Need a good excuse to get out of the country, take two weeks off and explore some of the most breathtaking views of Scotland while competing in a one of a kind race? Well… Mr. Brad Pitt himself has got you covered. After taking on the Tour Divide, and the Colorado Trail race, Alan Goldsmith decided to create a race of his own, in his homeland. It is called the Highland Trail 550, and it starts this Saturday, May 23rd at 9:00am GMT. The route starts in Tyndrum, heading north then south completing a counter clockwise loop before finishing in Tyndrum 550 miles later. Highland Trail Last year was the first annual Highland Trail Group start. This year 120 miles of wild and remote trails have been added, increasing the beauty and difficult of the route. Some say this route is comparable to the Colorado Trail Race as far as difficulty. After leaving Tyndrum the route takes riders past the famous Loch Ness. The route continues inland over rocky mountain passes and through valley floors to the northern part of the country. Eventually riders will make their way to the northern most part of the route which is roughly the halfway mark. Riders then will switch landscapes as the route takes them towards the western coast. The route continues back in and out of the steep Scotland mountains and finally ends back in Tyndrum. All racers will likely be carrying a GPS unit with the Highland Trail GPX file on it, which is provided on the website. Highland Trail 38 riders will line up at the group start on Saturday. Eleven of those riders are returning from last year including route creator, Alan Goldsmith. Some riders will be traveling from other countries including, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, and the United States. Because of the difference in route from last year, the record of 3 days 2 hours will be out of reach. Some of the fastest riders will likely have a difficult time beating the 4 day mark. It i s exciting to see so many self-supported events popping up around the world. Not only does it give locals a chance to bikepack with friends, it also give you a fantastic excuse to see a new land, and ride your bike. Scotland is definitely worth a trip with it’s beauty alone. Good luck to all the racers, we are excited to hear your stories and see your pictures. Highland Trail For Tracking check out Trackleaders.com  

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