Hello,

I am David, from Spain. I am planning my holidays for this summer and one option is the Highland Trail 550. I'd try it in a "medium-relax" (maximum 12 days??) mode, not in a race "mode".
At this moment I have two available weeks, the first and second week of July (perhaps the last of June and first of July). My main concern is midges....

I would like to know the opinions / recommendations from the "locals" or bikers who have done the trail about this.... is it highly, poor or absolutely not recommended? can I get mad????

I was cycling three days in Finland (as a part of a trip in Norway) some years ago on August and it was a "nightmare"....two days I had to have dinner and breakfast ON the road because of the mosquitoes.....Perhaps, I could delay the trip to August but I don't know if it would be a solution for this issue...

I have another question about the deer stalking/hunting, but I think it is less decisive than the midges....

What do you think about it? Could someone give me any advice?

Thank you very much

I live in the Highlands and ride/camp/bivvy all year.

Midges can't fly in winds above around 8kph. They don't like direct sunlight.

Using these two facts, plus a supply of Smidge, you'll cope just fine.

June has some of the best weather. It can get a bit wet in July and early August.

As for deer stalking etc, you can practically ignore it. In 50 years of walking and cycling I've only once had to turn back onto an alternative route.

Ok, thanks.....

I will "believe" what you say about midges because I am looking forward to do that route....
I am not sure if I will be able to do the whole route (with the northern loop) in two weeks, but I will try it...

Apart from midges and deers, the other "big" question is about butane/propane cartridges :
Is there a store/shop that sells these types of cartridges in Tyndrum? and on the rest of the route?

I think i will flight to Glasgow and I would like to buy these kind of things in an smaller town.

Thanks

Pretty sure you can get gas canisters from The Green Welly Store in tyndrum.

You should find those gas canisters in Tyndrum, Fort Augustus, Contin, Lochinver, Ullapool, Kinlochewe and maybe Dornie.

thank you for everything.....in the end, maybe I can do it in June..... I'll tell you how it has gone...

re gas stove, you might want to check you have the right stove. Some Euro stoves pierce the canister rather than screw into them. The ones over here are normal threaded cartridges

I know the threaded ones are available in Europe but thought it might be worthwhile being clear about it!

Ok, i think i have the "correct" stove: a Primus Express stove....the canister screw into the stove....but i'll ckeck it with some website.uk

Thanks for the warning / advice because this kind of issues are very annoying when you realize it.

Asked at Drumbeg stores about gas and they don't sell any. Didn't check at Lochinver as everything was shut!

David, remember that British restaurant and pub eating times usually finish at 2100

Hello,

I write this like a "thank you very much" for your help...sorry for my poor English and if there is some misunderstood, it will be my English, sure.......I would like to write down it in more deep but it is hard explain ideas in other language....

I did about a 90% of the Highland trail 550 from 4 to 12 on this june...mainly, I did not ride the 30 km further north kilometers and I left (withdrow?? , scrachted??) at Fort William...that day (my nine day) at 11.30 am I was again completely wet and I saw the train station....and I took the train to Tyndrum.....

The route "on the paper" is hard but the conditions are the "hidden enemies": in my 9 days only two afternoons and one morning I saw the sun....rainy days, windy days or rainy/windy days were the common days... when i went to Scotland I knew about the scottish weather but.... ...the soaked? ground is other factor....Some nights, fortunately there are bothies...oh my good!!...To finish the day wet and to have a bothie in the middle of no where...it has not price!!!..bivys are very hard with wet, very wet ground and if you are wet.....

I did it with a stove and a little pot and mostly I eated brought food (not café/bars/restaurants). For this kind of route, it is perhaps an excesive baggage....

The route is a superb route: an impressive succession of links of paths and tracks for some incredible, lonely and wild places...vaguely exciting and hard....and it is a challenge too. Ride that route with 8-10 kgrs loaded is a great challenge, huge challenge.....and the wind, it drains you....

In my opinion there is an excessive hike-a-bike / push ups...and I understand that it depends on the skills and kind of bike of the biker, even so, there are many non-cycling areas at all....and I understand that in 900 km of trails and tracks must be paths like that....

I have returned with a bitter feeling because I have not been able to realize it whole, but on the other hand, I have tried and realized for the most part a route of which its creators and guardians can be proud, very proud; because the route and because the wild and virgin nature by which it runs

summarizing: Highland Trail 550 is a challenge route, an impresive route to obtain your postgraduate degree in mountain bike trips in one of the most clean, wild, inhabited and superb scenaries in europe. Do not underestimate it because it is in Europe. Be careful and do not worry: scottish people will help you if you have some trouble, for sure!.....in spanish: Putos escoceses, vaya pedazo de ruta que se han cascao!! están locos!!! su puta madre!!

Thank you for your help, see you riding anytime, anywhere!!

P.D: This year, I followed the race on trackleaders and i have been cycling the route...then.....How can someone do it in less than 4 days?????!!!!!!!!!!......then....Congratulations to all the racers, really, it is "something important" start the race and finish it......bravo!!!

Well done for having a go!

It is not an easy route. As you found out, weather can make it much harder. We were lucky on the group start a week earlier, we had very little bad weather. The bothies are a big help in bad weather and taking a stove in such conditions is sensible. The hike-a-bike sections are part of the "charm" but it helps to accept them. In a month or two you will want to try again

Under four days? Genuinely stunning riding.

Don't be too harsh on yourself; achieving what you did in that sort of incesant weather is really good.

Well done, you did good in that weather, .

You can get screw gas cannisters on the route at: Fort Augustus hardware store (slightly off route), and Outdoor store in Ullapool (slightly off route).

Possibly Green Welly at Tyndrum and possibly Contin store or petrol station as there is a campsite in Contin.

I have heard that the Postman's Path may become quite overgrown in summer with bracken.
Cheers