The group start for this year's Highland Trail 550 is now 15 days away and I am really looking forward to covering the event for Dotwatcher. 

My name is Mike Toyn and I've completed the race four times previously. This includes the first mass start when the route was 400 miles, a year of terrible weather in 2015 when a series of incidents affecting riders ahead of me gifted me a second placed finish, and finishes in 2017 and 2021.

As the start date approaches I'll be providing a guide to some of the riders who are expected to be at the head of the field. I'll give a summary of this year's route and I'll be keeping an eye on the weather to get a sense of what the riders will face.

If the weather stays dry then average speeds will increase and there is a chance that the course record could be broken. For this reason, I'll do a pre-race post about previous events and their outcomes. 

Welcome from your commentator

I’m going to preview the route in five sections based around the loops of the route. I’m sure that many dotwatchers will have ridden the route before or followed the race in detail so will be familiar with it. However, if you are anything like me, then thinking about the route will give you goosebumps and get you fired up for the race start. This, combined with those new to the event is a perfect reason to spend some time going through the route in detail.
The route begins on the edge of Tyndrum and climbs up out of the village following the route of the West Highland way for a few miles before turning east along the edge of Loch Lyon. Nearly all this is on good gravel and is an excellent way to get the legs working. The dots will have trouble keeping up with the riders as everyone will be bunched and making good progress on the tarmac to Bridge of Balgie. 

Riders will be able to enjoy gravel tracks and make reasonably easy progress as far as Ben Alder where the track will take the riders past the first bothy of the route. This is where the riders will get their first taste of singletrack as they climb up the Bealach Cumhann – once over the col they will be treated to a nice fun descent but the drainage bars that punctuate the track may claim a pinch flat or two if anyone gets carried away. 

From Loch Pattack to Inverpattack riders will enjoy nice doubletrack and if the wind is in the prevailing south-west it is easy for the miles to slide by. However, as riders head north, the Corrieairack Pass begins to prey on the mind. This is the highest point on the route and is a long drag up with a few sharp, steep hairpins just before the top. Given the spring we have had, there is unlikely to be any snow remaining at the summit.  

The run down to Fort Augustus is fast, wide gravel. As nearly everywhere in the highlands, such tracks are peppered with drainage bars so concentration is required. Riders who have done their research will know that there is a small bothy just off the track at Blackburn should it be needed. 

Fort Augustus has shops and cafes and as riders roll in they will look out for other bikes leaning outside these outlets to find a bit of company and share stories of the route. Dots will likely congregate outside the chippy (for the faster riders) or the Chinese. Fort Augustus is also the first chance for riders to bail back to the start if they are not ready to face the next stage. It is also the first chance to go the wrong way by following the return-leg line on their GPS.


Route preview 1: the start to Fort Augustus

Leaving Fort Augustus, riders skirt Loch Ness as far as Invermorriston on forest tracks. The route then climbs up and loops round to Loch ma Stac on gravel as far as the dam wall. The weather has been super dry all spring so the water level will be low and riders will be able to ride along the exposed loch bed avoiding the slow hike-a-bike over the boulderous shore that is necessary when the loch is fuller. 

The singletrack after the loch begins to widen out to a gravel track as descends and picks up the tarmac to Cannich. Any riders who are hungry might be spotted just off the trail as the campsite there does decent food. After the tarmac along Strathglass the next date with dirt is the climb from Erchless. This is mostly good doubletrack and opens out onto classic highland moorland. This section is known as the track of a thousand puddles. Even given the dry weather, I expect that riders will still have to plough through many deep puddles on this section. This is another section where the weather can play an important factor in the conditions. UPDATE: The path of a thousand puddles is currently very dry.

![The Path of a Thousand Puddles](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5i3EHls2XpGsbW2AJwgcLp/bff90959d3c43871ce095a0aa8b908fc/Screenshot_2025-05-19_172513.png)
(Image from [Blokeonanmtb](https://www.instagram.com/blokeonamtb?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== "blokeonanmtb"))

There is a fast gravel descent into Contin where riders can stock up in the shop and get a take away coffee from the machine in the entrance. There is some very scenic riding en route to Garve and I recommend riders to pause for a moment on the bridge at Little Garve as the view is quite special. 

The stretch from Garve, via Inchbae, Loch Vaich and Gleann Mor is characterised by doubletrack and vast landscapes. The scale of the scenery is immense. Rider pick their way up vast glacial valleys and with a favourable tailwind you should expect to see dots move fairly quickly up this stretch. 

Towards the end of this, riders will have one thing on their mind: the Oykel Bridge Hotel. You can expect every dot to stop for a bit here as riders will want a hearty meal in their bellies before embarking on the Northern Loop.


Route preview 2: Fort Augustus to Oykel Bridge

I’ve given the Northern Loop the capital letters that a proper noun deserves as it is often the bit that gives riders the greatest cause for concern. It is remote, wild and with no supply until Kylesku. 

Riding up Glen Cassley is wonderful. The river is by your side, Scots Pine line the road and there are big hills on each side. Sadly it comes to an end at Duchally Lodge where the track heads up. Thankfully it is tarred from the power station up and over the side of Maovally (even though it is marked as a track on the map) as the gradient is steep. After the descent, there is not much time for contemplation before having to commit to the first, real exposed section with proper hike-a-bike. 

 Heading north to Gobernuisgach Lodge is easy(ish) as the track takes riders through the barren Assynt landscape where there is barely any soil covering the bedrock and it feels like an alien world. In a change to previous years riders will not go over the Bealach Horn. This is a decision that has been taken to preserve the fragile peat bogs. Instead, the northerly point of the route will be the Bealach na Feithe. This route has less hike a bike and should be at least two hours quicker. Riders who have done ITTs on this route have reported back favourably. 
Having dropped down into Achfary the route climbs up again before treating riders to a fun, fast descent to Loch Glendhu. This is the first sea loch of the route and it is feels special to have reached the west coast of Scotland. The other great thing about it is that it is only a short way to Kylesku and the Kylesku Hotel. You might see some riders going off route here and their dots to stop while they get some food. The breakfast here is expensive but worth it!
Riders should be suitably full of food and ready to tackle the short, steep climbs of the Drumbeg road. The unwary ones might expect a bit of easy riding after having completed the crux of the Northern Loop but they will quickly find this is not the case as the road has no flat tarmac on it. The Drumbeg store, (UPDATE) I gather this is still being run by Steve and Wendy for the time being. 

The next landmark is Lochinver. If riders are lucky, they will catch the pie shop during its opening hours. If you see any dots stopped here then you can be sure they are tucking into delicious pie with mash and gravy. 

The final bit of this section is the Ledmore traverse. This is an extended section of hike-a-bike. The Strava KOM is 2 hours and 30 mins but times in the three – to – four hour region are much more likely so don’t worry if the dots don’t appear to move. Riders should remember to look up as they pick their way through the rocks and stones that make this unrideable as they will see the magnificent Suilven and Canisp on either side. 

Once they pop out on the road it is not far back to the Oykel Bridge hotel. When watching the dots at this point in the race it is easy to mix those of the lead riders having completed the Northern Loop with those about to embark on it such will be the spread of times by this point.


Route preview 3: The Northern Loop

Any riders needing shelter after Oykel Bridge would do well to press on to the Schoolhouse bothy which is not much further on and quite well appointed. Most of the route to Ullapool is good double track. In May, the descent to Ullapool is typically covered in vast swathes of gorse and it is a wonderful bit of riding as the technical descent, the sea views and the colour and scent of the gorse all combine in a delightful way. 

You should expect to see most dots stop for at least a short while in Ullapool as it is a key resupply point in this stage of the race and riders will need to ensure they have enough to last them through Fisherfield. 

After a short road stretch riders hit the Coffin Road (aka the Fisherfield prologue). This is a very steep hike-a-bike climb and it is one that encourages contemplation on how much kit is being carried and whether it is all necessary. In the dry, the top is rideable. In the wet, it is a swampy peat bog and heavy going. Either way the descent to Dundonnell is a treat but it is hard to ignore what is about to come.

The route loops round and passes the well known Shenavall bothy which is just before the notorious river crossing. Once again the dry spring will have had an impact on the terrain as this should be little more than ankle deep. Having got this out of the way, it is time for riders to tackle the steep, rocky Gleann na Muice Beag. This is hard going hike-a-bike and the dots will not be moving quickly here. 
Once at the top, riders can savour the view down to the twin lochs with the causeway between them. This is a stunning view. It is followed by a nice techy descent and then what might be the best singletrack in the UK. It is fast and swoopy and I think it earns its status because of the effort required to get to it in order to be able to ride it. 
The track pops down to Poolewe where there are food options if the timing is right. The next resupply is at Kinlochewe but riders have to tackle the Tollie Path to get there. This is hard going and technical riding that requires a sharp mind and good riding skills to negotiate. 
After Kinlochewe it is up and over to Achnashellach. Once down and on the road there is time for riders to contemplate what they have just completed. It is the most challenging section of the whole route and combines remoteness with challenging riding and extended sections of hike-a-bike.

The next rendezvous with hike-a-bike comes at Kintail after Dornie with the long drag to the head of Glen Affric. Camban bothy is at the top and it would be a huge surprise if some dots didn’t linger here for a rest or sleep. Glen Affric is the longest in Scotland and takes the riders down a good doubletrack towards Tomich. If a few dots appear to have gone off route here: don’t worry, they have probably gone to the hotel there for a bite to eat to fuel themselves for the pylon climb and the section of General Wade’s military road into Fort Augustus. The descent into town is great and riders will roll back into Fort Augustus with a grin on their faces and most dots will stop here for resupply. 


Route preview 4: Oykel Bridge to Fort Augustus

After the tough, technical and remote terrain that faced riders in the previous section, the ride down the Great Glen should be easy going. However, if the wind has picked up from the prevailing south-west it will get funnelled down the Glen and this will be a slog. Either way, the lack of technical challenge can make this feel relentless with little to distract the mind.

Once Fort William has been passed, riders pick up the West Highland Way again and depending on the time of day, they might find themselves picking their way through streams of walkers heading in the opposite direction. The route goes up and over to Kinlochleven with a nice technical descent to test the nerves and balance of the riders. 

By this stage, riders will start to feel like the end is in sight. However, they have the Devil’s Staircase to contend this. This is a long climb up to over 500m and is a mix of wide track, exposed bedrock and loose rocks. At this stage it takes good legs and firm resolve to ride. Riders have to take care on the steep descent with switchbacks and drainage bars. Depending on the time of day there may well be plenty of walkers to avoid as well. 

All that remains is the final 20 miles or so to the end. Mainly good doubletrack but there is a fast, cobbled descent that will rattle the fillings of all riders whether on full suspension or not. This is followed by the sting in the tail climb just before the Bridge of Orchy which may catch out riders with tired legs, it also has drainage bars on the descent where 2nd placed rider in 2023 (Manu Cattrysse) punctured while chasing that year’s winner, Angus Young. After this the end will be in sight and riders will be keen to make progress and be rewarded with a bouncing dot to indicate a successful completion.  


Route preview 5: Fort Augustus to the finish

The __four star__ favourite is Kerry MacPhee. She was the winner of last year’s event so knows the route. She has recently worn the Dales Divide and is going for the [Triple Crown](https://bikepacking.com/news/new-uk-triple-crown/) so will be super motivated to do well. 

There are four riders in the __three star__ category, any one of these riders could end up on the podium.

First of these is Philippa Batyye. She is an incredibly strong rider and she knows the route. Knowing the route can be a real advantage as riders can anticipate what is ahead and know what to expect.

Annie Le is riding again. She is the most experienced HT550 female rider. She is mega tough. She was the first person to have completed a winter highland trail. Nails!

Also in the four star category is Emma Bateup. Emma is a young New Zealander. She has won races in NZ and completed the  Colorado Trail Race last year. Whilst she does not know the route, she will be staying with Annie beforehand so should get lots of useful route info and advice.

The final rider to consider here is Becca Book. Becca is from the US and is the 2024 2024 Gravel Worlds Long Voyage champion. In November last year she won  the Across Andes gravel race. From the U.S. Like Emma, she is riding the HT550 for the first time so doesn't know the route.

In the __two star__ category there are two riders. These two could get into the top 5 and are a very strong chance for the top 10.

The first of these is Zoe Painter. Zoe was 5th woman in HT550 last year. She is from the Yukon so knows about bad weather! She has been preparing for the HT550 in the Atlas Mountains.

The other rider is Clare Walkeden. Clare is a previous finisher. She was on the podium at Alps Divide last year in awful weather. If you follow her progress, you will know she does a lot of long rides!

In the __one star__ category are three riders. These riders could make a top 10 position. 

Liz Carrington from Colorado is the first of these. She could easily do a good ride. 

Athlyn Cathcart is a relative newcomer but has been doing an impressive amount of big  training rides.

Sharn Hooper. Sharn used to be an XC racer, had some injury problems in recent years. She lives in the Quantock Hills so certainly knows how to climb and descend!


Who are going to be the female riders to watch during the race? 

Let’s begin with the __four star__ riders. There are three riders who can be expected to be in contention for the top spot. 

First of these is Manu Cattrysse. Manu was 2nd to Angus Young in 2023. He was in sight of Angus but got a puncture on the last descent. 

Next is Dicky Hibbert. Dicky is relatively new but just came 2nd in Dales Divide. He also won some events in Wales last year. Unlike Manu this is his first HT550 so he doesn't know the route.

Finally in this category is Donnie Campbell. Donnie is primarily a runner but has won GBduro. He is a local rider so will know all about riding in the Highlands.

There are two __three star__ riders, who could possibly get a podium place

Calum Fisher is the first of these. He is a fast local. Calum started last year but crashed out early on and needed stitches in his elbow. I’m sure he will be motivated to complete the race to the end

Next is Sebastian Sarx. Sebastian is German but lives in Austria. He is the organizer of the Unknown Race and is solid performer who is usually in top 5 of races.

There are three, __two star__ riders who could finish in the top five.

Rich Rothwell should need no introduction. He is very experienced on this route. He is a solid performer with impressive results from rides all over the world.

Also in this category is Ashley Cordingley. Ashley is an experienced and fast local. He did a Trail centre off-road Everesting for his 40th birthday!

Finally, Nico Keinath. Nico is a German ex-pro roadie. He was a finisher in 2022. In preparation for this year he has done a lot of riding including a big tour of South America to Ushuaia. He is warming up with a week in the Lake District, which might include an attempt at the Lakeland 200.

The __one star__ category (or maybe Tom star??) has seven riders who could be in contention for a top 10 finish. 

First of these is Tom Simpson. Tom is another trail centre Everester. He has won Strathpuffer singlespeed. He has also won enduro events so good descender!

There is a Tomas from Czechia: Tomas Novotny who wins lots of races back home.

The last of the Toms is Tom Bruce. Tom is the NW400 organizer. He has ridden the HT550 before. For a man with a wife, three kids and a job as a teacher he rides an awful lot!

The first of the non-Tom riders is Mike DeBernardo. Mike is an American living in The Highlands. He rider a singlepeed but very fast. He has done HT550 twice before so knows what he is letting himself in for.

Stefan Maertens. Stefan is the Belgian organizer of ACT3, etc.. He has done HT550 twice before. He is keen to do well and is a powerful rider.

The last rider in this category is Bryn Davies. Bryn has done well at GBduro. He got sick on his previous attempt at HT550. He has just ridden between all the Welsh fire stations for charity.

Finally, three riders who are __notable__ and deserve a pre-race mention 

Bryn Appleton is the youngest rider this year at 19 (not 20 as previously posted). He did all the Welsh 3000ft summits in one ride last year. 

Next is Chris Johnstone. Chris is the counterpoint to Bryn: Already the oldest rider to complete HT550 at 67 he is back this year to raise the bar to 70.


Who are going to be the male riders to watch during the race?

I'm sorry to have to report that one of the riders that featured in the 'riders to watch' post, Bryn Davies, will not be starting the race. Bryn is unwell and unable to make it to the start line. I hope he is well again very soon.

Bryn Davies DNS


The UK has largely had a very dry spring with a sustained spell of warm, sunny weather. This has led to the drying out of trails as reported in the route previews. However, sadly for the riders, that looks like it will come to an end just as the race starts. This [forecast from the BBC](https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2649183) shows a transition from sunny weather on Thursday and Friday to rain on Saturday.

![BBC Weather forecast](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/26wpUxsL3lxd2Hpw7PD3IY/49f56573a77c7c9bdb565db14478cdfe/BBC_Weather.png)

The forecast for Sunday is for heavy rain. This is unlikely to dampen the trails too much after such a long dry period but it will be less fun to ride in than warm dry weather. On the plus side, there should be a brisk south-westerly wind on the riders backs as they head northwards.

Alongside the weather forecast, it is important to keep an eye on the [midge forecast](https://www.smidgeup.com/midge-forecast/ "Scottish Midge Forecast Website"). (If you have not encountered a [midge before then this explains about them](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_midge)). This shows low levels of midge activity but I have to admit I’m sceptical of this as there have been reports that the warm, dry spring has brought them out earlier than usual. They were certainly out and about in Snowdonia at the weekend. 

![Midge Forecast](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1LYs1wMQl9eByP44Dktvuw/f9b728fa989383258d85deccc92927ab/Midge_Forecast.png)

[Image from Smidge](https://www.smidgeup.com/midge-forecast/) 

The saving grace for the riders will be the fact that the forecasted winds should be enough to keep the midges at bay. 


Forecasts for the HT550

Mike Toyn

A gem of the European bikepacking calendar, attracting riders from across the world. The HT550 promises another year of hike-a-bike, unpredictable weather, and river crossings.


Highland Trail 550 2025 Tracking and Commentary

A gem of the European bikepacking calendar, attracting riders from across the world. The HT550 promises another year of hike-a-bike, unpredictable weather, and river crossings.

DotWatcher.cc

Highland Trail 550 2025

Distance — Elevation

Terrain

Website

Last Year's Male Winner

Last Year's Female Winner

Covered By:

Leaderboard

Events Feed