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PRE- EVENT GUIDE 2026

SCOTLAND COAST TO COAST

HANDY INFORMATION TO HELP YOU PLAN FOR SCOTLAND COAST TO COAST

This document is designed as a planning aid for you to dial into the logistics, the in-event support available, the kit list and general training advice for Scotland Coast to Coast. This does not replace our full Essential Event Information pack that is released in July with the full event guidance.

QUICK REFERENCE POSTCODES

Cawdor Castle: IV12 5RD

Start line: IV12 4NQ

Invergarry Campsite: PH35 4HG

Finish location: PH49 4HL

WHAT TO BRING TO REGISTRATION 

  1. Adventure pack including bib number

  2. Running/cycling backpack 

  3. Bike (unless hiring from Cycle Hire Scotland)

  4. Helmet & Bike shoes to leave with bike (ALL other mandatory kit MUST be carried from start line)

IMPORTANT ALWAYS FOLLOW THE WAYMARKING ON EVENT DAY NOT GPX

REGISTRATION INFO

Registration Info

Everyone must attend Registration in person, you cannot register for someone else. No exceptions will be considered.

LOCATION

Registration is at Cawdor Castle between 10:00 - 20:00 on 11th September 2026.

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Registration Postcode: IV12 5RD

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Parking is available. Free shuttle buses will run from Nairn to Cawdor Castle from 10:00 to 20:00.

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If you are flying to the event, Inverness International airport is the closest airport, local taxis will be able to bring you to Cawdor Castle. This journey takes approximately 15 minutes. 

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If you are hiring a bike from Cycle Hire Scotland you will pick this up at Cawdor Castle next to Registration. Please ensure you attend Registration FIRST before collecting your hire bike.

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ADVENTURE PACK

UK participants will be posted an adventure pack, International participants please pick yours up from the INTERNATIONAL PICK UP desk at Registration.

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Contents

 

  1. Bib number and safety pins

  2. Bag tags

  3. Bike number 

  4. Bike compound wristband

  5. Camping passes (if purchased)

  6. Bus Ticket (if purchased)

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IMPORTANT packs are posted to UK residents at the start of September.  Please ensure your address is up to date on your account by the 15th August.

BIKES, BUSES, BAGS & HOTELS

RAT RACE BUS TRANSFERS

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There are 5  bus transfer options available to help you plan your adventure. Places are limited no further capacity will be added, please log into your Rat Race account to see live availability. If a bus is not showing as available to book it is likely sold out. Please check back closer to the event as spaces may become available as people cancel/transfer out.

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1) 11/09 FRIDAY 12:00 Pre-event transfer from Ballachulish to Cawdor Castle (arrival time 1500). The pick up location is the Harbour car park next to the Isles of Glencoe Hotel car park, weekend parking is included in ticket price. This parking is for pre-event bus ticket holders only.  The buses will wait at Cawdor Castle for 1hr whilst you register and then transfer to Nairn. 

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There are two ticket types available for this transfer: 

  • Person Only £75

  • Person + Bike £85

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2) 13/09 SUNDAY 12:00 Post-event transfer departing Isles of Glencoe hotel to Nairn (arrival time 15:00)

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There are two ticket types available for this transfer: 

  • Person Only £75

  • Person + Bike £85

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3) 13/09 SUNDAY 12:00 Post-event transfer departing Isles of Glencoe hotel to Inverness Airport (arrival time 15:00)

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There are two ticket types available for this transfer: 

  • Person Only £75

  • Person + Bike £85 (Your bike must be packaged in a bike box for transportation on the coach)

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4) 14/09 MONDAY 12:00 Post-event transfer departing Isles of Glencoe hotel to Nairn (arrival time 15:00)

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There are two ticket types available for this transfer: 

  • Person Only £75

  • Person + Bike £85

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5) 14/09 MONDAY 12:00 Post-event transfer departing Isles of Glencoe hotel to Inverness Airport (arrival time 15:00)

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There are two ticket types available for this transfer: 

  • Person Only £75

  • Person + Bike £85 (Your bike must be packaged in a bike box for transportation on the coach)

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FREE shuttle service for Two Day Participants who have booked accommodation in Fort Augustus. This will run between the end of Day 1 location in Invergarry and Fort Augustus until 9pm.  

 

It will run again from 0730 on Sunday morning to get you to the startline for Day 2. No booking required.

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HELPFUL PUBLIC TRANSPORT LINKS

If you are planning to use public transport to get to and from the event here are some helpful links for your planning

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Nearest airport: Inverness 

Nearest train station to Registration: Nairn

Nearest train station to Finish: Fort William 

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To look at train timetables and to book a train visit www.thetrainline.com 

To look at bus timetables and to book a bus seat visit www.citylink.co.uk

To find and book a taxi please check out these local companies ​

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IMPORTANT. This is a remote area of Scotland and taxis must be prebooked. There is no Uber or on-demand equivalent available, you must have your onward transport planned and booked from the finish.

 

Do not rely on being able to solve it locally on the day.

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BIKE HIRE

Our event hire partners, Cycle Hire Scotland, will open bike hire for this event in Spring 2026.  

We will send an email out to notify #ratracers when this is live. 

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WHAT BAGS WILL WE MOVE?

  • For One Day participants we will move 1 bag each for you to the finish. This can be no bigger than 70L and not weigh more than 23kg due to vehicle weight restrictions.

  • For Two Day participants we will move 1 bag to the end of Day 1 for you, we will then move this to the finish of Day 2 for you. You may also give us a tent to transport weighing no more than 5kg per person and no more than 15kg in total.

  • Bag drop will be at the start line.

TRANSITION BAGS

  • Cawdor Castle Transition Bag - You will be given a transition bag at Registration. This can be used to leave your helmet and bike shoes with your bike. ALL other mandatory kit MUST be carried from the start. You must take all of the contents of this bag with you when you depart the transition point on event day, anything left behind will not be transported forward for you. â€‹

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  • Fort William Transition Bag - You will given a transition bag upon arrival at FW. You will be able to leave your helmet, bike shoes and any other cycling kit in this bag. ALL other mandatory kit MUST be carried and will be checked before departing Fort William. All Fort William transition bags will then be sent to the finish for collection.

FINISH LINE ACCOMMODATION

Rooms are available to book at the Isle of Glencoe Hotel, at the event finish line. All rooms include Dinner, Bed and Breakfast. You must book through the below link to access the availability as the hotel is exclusively reserved for Rat Race, it will show as fully booked on other booking platforms. 

CLICK HERE TO BOOK A ROOM​​

If you are looking for alternative local accommodation nearby, the finish line postcode is PH49 4HL. You will also need to book a taxi in advance to get you to another hotel due to the remote location. 

MANDATORY KIT LIST

The kit listed is to help you have a safe experience and have the best chance of finishing. Some of this kit is to ensure that if you are unable to continue without our assistance then we can be confident of you having the level of equipment required to keep you as comfortable as possible whilst you wait for help.

FORT WILLIAM TRANSITION KIT CHECK

Bike to final Run/Trek Transition

Postcode: PH33 6XZ​​

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IMPORTANT there is a Mandatory kit check at the Fort William transition to ensure you have all your required run/trek kit with you for this mountain run in remote terrain. Do not be tempted to put mandatory items in your cycling kit bag and leave them behind. You won’t be allowed to continue without passing this kit check.

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Bare minimum items to be checked are:

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  • Head torch

  • Survival Bag

  • First Aid Kit

  • Waterproof tops and trousers

  • Water bottle

  • Some food/snacks (there is NOT a pit stop on the run)

THE COURSE & TIMINGS

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WAYMARKING

This route is fully waymarked you DO NOT need to use a navigational device, we use neon orange signs and tape which will always have the RR logo on, please do not follow any signage that doesn't.

 

You may download the GPX files but PLEASE always follow the arrows first.​​​​​​​​

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BAD WEATHER CONTINGENCY 

With the safety of our participants as number1 priority,  we may have to make dynamic changes to how the event progresses to take account of prevailing weather and wind conditions. Unfortunately, an accurate picture of what measures will be in place cannot be given until much closer to the event. If the thresholds are met where it becomes unsafe to operate the kayak leg we will redirect the run leg to Kinlochleven (approximately an extra 2 miles).

 

We will operate a bus transfer from the secondary, smaller finish location to the Isles of Glencoe Hotel for participants.

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THE STAGES AND CUT OFFS

Cut offs are enforced and they are applied to your departure time not your arrival time into the location. If you are cut off you will be transported forward on the course using our sweeper vehicle. If you have supporters they can pick you up if you wish.

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   One Day Participants start time 0615

  • Trek/Run 7 miles

  • Cawdor Castle Transition

  • Road Cycle 44 miles

  • Off Road Cycle 20 miles

  • Road Cycle 14 miles

  • Fort William Transition CUT OFF 1600

  • Mountain Trek/Run 14 miles

  • Kayak Transition CUT OFF 1930

  • Kayak 1 mile

  • Course closes 2000

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   Two Day Participants start time 0730

  • Trek/Run 7 miles

  • Cawdor Castle Transition

  • Road Cycle 44 miles

  • Off Road Cycle 8 miles

  • Road Cycle 1 mile

  • OVERNIGHT STOP

  • Road Cycle 1.5 miles

  • Off Road Cycle 11 miles

  • Road Cycle 14 miles

  • Fort William Transition CUT OFF 1230

  • Mountain Trek/Run 14 miles

  • Kayak Transition CUT OFF 1800

  • Kayak 1 mile

  • Course closes 1900

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THE START 

Nairn Links: IV12 4NQ

 

Please avoid parking on Cumming Street as we need the access for our large baggage vehicles. You can park on the streets of Nairn and walk down or in local pay and display car parks.

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There are toilets available at the start.​

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One Day participants will start at 0615 please ensure you are ready at the start line no later than 0545.

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Two Day participants will start at 0730 please ensure you are ready at the start line no later than 0700.

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The first run involves a narrow track so we recommend faster runners start at the front to ensure an enjoyable run for everyone.

DAY 2 START INFO

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0630  – Invergarry Transition Bag Drop opens
0700 – Bus service from Fort Augustus main car park to Invergarry
0730  – CHALLENGER START WINDOW OPENS  Invergarry Transition 
0745 – Invergarry Transition Bag Drop closes
0800 – CHALLENGER START WINDOW CLOSES Invergarry Transition 

THE FINISH

Isles of Glencoe Hotel: PH49 4HL

 

The finish line is on the shore of Loch Leven outside the Isles of Glencoe Hotel bar. It is a great place for supporters to wait to cheer you across the finish line. Immediate support is available to you here with a roaring fire, a restaurant, bar, toilets and the Rat Race medics. 

 

All bikes and bags from the Fort William transition are stored in the hotel car park compound. This will be signposted.

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No showers are available for non-hotel guests.

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WATER AND SNACKS​​

You should plan to be self-sufficient for both days by carrying the food and drink that you require for the full day out. Our Pit Stops will then become additional support to your own plans. This method means you are exceptionally unlikely to find yourself out of food or water.

 

Here’s what you can expect at every Pit Stop:

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  • Drinks: Water, squash, hot drinks.

  • Salty options: Crisps, pretzels etc.

  • Sweet options: Fruit, jellies, cakes, biscuits etc.

 

We will endeavour to provide something suitable for all dietary requirements, however this cannot always be guaranteed. Please make sure that you have your own suitable options with you if you have allergies or dietary requirements.

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Where are the pitstop provisions?

  • One & Two Day participants: 38 miles​

  • One Day participants: 62 miles & Fort William Transition (85 miles)​

  • Two Day Participants: Fort William Transition (85 miles) 

2 DAY CAMPING INFO

CAMPING FOR TWO DAY PARTICIPANTS 

We operate a campsite at the end of Day 1 in Invergarry for Two Day participants ONLY. This campsite has no vehicle access and it cannot accommodate campervans, tent boxes or cars next to tents.

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We will have a caterer onsite on Saturday evening so  you can purchase a bite to eat, you can also use the shuttle bus to go into Fort Augustus for food, this runs until 9pm. You will be able to buy breakfast (likely breakfast sandwich options) from the on site caterer. There will be hot water available for you to make your own breakfast & hot drinks. 

 

There are communal changing areas and showers available in the small sports club onsite. 

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All campers will require a camping pass. These are needed per person and not per pitch. The campsite is pitch your own tent only. There are no pre-pitched or glamping options available. We will transport a tent for you from the start please see bag info. Camping passes are limited due to the field size so please purchase yours asap from your Rat Race account to secure a camping space.

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TRAINING PLAN

Our medic and welfare partner Trail Med have put together comprehensive and detailed training plans and fuelling advice guides for our multisport adventures. ​
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We recommend following the Multisport (cycle) training plan for Scotland Coast to Coast. You can view all the available training plans HERE. 

ANY QUESTIONS?

CUSTOMER SERVICE

If you have any questions not answered in here please do reach out to us on events@ratrace.com and our friendly team will get back to you as soon as we can. This inbox is monitored 0900 - 1700 BST Mon - Thurs.

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TRANSFER AND REFUND ENQUIRIES

If you need to withdraw from Coast to Coast and go through our transfer process this closes on the 11th August 2026. After this time we cannot process any transfer requests. For all the information regarding transfers please click here. 

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Please note that event credit is non transferable and is exempt from this process. Any transfer requests made via email after this date will not be considered.

 

All entries are non refundable as standard for any reason. If you purchased Refund Protect as part of your entry and you believe you have a qualifying reason preventing you from attending Coast to Coast you can start a refund request with them here. Please note that this is a 3rd party service and Rat Race cannot influence their decision. 

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PAIR AND TEAM ENTRIES

If you are a part of a pair entry please ensure all your details are filled in before the 8th August for each person by the person who purchased the entry. Any late submissions will be subject to a £15 admin fee to create your Adventure Pack on the day. Just login to your Rat Race account to add these details.

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