Outdoors events in the Highlands and Islands, Moray and Grampian 2019
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March
16 Craig Dunain Hill Race
Starting at Queen’s Park in Inverness, up to the masts on Craig Dunain and back.
16 The Wee Triathlon, Fort William
The Wee Triathlon is a pool-based triathlon involving a 400m swim, 10-mile mountain bike ride in Glen Nevis and a three-mile cross country run – perfect for beginners!
17 Man v Horse Scotland
Runners battle horses on a 26k course across minor roads, moorland and forest tracks from Loch Ness Riding at Dores.
www.doresonlochness.co.uk/man_versus_horse.html or search www.facebook.com/doresonlochness
23 Cioch Mor Hill Race
Up and down from Dingwall.
www.highlandhillrunners.org.uk
24 Run Garioch
A 5k, 10k, half marathon and junior run from the event base at Inverurie in Aberdeenshire.
24 Highland Adventure Fest
An adventure expo for the Highlands, bringing together professionals and enthusiasts in hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking, road cycling, canoeing, running, yoga, surfing, camping, swimming, snow sports and more. 10am to 4pm at Inverness Leisure.
www.highlandadventurefest.co.uk
30 Ski-an-duro
The Ski-an-duro returns in 2019 with its mix of skiing and boarding along with mountain biking using a staged enduro style event at Nevis Range near Fort William.
31 Moray Road Runners 10k
Starting from Miltonduff, near Elgin. Part of the Northern Scot 10k Series.
April
7 Glenlivet 10k
The 10th anniversary of this scenic 10k, dubbed “the most beautiful run in Scotland” to support Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland.
27 10 Under the Ben
Sticking to the classic mountain bike endurance marathon format of a 10-mile lap and a 10-hour time limit, 10 Under the Ben takes place on the trails below Ben Nevis. Racing categories include solo, pair, trio or quad.
28 Etape Loch Ness
The 66-mile closed-road cycle sportive returns to the shores of Loch Ness.
May
4 Strathconon Cycle Ride
This family-friendly cycle event starts at Marybank Fairburn Memorial Hall. Various options from a short family ride to an out-and-back ride to the head of the strath.
For more details, search Facebook for: Strathconon Cycle
4 MacAvalanche
The Scottish enduro with a crazy mass-start stage down a snow slope. MacAvalanche is a three-stage enduro race that takes place on Glencoe mountain in Scotland. Three stages of blind racing at Glencoe mountain, the first two stages determine start positions for the third and final stage which runs from high on the mountain-side back to the resort base.
11 Glen Affric Duathlon
A run/bike/run event suitable for all levels – and a great warm-up for the Highland Cross!
www.glen-affric-duathlon.co.uk
11 Bealach Beag
A 43-mile circuit of the Applecross peninsula, taking in the famous Bealach na Ba climb which rises from sea level to 2053ft (626m) in just six miles.
www.handsonevents.co.uk/bealach-beag
11 Kintyre Way Ultra
A new 32-mile route from Tayinloan to Tarbert on the Kintyre Way, going coast-to-coast on the Kintyre peninsula.
12-18 Cape Wrath Challenge
A week-long festival of running in Durness, the most north-westerly community on mainland Britain, including the remote and demanding Cape Wrath Marathon.
18 Fyrish Three Monuments Hill Race
Mixture of forest roads and steep hillside from Evanton to reach the Fyrish Monument, descending by the same route back to the football pitch. The distance is 13km with 620m ascent.
www.highlandhillrunners.org.uk
18 Aviemore 100
Endurance road biking and off-road mountain biking over a 100km course through the Cairngorms National Park – open to individuals or teams of two.
www.chss.org.uk/supportus/fundraise-for-us/events/aviemore-100/
18-24 Ballater Walking Festival
Explore the natural beauty of the Cairngorms surrounding Ballater with a series of guided walks.
25 Cairngorm to Coast
Hike 30km through the Cairngorms before a 70km cycle over the Dava Way and via the National Cycle Network to Lossiemouth on the Moray coast.
25 Laggan 10k
A 10k and one-mile fun run event.
25-26 Cycling in the Straths
A weekend of cycling, Mackay Country hospitality and local entertainment in one of the most beautiful and unspoilt parts of the country. There are two choices of rides, a 68-mile Strathnaver Challenge and a 48-mile Ben Hope Trial, with a gentler all-ages cycle around the Kyle of Tongue on the Sunday morning.
25 Stornoway Half Marathon, 10k and fun run
The 36th edition of the popular Isle of Lewis half marathon, which takes place on a mix of road and trail – followed by the infamous post-race ceilidh! The first of the Heb 3 series of Hebridean half marathons.
26 Castle of Mey 10k
The most northerly 10k on the British mainland, run in the grounds and surroundings of the historic 14th-century Scottish castle, the Queen Mother’s home in Caithness.
www.northhighlandharriers.co.uk/mey-10k
June
1 Isle of Benbecula Half Marathon
Part of the Heb 3 series of Hebridean half marathons.
runbenbecula.btck.co.uk/HalfMarathon
8 Isle of Skye Half Marathon
Scenic half marathon on the Isle of Skye, part of the Heb 3 series of Hebridean half marathons.
8 Lochalsh Dirty 30 Challenge
A 30-mile walk or run from Glenelg, passing the Skye Ferry, the Skye Bridge and Eilean Donan castle before climbing over the hills and past ancient brochs before returning to the finish in Glenelg. There’s also a shorter Dirty Dozen route over 12 miles.
14-23 Moray Walking Festival
Scotland’s Midsummer Walking Festival will have walks, events and activities for all ages and abilities. From the foothills of the Cairngorms to Moray’s award-winning coastline, you can enjoy long summer days exploring coastal, hill, forest, river and town walks.
www.moraywalkingfestival.co.uk
15 Celtman
The extreme Scottish triathlon sees competitors swim 3.4k in Loch Torridon before a 200k bike ride through Wester Ross and a marathon over the two Munros that make up Beinn Eighe.
22 Highland Cross
The 50-mile coast-to-coast duathlon returns for its 37th year. The ‘Midsummer Madathon’ has raised more than £5 million for Highland charities since its inception in 1983.
22 West Highland Way Race
The 35th running of the race along the 95 miles of the West Highland Way from Milngavie to Fort William, including 4500m (14,760ft) of ascent.
23 Portsoy 10k
A 10k road run starting at the Recreation Park and finishing at the Shore Inn.
29 Barrathon
Part of the Heb 3 series of Hebridean half marathons.
30 Lairig Ghru Race
The Lairig Ghru is a category C Long Hill Race run over 43km between the police stations of Braemar and Aviemore. This classic race takes place in a spectacular setting and follows the historic drove road rising to 2733ft between some of the highest peaks in Britain. A significant proportion of the race fees are donated to the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team.
www.deesiderunners.com/races/lairig-ghru-race/
July
6 Corrieyairack Challenge
Back with a new format for 2019, the Corrieyairick Challenge follows General Wade’s historic mountain pass which rises to 2526ft. You can choose to walk-cycle, run-cycle or mountain bike (now with the option to change bike for the road section) around the course, which includes an 11.5-mile hill section from Culachy, just outside Fort Augustus, to Melgarve via the Corrieyairack Pass, and a 38.5-mile road section from Melgarve to Badaguish via Laggan, Kingussie and Insh.
6 Isle of Harris Half Marathon
The finale to the Heb 3 series of Hebridean half marathons, with a route that meanders and undulates past the spectacular sandy beaches on the west side of the island before climbing across a stretch of rugged, loch-strewn moorland and finally descending towards the finish in the ferry port of Tarbert.
28 Fort William Marathon
Run in the shadow of Ben Nevis and through the Great Glen on this spectacular multi-terrain marathon.
August
17 Great Wilderness Challenge
The Great Wilderness Challenge has raised nearly £4 million since it began in 1986. The 34th staging of the event involves the usual choice of walking or running routes across 25, 13 or 7 miles around Dundonnell, Poolewe and Aultbea through the wilds of Wester Ross, with the additional option of a 10k fun run or limited mobility routes.
www.greatwildernesschallenge.info
17-18 Starman Night Triathlon
Starting at midnight, this event includes a 1.2-mile swim in Loch Morlich, a 56-mile cycle around Speyside and a 13.1-mile run taking in Cairn Gorm and Meall a’ Bhuachaille.
25 Aviemore Triathlon
Swim, mountain bike and trail run with a choice of two distances designed to suit everyone from newcomers to racing snakes!
24 Speyside Way Race
A self-supported 37-mile ultra marathon from Cragganmore Distillery in Ballindalloch and finishing in Buckie on the Moray coast, at the end of the Speyside Way.
24-25 Ride the North
A two-day cycle challenge through beautiful scenery in the Grampian Highlands.
31 Bealach Mor
A 90-mile cycle sportive taking in the famous Bealach na Ba climb which rises from sea level to 2053ft (626m) in just six miles as well as the spectacular Glen Torridon and Glen Carron.
www.handsonevents.co.uk/bealach-mor/
31 Prime Four Beast Race, Loch Ness
Beast yourself on a leg-numbing 10k along the banks of Loch Ness, through dense forest, undergrowth, heather and bog, on rough dirt tracks and into the loch itself... then add the obstacles!
31 to September 1 The Heb – Race on the Edge
An adventurous journey through a spectacular, wild and remote landscape involving running, mountain biking, kayaking and navigating over two days, covering a total distance of 200km. Enter as a solo or in pairs.
www.durtyevents.com/event/the-heb
September
7 Ben Nevis Race
Up and down Britain’s highest mountain.
7 Glenmore 24 Trail Race
Taking place in Glenmore Forest outside Aviemore, runners must see how many laps of the four-mile trail they can complete in 24 hours. There’s also a 12-hour race option available.
8 Glencoe Marathon
An epic 26.2-mile trail run that ascends a total of 1608 metres through the heart of Glencoe and into the foothills of Ben Nevis. Half marathon and 10k routes also available.
14-15 Rat Race Coast to Coast, Nairn
A 105-mile adventure race where participants run, bike and kayak past historic Cawdor Castle, the legendary Loch Ness and the mountainous Glen Nevis and Glen Coe. Take two days to complete the course or battle it out in a single day.
15 Nairn Triathlon (provisional date)
Triathlon Inverness will be hosting its annual race in Nairn in September, with a novice event for beginners and a sprint triathlon for the more experienced.
www.triathloninverness.co.uk/events/nairn-triathlon-2019
20-22 Skyline Scotland
Skyline running is hill running taken to the extreme – across mountainous terrain, narrow ridges and scrambles. Choose from the Salomon Mamores VK (Virtual Kilometre race – from sea level up to Munro summit), Salomon Ben Nevis Ultra (52km, 4000m ascent), Salomon Ring of Steall Race (29km, 2500m ascent) and Salomon Glen Coe Skyline (52km, 4750m ascent, vetted entry – route includes scrambling and rock climbing on exposed ridges).
21 Prime Four Beast Race, Banchory
It all starts on the banks of Knockburn Loch, within the picturesque landscape near Banchory in the heart of Aberdeenshire. But don’t be fooled by the pretty heather and Scots pine setting, this Beast has a sting in its tail!
October
6 Loch Ness Marathon and Festival of Running
Scenic marathon along the shore of Loch Ness, with a 10k, 5k and Wee Nessie races also on offer.
TBC Craggy Island Triathlon
Swim from the mainland to the Isle of Kerrera (near Oban) before an off-road run and cycle.
www.durtyevents.com/event/craggy-island-triathlon
13 Aviemore Half Marathon
A beautiful route taking in the trails around Loch Morlich with views of the Cairngorms before a long downhill to finish in Aviemore.
19 Dramathon
A marathon along the Speyside Way from Glenfarclas Distillery to Glenfiddich Distillery, taking in – you guessed it – even more distilleries along the route. Pick up a set of miniature whiskies at the end of the race.
19 Relentless 24
The classic 24-hour mountain bike race returns to Leanachan Forest and Nevis Range near Fort William after a year off. Compete solo or in teams of two or four.
26 Meall a’ Bhuchaille hill race
A 13km hill race with 720m of climbing for the adults, with a junior race of 5km and 150m ascent.
www.highlandhillrunners.org.uk
26 Illuminator Night Trail Race
The Illuminator is back in 2019 with a few changes to the format. There will now be three routes with two distances. See the natural beauty of Glen Tanar’s ancient Scots pine forest in a spectacular new light – of your headtorch!
27 The Culloden Run
A challenging 17.46km run (see what they did there?) from the battlefield, or a flatter 10km option.
27 Monumental Challenge, Fochabers
Starting and finishing at the foot of the Monster Trails, this challenging five-mile hill race passes the monument to the Duchess of Gordon, at the top of the picturesque Whiteash Hill.
www.entrycentral.com/monumentalchallenge
November
9 Knockfarrel Hill Race
An 8km, 365m hill race from Strathpeffer to Knockfarrel and back.
www.highlandhillrunners.org.uk
- For local, regional and national orienteering events, see www.scottish-orienteering.org
- All details believed to be correct at time of publishing. Please check ahead to confirm details.
