Cycle to Loch Ness from Inverness is a must-do ride for many visitors to the Scottish Highlands. The quieter south side of the loch follows peaceful country roads, offering a straightforward, easy-to-navigate route that’s ideal for a relaxed day on the bike. There’s also flexibility to extend your distance if you’re feeling strong and want to add a few more miles. While much of the route is now virtually traffic-free, sections use very quiet rural roads rather than dedicated cycle paths, giving it a wonderfully scenic and authentic feel.
We are based in the beautiful surroundings of Bellfield Park by the River Ness near the centre of Inverness the capital The Highlands. We'll make sure you are comfortable on your bike, brief you on where to go, whet to eat etc and set you off towards Loch Ness.
Follow paths across the River Ness via the forested Ness Islands. This is a very scenic and tranquil place to be.
The Caledonian Canal lies just off the route. If you have got the legs for more adventure there are many more miles of path by the canal.
Follow local cycle paths then National Cycle Network Route 78 "The Caledonia Way" all the way from Inverness to the village of Dores on the shores of Loch Ness
At Dores you can refuel at the always-busy Dores Inn or alternatively take a packed lunch and eat on the beach or at one of the picnic spots further down the loch-side.
Return by the same route or take a detour along part of the Caledonian Canal towpath.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cycle To Loch Ness - Self Guided Cycling Tour lasts about 1 day. The itinerary has 6 stops.
Prices start at $74 per person for this Inverness experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is Come into the park. Our workshop is in the middle beside the tennis courts. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 8 travellers can book together.
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Confirmation is sent by the operator within 24 hours of booking.
Friendly service. Great advice. The bikes were just the way we like them: clean and in perfect condition.
Thanks for the great review and highlighting the condition of our bikes - we keep them fresh by replacing the fleet regularly and each bike is washed and serviced by our mechanics before each hire. Glad you enjoyed you cycle trip and happy to help with tips about the routes. All the best.
We rented bicycles and dowloaded the suggested app, which we used to navigate along the canal and to Loch Ness. While booking I emailed them with several questions and there was always a prompt and helpful response, which I really appreciated. When we picked up our bikes the agent was friendly, personable and made sure we felt comfortable before taking off. The bikes were very well maintained and comfortable. The ride itself was a highlight of our trip. We absolutely loved getting out into the area and exploring. We met other cyclists, saw some wildlife and had a very fun time together. We already cherish the memory of this awesome experience.
Thanks for the great review and highly valued five stars. You really made the most of the bike ride and if we reduced the friction by making it easy to navigate on a reliable bike then our mission is complete.
Incredible day cycling to Culloden. Choosing e-bikes was the right call for us as intermediate bikers. The shop was organized, welcoming, and super efficient getting us on our way. The bikes were top notch and all the extras were appreciated.
Thanks for the great review. The cycle route to Culloden Battlefield is one of the trickier day trips to navigate so hopefully our app based navigation helped you find the low traffic route OK. It is sad to think that even 280 years after the massacre at Culloden, ordinary people still suffer at the hands of brutal militaries in many places around the world. As Robert Burns put it: "Then let us pray that come it may, As come it will for a' that, That Sense and Worth, o'er a' the earth Shall bear the gree an' a' that. It's comin yet for a' that, That Man to Man the warld o'er Shall brithers be for a' that."
We had a blast with hired bikes daytrip to the shores of Loch Ness and the woods and countryside around it. Ticket to Ride bikes are excellent, the app they use is very diversity-friendly so one can happily bounce off and back on the route and the staff was really helpful and friendly. Easy to recommend!
Thanks for the lovely review of our hire service. Good to hear feedback on the app - we agree it helps so much with navigation to allow customers to relax into the routes with peace of mind they are on track as needed. Excellent you got to explore and enjoy the trip to Loch Ness - we are well located to get straight onto the paths and quiet back roads straight from the shop. All the best.
Super maintained bikes! Luckily no flat tires and no technical failures - everything was fine, we couldn't have patched it up at all...;-). We - two women, mother and daughter - had a really great time in the Outer Hebrides. Weather-wise, fortunately the majority tailwind... 'Prepare for the worst and hope for the best' has proven itself! 1 day arrival Inverness to Oban, 4 days in the Outer Hebrides, 1 day return from Ullapool to Inverness. At night we would plan 5 days for the route from south to north as pure cycling days. Lindsay has recommended this to us in advance, but we too few days...;-)
Thanks Andrea for your kind review of our bike hire and cyclist transport services. Our cyclist transport works well for the initial transfer of passengers and bikes down to the Oban ferry and then collection at Ullapool at the end of the trip back to Inverness. The Hebrides is a lovely place to visit by bike, a real gem with lovely beaches and scenery and each island having different character and mix of cycling experiences. Great advice to pack for a range of weather and glad to hear the prevailing wind was in your favour and you enjoyed the trip so much! The flat bar touring bikes are dependable bikes and with panniers great option for touring. So great to meet you and help with your holiday. All the best and maybe see you again to fit some more days in for a future Highland cycling trip.
Thanks, Ryan at Ticket to Ride, for making our e-bike trip in Inverness so great. We reserved e-bikes in advance of our trip and he was invaluable prior to the trip to ensure we had the right size bikes, pedals, etc., plus pointing us to their recommended app plus guided maps with turn-by-turn directions. We also liked the well-marked bike paths from Inverness to Loch Ness. We also had time to complete the Caledonian Canal self-guided tour to see a bit more of Inverness on the same day. Inverness was lovely, and we really appreciated Ticket to Ride.
Thanks for the great review and I'm glad you enjoyed your cycling around Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal. The navigation app has really helped people to relax and enjoy their visit without worrying about getting lost.
Excellent service and good bikes, no issues! We had two MTBs for two days and went around Loch Ness. Highly recommended!
Thanks for helping make us among the highest rated bike hire in Scotland. Cycling the Loch Ness 360 is a challenge but it rewards riders with views 99% of visitors to the area miss out on. I hope you can explore mor of the Scottish Highlands by bike next time.
Great service. I emailed them at the end of the day and bike was booked straight away for the next day. Bike was in great condition and the map and audio guidance app took me from Inverness to Loch Ness with no issue. Loved my day out. Would highly recommend.
Delighted to hear you loved your day out to Loch Ness! We hope to welcome you back for more cycling adventures around the Scottish Highlands soon.
Great bike with all the GPS accessories for the route, very friendly person with good advice, beautiful ride along loch Ness
Thanks for the great review of your self-guided bike trip to Loch Ness. Our GPS bike route to Loch Ness from Inverness makes best use of bike paths and low traffic roads.
Amazingly well maintained bikes and extremely helpful and accommodating staff. Scored amazing weather on our ride from Inverness to Dores at Loch Ness.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review of your cycle to Loch Ness. I'm hoping to take advantage of the dry weather myself soon (if I can drag myself away from my desk).
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cycle To Loch Ness - Self Guided Cycling Tour | 1 day | 4.9 (122) | $74 | |
 Loch Ness, Outlander & Urquhart Castle from Inverness | 9 hours | 4.9 (1,925) | $71 | View |
 Loch Ness and Caledonian Canal 2-Hour Cruise from Dochgarroch | 2 hours | 4.8 (1,397) | $46 | View |
 Loch Ness 50-minute Cruise with Urquhart Castle Views | 50 min | 4.4 (1,292) | $33 | View |
 Loch Ness & Culloden Battlefield Private Tour from Inverness | 8 hours | 4.9 (935) | $1,011 | View |
 Loch Ness Cruise and Urquhart Castle visit from Inverness | 3h 30min | 4.6 (782) | $76 | View |
 Inverness: Loch Ness & The Highlands | 8h 45min | 4.8 (388) | $74 | View |