Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
leaflets, available from Forest Enterprise o ces.
Alternatively, get hold of the Scottish Mountain
Biking Guide from tourist information centres. Some
of the tougher routes are best attempted on full-
suspension mountain bikes although the easier
(blue/green) trails can be ridden on a standard
mountain or road bike. Pocket Mountains also
publish a series of compact cycling guides to the
country ( W pocketmountains.com).
For up-to-date information on long-distance
routes, including The Great Glen Cycle Way , along
with a list of publications detailing specific routes,
contact the cyclists campaigning group Sustrans
( W sustrans.co.uk), as well as the other organizations
listed here (see opposite).
Another option is to shell out on a cycling holiday
package. Britain's biggest cycling organization, 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 suggestions for itineraries around
the country. The tourist board's “Cyclists Welcome”
scheme gives guesthouses 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.
Travelling with bikes
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. Large towns and tourist
centres offer bike rental . Expect to pay around £20
per day; more for top-notch mountain bikes. Most
outlets also give good discounts for multi-day rents.
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.
MIDGES AND TICKS
Despite being only just over a millimetre long, and enjoying a life span on the wing of just a
few weeks, the midge (genus: culicoides ) - a tiny biting fly prevalent in the Highlands (mainly
the west coast) and Islands - is considered to be second only to the weather as the major
deterrent to tourism in Scotland. There are more than thirty varieties of midge, though only
half of these bite humans. Ninety percent of all midge bites are down to the female Culicoides
impunctatus or Highland midge (the male does not bite), which has two sets of jaws sporting
twenty teeth each; she needs a good meal of blood in order to produce eggs.
These persistent creatures can be a nuisance, but some people also have a violent allergic
reaction to midge bites. The easiest way to avoid midges is to visit in the winter, since they only
appear between April and October. Midges also favour still, damp, overcast or shady conditions
and are at their meanest around sunrise and sunset, when clouds of them can descend on an
otherwise idyllic spot. Direct sunlight, heavy rain, noise and smoke discourage them to some
degree, though wind is the most effective means of dispersing them. If they appear, cover up
exposed skin and get your hands on some kind of repellent. Recommendations include Autan,
Eureka!, Jungle Formula (widely available from pharmacists) and the herbal remedy citronella.
An alternative to repellents for protecting your face, especially if you're walking or camping, is a
midge net , a little like a beekeeper's hat; though they appear ridiculous at first, you're unlikely
to care as long as they work. The latest deployment in the battle against the midge is a
gas-powered machine called a “midge magnet” which sucks up the wee beasties and is
supposed to be able to clear up to an acre; each unit costs £520 and upwards, but there's been
a healthy take-up by pubs with beer gardens and by campsite owners.
If you're walking through long grass or bracken, there's a possibility that you may receive
attention from ticks , tiny parasites no bigger than a pin head, which bury themselves into
your skin. Removing ticks by dabbing them with alcohol, butter or oil is now discouraged; the
medically favoured way of extracting them is to pull them out carefully with small tweezers.
There is a very slight risk of catching some nasty diseases, such as encephalitis, from ticks. If
flu-like symptoms persist after a tick bite, you should see a doctor immediately.
 
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