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Scotland has the right ingredients for bikepacking says Markus Stitz

When I arrived in Edinburgh eight years ago, two things attracted me to the city. The mountain bike trails in Glentress, south of the city, and the vibrant arts and events scene in the city itself. Back then the term bikepacking wasn’t even invented. Or if it was, very few people used it.

Eight years on I have turned my hobby into a profession, developing the offer in Scotland through Bikepacking Scotland. Scotland has a unique potential to become a prime global destination for bikepacking. It’s my ambition to help facilitate that. After bikepacking 34,000km through 26 countries and developing a number of bikepacking trails, this new journey has just begun, but has been an exciting one so far.

In no other country did I have anywhere near the opportunities to enjoy and explore the countryside as I do in Scotland. The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 ensures everyone has statutory access rights to most of Scotland’s outdoors. A great asset for outdoorsy people like me, and another reason why I moved here. And surely one that other people will consider if they visit or live here.

While we often complain about the rain and dreich weather, Scotland has a very favourable climate for outdoor pursuits yearround, mostly lacking the dangerous extremes encountered in other countries. There’s an abundance of fresh water in Scotland, mainly of very good quality. This makes bikepacking not only possible, but also far less strenuous than in countries like the USA or Australia.

While it’s difficult to define bikepacking, it’s possibly best described as a, still, relatively new form of long-distance cycling, where all belongings are strapped on the bike. The main difference to conventional cycle touring with panniers is the ability to explore environments so far not easily accessible by bike. Or to cover distances that are far greater than what most people would associate with cycling.

In a country that doesn’t provide the best infrastructure for cycling, bikepacking provides a chance for Scotland to utilise its wilderness to attract more people to use it, locals and visitors in equal measures. While there is no definition on whether bikepacking is an on or off-road activity, the majority of routes are far away from road traffic, and within that lies its potential. Almost closer to backpacking than to cycling, bikepacking can provide an alternative for people that are just not confident or willing enough to cycle on the road.

Bikepacking is an opportunity for tourism providers and local businesses to appeal to new customers, and for established organisations, like Scotways, to attract new members. The West Island Trail, a route connecting the SYHA hostels in Oban, Lochranza, Port Charlotte and Tobermory, is not only a great chance to attract new people to hostelling, but also to regions like Argyll, that have spare capacity for visitors.

Simply utilising existing paths, quiet roads and trails, bikepacking routes don’t necessarily need new infrastructure. In fact, there’s an abundance of old Heritage Paths that are forming the backbone of most routes.

While bikepacking still is a niche activity, it is something we need to consider developing. With some of the best access rights in the world, an abundance of breathtaking nature and a rich history, we have the right ingredients to be a world-class bikepacking destination. We just need to find the right recipe. l Markus Stitz is a consultant, adventurer and round the world cyclist (www. bikepackingscotland.com)