Recently Tour Specialist Richie Daigle traveled to Scotland to experience the tours BikeToursDirect offers in Scotland with our locally based operator, H&I Adventures. After a phenomenal day of mountain biking in Cairngorms National Park, owners (and married couple) Catherine and Euan invited Richie to their home for some dinner, wine, and conversation about what makes H&I Adventures unique in the world of mountain bike “holidays!” [caption id="attachment_808" align="alignright" width="250"]
Catherine and Euan, ready to ride Cairngorms National Park[/caption]
BTD: What is your favorite ride or trail in the Scottish Highlands area? Catherine: I’m a Cairngorms woman. I do like the Cairngorms for the variety it offers and it’s also not too outrageously technical. It’s just a lot of fun and the scenery is beautiful. And you can always have a good cake at the mountain café afterwards – Even gluten-free! Euan: In Scotland, it would be Torridon. Of all of our tours, though, I think it’s the riding in Nepal. Riding the Himalayas – it’s pretty special.
Note: Check out H&I's Cairngorms Adventure tour, Torridon and Skye tour, and Nepal Mountain Biking tour! BTD: Which came first? Catherine and Euan or H&I? Catherine: Catherine and Euan by about a year-and-a-half! We started H&I from a love of mountain biking and a desire to show off Scotland. So, working on the Seven Stanes project in the south of Scotland, the idea of mountain biking holidays kind of germinated in my head, but didn’t go anywhere. And then we moved up to Inverness a good few years later and we started to discuss that idea again, and to make it happen in an area that would allow us access to some beautiful places and amazing trails. BTD: How has the business developed over the years? Euan: We started with just four tours. Then we grew to seven or eight in Scotland. Then we quickly shed the ones which weren’t doing well. When you’re discovering what you are, you come up with lots of ideas – and lots of ideas don’t sell! We became too confusing to people as to what we were. So we managed to then filter it back to have the best of each of the trips and combined them, and it made it a lot easier for people to understand what we were delivering. [caption id="attachment_805" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Riding the Torridon region[/caption]
Catherine:Then we realized that our customers wanted more from us, and we wanted to deliver more. So from that base of mountain biking holiday experts in Scotland, we started to then move internationally to become just mountain biking holiday experts. We have developed trips from novice level to expert level and we’re introducing more people to the sport of mountain biking, as well as appealing to that enthusiastic, passionate market.
BTD: So how did you decide to grow your expertise in mountain bike trips beyond Scotland? Euan: After year four operating tours in Scotland, our clients wanted more from us. We had some destinations we’d already explored, and so we started floating the idea with some clients. Catherine: We also got involved with the ATTA (Adventure Travel Trade Association), which opened up connections with similar companies in other parts of the world that we began to build relationships with and experience their trips. We've now got tours in Scotland, Nepal, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, and Canada. BTD: What’s your philosophy or approach to developing your mountain bike tour programs? Euan: All of our tours are “handmade” – not something pulled off a shelf. We do go out, ride them, research them. They’re not off-the-shelf; you can’t get them anywhere else. They are all run at a high-quality level, but they’re not luxury – and don’t have the luxury price tag. We quality control them. I’ll go out on the first one of the commercial trips after they have been launched and then somebody from our “head office” will be out every couple of years on a quality control. All of the tours are run by English-speaking locals, and all of our guides have actually signed up to our standards and practices through our training. Catherine: And there is always a significant element of culture in all of our trips and engagement in the local communities. It’s not your usual tourist program that we deliver. Euan: We try to go off the beaten path as much as possible, and we travel as responsibly as possible! BTD: Who’s your ideal client? Catherine: The one who is really up for adventure. They’ve come away to have a fantastic time, and they trust in you to deliver that for them. They have an open mind and are ready to absorb as much of the experience as they possibly can while there. Euan: I really enjoy clients who are passionate about interacting with the communities and cultures they’re exploring by mountain bike – whether it be buying the local foods or going down to the local pub, party, or fiesta to soak up the local atmosphere after a good day’s ride. [caption id="attachment_806" align="alignright" width="300"]
Euan and Catherine, sharing stories over a glass of wine with Richie and working out details of the new Epic Tour of the Scottish Highlands[/caption]
BTD: Tell me one of your favorite funny stories about guiding bike tours in Scotland. Euan: Well, to cut a long story short…we had a group riding on a wet day and decided to cut it short. The hotel rooms weren’t quite ready since we arrived early, so we sent the group to the local café with the wood burning stove, to go in and keep warm, because we knew they would be warm getting coffee, standing in front of the fire, while their room was being prepared.
So, we were sorting the van and the bags and the bikes out, and we go to the café and well there was quite a lot of noise and laughter and talking and shouting and so on. So what’s going on in here? Turns out that one of the guys, a slightly elderly gentleman, had taken what we said about getting warm and dry literally. And by the time the owner of the café had caught on, he was standing in middle of the cafe in – with nothing on but the bottom half of his bib tights! He was getting completely starkers (translation: naked) to dry his crown jewels in front of the wood-burning stove, in front of people having their lunch! Catherine: This woman who owns the café (not a small woman!) just bellowed at him from the other side of the café, “Put your clothes back on! People are eating!” That went around the village quite quickly.
Euan: By the time we got 500 meters up the road to the bed and breakfast, the B&B owner opened the door saying, “Ah, heard you were in town and one of your customers was naked in the café.” BTD: So what is your favorite part of the job? What is the most satisfying aspect of running H&I? Catherine: For me, it’s knowing that you have exceeded someone’s expectations. They already had high expectations from what you had communicated to them in advance of the trip and they have an absolutely outstanding experience. They have a trip of a lifetime and they say to you, “Thank you, it was everything I had hoped for and more.” Euan: And I think you realize through time that it is sometimes actually more than just guiding a vacation. For example, a guy this week commented on one of our
Nepal trip pictures on Facebook, saying, “I’ll be coming on this trip next fall. I’ve given up smoking 6 months ago just so that I can get fit enough. I have this goal to come to Nepal and experience your trip.” It was just mind blowing! Somebody, in some corner of the world, who we’ve never heard of, has given up smoking – not solely because of our mountain biking experiences, but it’s apparently been a catalyst… It’s quite amazing to think that the products you make have an influence on somebody like that. It’s great.
BTD: What are your “bucket list rides?” Euan: Dolomites. Iceland. New Zealand. Patagonia. Whistler.
Catherine: New Zealand is in there, and probably Costa Rica or Argentina. Yea, a lot of places and so little time!
BTD: Chattanooga? (Where BikeToursDirect is headquartered!)
Catherine: Yea!
Note: Euan is now planning a trip to visit BTD staff and ride trails around the Southeast U.S. in fall 2013! BTD: What’s next on the agenda for H&I Adventures? Euan: We’re launching a new bike/hike and boat tour later this summer – an “
Epic Tour of the Scottish Highlands.” We’re developing the itinerary based on a trip we just ran for the Visit Scotland Familiarization trip (that Richie participated in) – It was a hit, so we’re going to expand and offer it to clients!
Catherine: This tour is a great way to explore the best of the Scottish Highlands and isles – by boat, bike, and boot. It includes a few nights onboard the Elizabeth G, a former Norwegian rescue boat turned tour boat. Using the Elizabeth G allows clients to hike and bike in remote regions of the western isles of Scotland that are completely inaccessible except by boat.
Note: The Epic Tour of the Scottish Highlands is now available for booking through BikeToursDirect! Get details here > [caption id="attachment_807" align="alignright" width="300"]
Richie in the Cairngorms National Forest[/caption]
Scotland mountain biking trip diary series
Read Richie's trip diary blog posts detailing his adventures on the "dry run" of this epic tour and riding other areas of the Highlands:
Boating and hiking Scotland's western isles > First taste of Scotland mountain biking, lochs, and glens > Hiding from the 'drizzle' and 'breeze': Scottish weather, castles, and distilleries > The Singletrack Fix: Riding in Cairngorms National Forest > A 'proper' Scottish ride: Wilderness mountain biking in the Scottish Highlands >
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Catherine and Euan, ready to ride Cairngorms National Park[/caption]
Riding the Torridon region[/caption]
Euan and Catherine, sharing stories over a glass of wine with Richie and working out details of the new Epic Tour of the Scottish Highlands[/caption]
Richie in the Cairngorms National Forest[/caption]