Cycling in the Straths

Cycling in the Straths, the north's friendliest sportive, returns on 23rd May 2026 with its 2 iconic routes through beautiful Mackay Country.

Choose from:

The Strathnaver Challenge, a 92 km ride leaving Tongue towards Bettyhill, riders will then head inland through Strathnaver, scene of some of the most notorious acts in the Highland Clearances, to Altnaharra, along Strathmore and back to Tongue.

The Ben Hope Trial is a 72 km route with riders starting and finishing in Tongue on a circuit via Altnaharra and Strathmore. Riders first head south towards Altnaharra where they will join the later half of the Strathnaver Challenge route. 

Both routes take you through country rich in natural and cultural heritage, through the newly designated World Heritage Site 'The Flow Country', important for its blanket bog and the species it supports, to testaments to 8,000 years of human occupation such as the enigmatic Dun Dornaigil Broch at Hope.

Both routes are marshalled, with water and feed stations serving homemade flapjacks amongst other goodies, and a broom wagon following up in the rear.

On your return to HQ enjoy a complimentary homemade bowl of soup and sandwiches, tea and coffee, and some more of our homemade flapjacks.

Cycling in the Straths is a fundraiser for Strathnaver Museum with all money raised through Cycling in the Straths supporting community heritage projects across north Sutherland.