Published January 2023
Read our cycling topic paper
Scotland has an unbeatable access to land and national cycle trail networks. And that's not to mention its world-class mountain bike centres and indoor and outdoor track facilities.
Scotland offers a responsible right of access to land and national cycle trail networks thanks to the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. All play an important role in attracting day and overnight visitors to make a trip away from home.
Over 1,600 miles
Scotland's National Cycle Network boasts over 1,600 miles of outdoor trails.
Stunning landscapes
World renowned scenery that provides unforgettable journeys.
Great facilities
Providing world-class facilities for track cycling, gravel biking and mountain biking.
Cycling events
A well-recognised track record of hosting some of Europe's best cycling events.
Cycling on a road or surfaced path is more popular among UK holidaymakers to Scotland than mountain biking.
Those who prefer to mountain bike do tend to stay for slightly longer periods of time. But they spend slightly less compared to those who choose to cycle of a road or surfaced path.
Cycling on a road / surfaced path and mountain biking made a recovery in 2017-2019. This followed a slight drop in popularity in 2014-2016.
| Road cycling | Mountain biking | |
| Trips | 357,000 | 130,000 |
| Nights | 1,506,000 | 593,000 |
| Spend | £92,000,000 | £35,000,000 |
| Spend pertrip | £257 | £268 |
| Spend pernight | £61 | £59 |
| Length of stay | 4.2 nights | 4.5 nights |
Source: Great Britain Tourism Survey, 2023
Cycling is a very popular activity in several major international visitor markets to Scotland.
Based on their cycling habits, the following are interesting target markets for cycling tourism in Scotland:
Germany
India
The Netherlands
The Nordic countries
As they show a high level of participation in everyday cycling, visitors from these countries may be experienced cyclists. Thus they might be interested in opting for more specialised and intense experiences.
Visitors from Scotland’s other top overseas markets do not show such a high level of participation in everyday cycling.
But they might still opt for cycling tourism packages aimed at less frequent leisure cyclists. These are countries such as France, Canada, or the US.
These power-assisted bicycles allow more users to go further and explore more.
They continue to attract users who may not otherwise choose to cycle.
This is a type of cycling that sits between mountain biking and road cycling. It's an ideal fit for Scotland linked to our progessive right of responsible access legislation.
Gravel riding has mostly been a recreational form of cycling in the past. But large scale gravel riding events are becoming increasingly common in Scotland and across the globe.
Bikepacking refers to visitors taking multi-day self-supported adventures with a bicycle. This is along various terrains and across remote areas.
This trend as we know it today is becoming increasingly popular. It has come a long way in recent years due to the rapid advancement of bicycle technology and availability of lightweight equipment.
Packrafting refers to cyclists carrying an inflatable reinforced raft. This enables them to cross water obstacles they may come across.
It's part of a wider form of adventure travel known as pedaddling - a mix of pedalling and paddling.
Packrafting is a relatively new trend within the cycling and adventure travel market. But it may open up opportunities for businesses to offer relevant services and equipment as it becomes more popular over time.
Explore the value that mountain biking tourism brings to Scotland.