Basics - The Rough Guide to Scotland - page 40

STAYING SAFE IN THE HILLS
Due to rapid weather changes, the mountains are potentially extremely dangerous and
should be treated with respect. Every year, in every season, climbers and walkers lose their
lives in the Scottish hills.
• Wear sturdy, ankle-supporting footwear and wear or carry with you warm, brightly coloured
and waterproof layered clothing, even for what appears to be an easy expedition in
apparently settled weather.
• Always carry adequate maps , a compass (which you should know how to use), food, water
and a whistle. If it's sunny, make sure you use sun protection .
• Check the weather forecast before you go. If the weather looks as if it's closing in, get down
from the mountain fast.
• Always leave word with someone of your route and what time you expect to return, and
remember to contact the person again to let them know that you are back.
• In an emergency, call mountain rescue on T 999.

Another option is to shell out on a cycling
holiday package. Britain's biggest cycling organiza-
tion, the Cycle Touring Club , or CTC ( W ctc.org.uk),
provides lists of tour operators and rental outlets in
Scotland, and supplies members with touring and
technical advice, as well as insurance. Visit
Scotland's “Cycling in Scotland” brochure is worth
getting hold of, with practical advice and sugges-
tions for itineraries around the country. The tourist
board's “Cyclists Welcome” scheme gives guest-
houses and B&Bs around the country a chance to
advertise that they're cyclist-friendly, and able to
provide an overnight laundry service, a late meal or
a packed lunch.
Transporting your bike by train is a good way of
getting to the interesting parts of Scotland without
a lot of hard pedalling. Bikes are allowed free on
mainline East Coast and ScotRail trains, but you
need to book the space as far in advance as
possible. Bus and coach companies, including
National Express and Scottish Citylink, rarely accept
cycles unless they are dismantled and boxed. You'll
find bike rental facilities in large towns and tourist
centres; expect to pay around £20 per day, or more
for top-notch mountain bikes. Most outlets also
give good discounts for multi-day rents.

Full On Adventure T 01479 420123, W fullonadventure.co.uk.
Among its many offerings, provides fully guided mountain-bike tours of
Highland trails.
Highland Wildcat Trails W highlandwildcat.com. Scotland's most
northerly dedicated mountain-bike centre, complete with one of the
country's longest downhill tracks.
Nevis Range W ridefortwilliam.co.uk. For information on all the
trails around Fort William, including the home of Scotland's World Cup
downhill and cross-country tracks at Nevis Range.
North Sea Cycle Route W www.northsea-cycle.com. Signposted
3725-mile (6000-km) route round seven countries fringing the North
Sea, including 772 miles (1242km) in Scotland along the east coast, and
in Orkney and Shetland.
Spokes T 01313 132114, W spokes.org.uk. Active Edinburgh cycle
campaign group with plenty of good links, and news on events and
cycle-friendly developments.
WolfTrax Mountain Bike Centre T 01528 544786, W www
.forestry.gov.uk/wolftrax. This Central Highland bike centre near
Newtonmore has almost 22 miles of routes for every standard of rider.

Air sports

Scotland has its fair share of fine sunny days, when
it's hard to beat scanning majestic mountain peaks,
lochs and endless forests from the air. Whether you're
a willing novice or an expert paraglider or skydiver ,
there are centres just outside Glasgow, Edinburgh
and Perth that will cater to your needs. There are also
opportunities to try ballooning and gliding.

CYCLING INFORMATION
Cycle Scotland T 01315 565560, W cyclescotland.co.uk. Fully
organized cycle tours at all levels, with accommodation ranging from
campsites to country-house hotels, and a good range of bikes available
for rent, from tandems to children's bikes.
Cyclists' Touring Club T 01483 238337, W ctc.org.uk. Britain's largest
cycling organization, and a good source of general advice; their handbook has
lists of cyclist-friendly B&Bs and cafés in Scotland. Annual membership £41.
Forestry Commission T 08453 673787, W forestry.gov.uk/
mtbscotland. The best source of information on Scotland's extensive
network of forest trails - ideal for mountain biking at all levels of ability.

AIR SPORTS INFORMATION
British Gliding Association T 01162 892956, W gliding.co.uk.
Governing body for gliding enthusiasts and schools across the UK with
information on where to find clubs in Scotland.
Cloudbusters T 07899 878509, W cloudbusters.co.uk. Highly
reputable paragliding school that runs taster and fully accredited
paragliding courses in the Lanarkshire hills outside Glasgow every
weekend. Full day's training £130.