Cairngorm to Coast Hike and Bike 2025

Generously sponsored by Fred.Olsen Renewables, Cairngorm to Coast (aka C2C) is a 100km hike and bike challenge that takes place against the backdrop of the magnificent Cairngorm National Park and along the beautiful scenery of the Dava Way. Taking you from the dizzy heights of the Highlands to the coast of Moray; it’s the area’s most gruelling, but stunning challenge event.

C2C is split into three categories: hike, hike & bike and bike only. Following the same route, starting at Cairngorm Ski Centre carpark, it’s a hike or bike down to Glenmore Forest, towards Nethy Forest and on to Nethy Bridge before joining the Speyside Way to Grantown on Spey (GOS). From GOS, they take the Dava Way to Forres and then a local Sustrans route to Lossiemouth

Hike Only (30km)

You will depart Lossiemouth at 7am for the Cairngorm ski centre car park. Starting at 9am from Cairngorm, you will hike 30km to the Royal British Legion Scotland in Grantown on Spey, where you will receive your finishing medal and can enjoy a hot meal. (Age 10+)

Hike & Bike (30km/70km)

Depart Lossiemouth 7am for a 9am start at Cairngorm Mountain car park. You’ll hike 30km to Grantown where your bike and cycling kit will be waiting, ready for your 70km cycle to Lossiemouth and receive your finisher’s medal. (Age 14+)

Bike Only (100km)

Depart Lossiemouth at 9am for staggered start from 11am at Cairngorm Mountain car park. Cycle 30km to Grantown on Spey for hot food and drinks, then further 70km to Lossiemouth for your finisher’s medal. (Age 14+)

Join The SPIN Project to explore ancient woodlands and discover the conservation and restoration work taking place across the Cairngorms Connect partnership area to protect and enhance this landscape.

The route will be roughly 15km with some rough surfaces and is suitable for beginner mountain bikers.

Feel free to bring your own bike if you have one, but don’t worry if not – thanks to funding from the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme, bike hire from Backcountry Scot is included with your ticket, if needed.

Discover Cairngorms Connect events are designed to give you an introduction to Cairngorms Connect while experiencing the landscape in different ways, in collaboration with local businesses and organisations.

Please note the exact location of the event will be provided upon booking.

It is important that all people have equal access to Cairngorms Connect events.

We don’t want finance to be a barrier to people attending and so have made some tickets available for free or by donation – please take advantage of this if you need to.

Donations go towards our ongoing community engagement work, supporting more people to connect with this landscape. We’re able to offer these ticket options thanks to funding from the Endangered Landscapes and Seascapes Programme.

We are happy to provide for your requirements, wherever possible eg. BSL interpreters, off-road wheelchairs, adapted bikes etc. If have any accessibility requirements, please get in touch.

Join The SPIN Project to explore ancient woodlands and discover the conservation and restoration work taking place across the Cairngorms Connect partnership area to protect and enhance this landscape.

The route will be roughly 15km with some rough surfaces and is suitable for beginner mountain bikers.

Feel free to bring your own bike if you have one, but don’t worry if not – thanks to funding from the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme, bike hire from Backcountry Scot is included with your ticket, if needed.

Discover Cairngorms Connect events are designed to give you an introduction to Cairngorms Connect while experiencing the landscape in different ways, in collaboration with local businesses and organisations.

Please note the exact location of the event will be provided upon booking.

It is important that all people have equal access to Cairngorms Connect events.

We don’t want finance to be a barrier to people attending and so have made some tickets available for free or by donation – please take advantage of this if you need to.

Donations go towards our ongoing community engagement work, supporting more people to connect with this landscape. We’re able to offer these ticket options thanks to funding from the Endangered Landscapes and Seascapes Programme.

We are happy to provide for your requirements, wherever possible eg. BSL interpreters, off-road wheelchairs, adapted bikes etc. If have any accessibility requirements, please get in touch.

The Big Bike Film Night is on a mission- bringing the best cycling short films from around the world together for you.

Showcasing 2.5 hours of moving bike films that has everything a cycle-centric audience could want – action, drama, humour, and plenty of inspiration; the evening is unashamedly and utterly, utterly, utterly designed and devised for the two-wheel devotee!

The 2024 treasure chest of films includes:
• a visually commanding film following one rider’s colourful adventure scouring the most beautiful spots from Guatemala to Peru via Bolivia bringing together a masterpiece of breathtaking images and memories
• a documentary about a community of cyclists from Alexandra, New Zealand who all share a similar love and passion for their place, people and sport
• discovering how a bicycle can be much more than a bicycle, bringing change to people’s lives
• a determined father and his daughter prepare for their greatest adventure together: an ambitious ride that will push them to physical and emotional limits on a gruelling bike ride around Central Otago’s Lake Dunstan Trail
• we meet a passionate and quirky Australian “bicycle whisperer”
• we join 10 young people as they learn to ride a long way… embarking on a 900km bikepacking trip from Wellington to Wānaka in New Zealand
• a fast-paced, fun, and feminist bike race film set in Toronto, Canada that finally gives a groundbreaking, nearly forgotten athletic hero her rightful place in history
• a moving movie set in Scotland, showcasing how the simple joy of riding bikes can make a big impact
• and rounding out the night, “Everesting” is a feather few cyclists have in their caps, but what happens if your cap is full? So full in fact, you think “lets go big, why not do two?”
ALL in the mix!

These short films are a great reminder of why we love to ride our bike; with stories that captivate us, stories that make us think, and most importantly of all – inspiring us to get out and ride. All celebrate the fun, adventure, and joy that cycling enables.

Win a complete outfit built for the bike life!
Purchase a ticket to a Scottish screening and, thanks to our Supporter Nzo, you could win a Prize Package valued at over £360. T’s and C’s apply.

So…listen to the voice inside you; it’s telling you to go. Grab your mates, grab your tickets, GO ON… grab your bike and come along for the ride!!

ATTENDEE’S COMMENTS:
“If you only have one night a year out make it this!!”
“Wow! If it comes to your town do NOT miss it. Something for everyone.”
“The Big Bike Film Night is always a wonderful, eclectic, wacky mix of films and I love it!”
“This was my first Big Bike Film Night, I’m hooked!”

The Kingussie Bikeathon will be back for its 31st year!

Family Ceilidh Saturday 15th June and Family Friendly Route Off Road Route and Advanced Gravel Ride Sunday 16th June

Join us for a family friendly, largely off road ride following the River Tromie to Gaick Lodge and back, or for experienced gravel / MTB riders we are offering a spectacular new circular route out along Glen Tromie and over into Glen Feshie before heading back to Kingussie.

This year thanks to our friends at Wildland we are returning to the hugely popular routes we used last year. We have two spectacular routes as well as a family Ceilidh the night before the bikeathon to warm us all up. In honour of the history of the bikeathon we will also be raising money for Blood Cancer UK a charity the bikeathon has raised 100’s of thousands of pounds for over the past 30 years.

Entry fees for the ride will support the Kingussie High School Parent Council Charity, we encourage riders to raise sponsorship for Blood Cancer UK and funds raised at the family friendly Ceilidh will also support Blood Cancer UK

26.2 Mile Family Friendly Route

Starting at Kingussie High School we will head out past Ruthven Barracks to Tromie Bridge and and turn right heading along Glen Tromie following the river through a spectacular Cairngorms landscape to the amazing setting of Gaick Lodge, following feedback from last year we will be making putting the ‘mid station’ a little earlier to give folk the option of an early turnaround or carrying on to Gaick Lodge and getting to visit the mid station twice. As we return the same way it guarantees a social ride. We will finish at the Duke of Gordon Hotel for our usual finish line entertainment. NOTE: This is an off road route not suitable for ‘pure’ road bikes, any type of MTB or gravel type bike will be great.

Advanced 35 Mile Gravel / MTB Route

This route is for experienced riders only and mixes some longstanding gravel trails with brand new trails that connect the beautiful Tromie and Feshie Glens via a high exposed pass (with a BIG climb and descent) and a brand new bridge. The Ride will still head to Gaick Lodge by the more difficult route return to Kingussie joining the family ride though riders can miss this additional dog leg if they wish and still visit the ‘mid’ station which will be a bit earlier this year and hopefully everybody will get cake! Climbing to over 600m this route is for experienced riders only, riders must be able to fix their own mechanicals and be experienced navigating high mountain routes. It is a spectacular circuit. Some pictures below.

This ride for over 14’s only and anybody under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult (over 18).

Family Friendly Ceilidh

Last year our 30th Anniversary Special Ceilidh was so popular that we are doing it again We are hosting the Ceilidh at the Duke of Gordon Hotel with the Ceilidh band ‘Black Rock’ the night before the Bikeathon (7pm – 10pm so we can all get a good nights sleep for the big ride). The Ceilidh is sponsored by our friends at Wildland and entry fees will support Blood Cancer UK. Ceilidh tickets are £7.50 for adults and £5.00 for Children or £5 and £2.50 if bought with your Bikeathon entry (option available on eventbrite).

Credit Alison Murray

The following places are great for one night stays or grabbing some food enroute and when you get to Blair Atholl to fuel your adventure on your bikepacking 360 degree loop of the National Park.