads presents Scotland at its best and is well worth it for the great coastal panorama and views of the Summer Isles.

After completing the loop we rejoin our main route at Loch Lurgainn and continue our journey south, passing through the tiny village of Ardmair and its beautiful bay along the way, until we reach the bustling town of Ullapool sitting on the shore of Loch Broom. A relatively early arrival here hopefully allows plenty of time to enjoy a little west coast culture, observing the fishing boats and ferries coming and going in the harbour.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,450 Metres Approx.

Having enjoyed the shortest day of our tour of Scotland yesterday we have a longer day ahead of us as we set off to ride around the mountains of Wester Ross.

We’ll be timing our departure to miss the morning rush hour that coincides with the ferry arrival and after a few short miles of a slightly busier road, we rejoin more familiar quiet roads that lead us back towards the rugged west coast.

A gentle 10 miles of climbing takes up to the highest point of the day before the road naturally drops down again for a similar distance and carries us all the way to the shores of Little Loch Broom. Never far from the sea, we spend the rest of the day negotiating numerous minor ups and downs and navigating our way around all the rocky inlets and sea lochs.

After a relaxing lunch stop at Poolewe, we pass the botanic gardens at Inverewe where, warmed by the gulf stream, we come across many sub-tropical species not normally found this far north. We end the day looking out to the nature reserves and many wooded islands of Loch Maree as we spin along its southern bank, arriving in the remote village of Talladale, surrounded by Wester Ross National Scenic area, where we will spend the evening.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,780 Metres Approx.

Today features one of the week’s most iconic climbs, which for many of us will prove to be the most epic and memorable day. Things start gently as we ride along Loch Maree to Kinlochewe before heading west through Glen Torridon to be rewarded with the spectacular view down to Loch Torridon. Even though the next 30 miles or so tend to be a little lumpier, the challenges are all small and very manageable.

We’ll take time out at the lovely fishing village of Sheildaig where, if we are very lucky, we might see a sea eagle or two, before continuing along the narrow single-lane road around the Rubha na Fearn peninsula to the village of Applecross overlooking the Isles of Raasay, Rona and beyond them, the Isle of Skye.

Applecross, nestling at the southern end of a tiny bay, guards the entrance to Bealach Na Ba and we’ll regroup here to take a snack and ready ourselves for the signature climb of our entire journey. Bealach Na Ba, Gaelic for Pass of the Cattle, with its numerous hairpins and gradients approaching 20%, is considered by many to be the greatest and one of the most challenging road climbs in the UK and after the five miles it takes to reach the 2,053ft (626m) high summit we’ll take a well-earned rest to admire the views of the magnificent Cuillin Ridge over on the Isle of Skye.

After catching our breath we’ll descend carefully down the equally steep, sheltered road on the other side, all the way down to Loch Kishorn, after which one final short effort will see us up and over the hills to Lochcarron where we will find this evening’s home.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 690 Metres Approx.

We may have reached our final day of riding the Tour d‘Ecosse but there is still plenty in store as we travel, to all intents and purposes, from the west coast of Scotland to the east coast.

From the shores of Locharron we wave goodbye to the mountains of the west before heading along somewhat gentler roads than those to which we have recently become accustomed, as we move into Glen Carron and the watershed around Achnasheen Junction.

With most of the climbing completed within the first 20 miles, we spend the rest of the day rolling generally downhill though small rural towns and passing numerous picturesque minor lochs all the way back to the Beauly Firth and then finally back into Inverness for our final evening.

• Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast we’ll bid a fond farewell to those of our companions who are driving home and then transfers to Inverness train station and airport will be arranged.