Where We Ride

Trips & Spins

From local weekend spins to mad European adventures. The Scotland Spin is the main event right now — everything else is brewing.

Now Booking

Scotland Spin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

11–14 September
4 Days • Long Weekend

Unicorns and glitterkittens — it is with great pleasure we announce the 6th annual long weekend adventure in Scotland.

We’re heading to the Balavil Hotel in Newtonmore, right in the heart of the Cairngorms. We’re ditching the pool table for an actual swimming pool. The food reviews go from poor to excellent and we’ve been promised they won’t run out of beer — though with 60+ malts behind the bar, that’s a bold claim.

This will be another epic adventure visiting some of the best roads in the British Isles. Bed, breakfast and dinner is provided. Full itinerary will be shared.

You will need to book your own ferry — details will be provided directly.
Not suitable for learners.*

*Really?! You can’t drive a bike outside of Éire!

Pricing

Single Room
Limited availability
€510
Twin / Double
Per person sharing
€378
Deposit
Non-refundable • Balance due end of July
€150

Payment

Places are extremely limited! Your spot isn’t secured until deposit is received.

Revolut: @biosed PayPal: @biosed Bank: IE18REVO99036093514135
Book Your Place

All riders on the trip need to complete the form. If you’re two-up, both need to fill it in.

Scotland Spin

Where We’re Staying

The Balavil Hotel, Newtonmore — right in the heart of the Cairngorms. 50 en-suite rooms, a heated swimming pool, a restaurant that doesn’t mess about, and a bar with over 60 malts. Yes, sixty. They’ve been warned about us.

The Balavil Hotel, Newtonmore - exterior view

The Balavil Hotel

Deluxe King Room at the Balavil Hotel

Deluxe King Room

Restaurant dining at the Balavil Hotel

Restaurant & Dining

Address

The Balavil Hotel
Main Street, Newtonmore
Inverness-shire, PH20 1DR
Scotland

GPS / Navigation

Lat: 57.067125
Long: −4.116183

Open in Google Maps →

Facilities

Indoor heated swimming pool • Restaurant • Bar with 60+ malts & 20+ gins • Shinty Bar (pool table & Sky Sports) • Free Wi-Fi • Private car parking

Scotland Spin

How It Works

This is not a group spin. That said, feel free to join anyone and make a group to do any spins you like.

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The Ferry

We get the ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan. There are 3–4 sailings a day, so plenty of options — but book a flexible ticket in case your plans change.

A lot of people like to either spend the night in Belfast on Thursday or take a late ferry Thursday evening and wake up in Scotland on Friday morning. It’s handy — you skip the rush and get an early start on the roads. If you want to do the overnight option, I’ll share a link to some decent motels near the port.

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Getting There

The hotel is a good day’s ride from Cairnryan, so leave early and give yourself time. The route up through Scotland is class — enjoy it.

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Friday — Arrival

Arrive at the hotel and check in. Your rooms have been assigned — just collect your key. At 19:30 we all gather for dinner in the dining room. Find a good seat with people you know or that look interesting — this will be your seat for the next 5 meals.

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Friday Night

The hotel has a bar and although limited, the craic will be good. Just don’t be too hung over and miss the epic roads that are available the next day.

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Saturday & Sunday — Ride Days

Breakfast is served from 07:00 to 09:00 — it’s a buffet so lash in. Routes in various formats will be shared in advance, and others will share great roads they find. Chat to people, see where they’re going, and ask to join if the route interests you.

Tip: Find people with the same pace as you — otherwise it can be difficult to keep up.

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Monday — Head Home

After a final breakfast, say your goodbyes and head for the ferry. Have fun and drive safe.

Scotland Spin

Top Trip Tips

Your Bike

  • New tyres
  • New brake pads
  • Recent service
  • Puncture repair kit / basic toolkit
  • If you’re thinking something may need to be changed or done — do it now!

Your Gear

  • NO new riding gear
  • Textiles or very good waterproofs
  • Minimum of 3 pairs of gloves
  • New visor / pinlock if needed

Your Bag

  • Pack light!
  • 4x jocks
  • 4x socks
  • 4x t-shirts
  • Shorts
  • Runners / sandals

Scotland Spin

5 Years & Counting

What started as a mad idea with a handful of bikes has turned into the highlight of the year for a lot of people. Here’s a taste of what it’s all about.

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Epic Roads

From the NC500 to hidden single-track passes through the Highlands. Every year someone finds a road that makes the whole trip.

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Group Dinners

Every evening the whole group sits down together for dinner. Pick your seat wisely — you’re stuck with them for the weekend. The craic is always mighty.

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The Community

Strangers become mates. Mates become family. The countdown posts start about 51 days out and the WhatsApp group doesn’t shut up until well after everyone’s home.

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Bike Prep

New tyres, brake pads, wheel bearings — the group keeps everyone honest. If your bike isn’t ready, you’ll hear about it.

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The Weather

Scotland. In September. It’ll be grand.* The 10-day forecast becomes a group obsession around day 21.

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The Bar

Every hotel has had a bar. Some better than others. We’ve been promised this one won’t run out of beer. We’ll see.

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The Losses

Every year, someone doesn’t make it. Broken bike, dodgy ferry booking, “the wife said no”. There will be losses. There always are.

*It won’t be grand. Bring waterproofs.

The Group

Join The Scotland Spin Community

The Scotland Spin Facebook group is where the craic starts months before anyone gets on a ferry. Countdown posts, bike prep, route suggestions, weather panic, and stories from previous years. If you’re coming on the trip — or even just thinking about it — get in there.

Join the Facebook Group

What You Get

On Every Trip

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GPX Routes

Download routes for Garmin, TomTom, or your phone before the trip.

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Lead & Sweep

Experienced riders up front and at the back who know the route inside out.

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Photos & Video

Photos and video shared after every multi-day trip so you can relive it.

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Great Food

Proper restaurants and pubs. No service station sandwiches.

Want In?

Spots go quick, especially the European trips. Drop me a message to grab a place.

Get In Touch