Cromarty cyclist gets dream business off to a great start

When John McFarlane and his family relocated from Sussex to Cromarty, he had dreams of a house near the beach, quality time with his partner and five-year-old twins and eventually starting his own business.

He knew he wanted to be his own boss, have a good work-life balance and work at something he enjoyed. Four years on, he has realised his dream.

John has set up Mountain Biking Highlands and Islands, offering biking tours and short breaks across the Highlands and Islands to people of all abilities. The business got off to a successful start in the summer last year, with people from all over the world signing up for trips. The company has catered for small family groups passing through the area looking for half-day cycles to mountain bike enthusiasts looking for more demanding tours of some of the region's most challenging mountain bike locations.

John admits his largest market is slightly different to what he had anticipated.
 
"I had thought there was a market for people looking for epic adventures - people like myself - but those people are capable of arranging their own mountain biking holidays. Most of my clients are people with a little cycling experience or a notion to take up the sport, who want to get outdoors and see some of the amazing scenery we have here in the Highlands and Islands. I've taken people to Harris, Skye, Lochaber, the Cairngorms and more locally around Cromarty - we really are spoilt for choice."

"I still offer the adventure cyclists what they want, and I am happy to tailor packages to suit all abilities."

John was assisted by HIE Inverness and East Highland local enterprise company with a business start-up grant of £3,000 and lots of advice and information. He is also being assisted with the purchase of a bike trailer to solve the problem of moving bikes and clients at the same time.

"HIE Inverness and East Highland has been very helpful. It's not just been financial help, but there's a variety of professional advice and support there if you need it. I also took part in the two-day business start-up course, which provided lots of practical information."

John is now teaming up with hotels in the area to promote his "ticket to ride" package that involves clients being picked up from their hotel and taken to a location of their choice to experience the fantastic mountain bike terrain the area has to offer.
He is also working with VisitScotland to attract people to the area for short breaks, coupled with a mountain biking experience. He is also happy to fit sight-seeing into his tours. He took one American client to Skye, mountain biking and included the remarkable Storr Walk and Glen Urquhart Castle in a five-day Highland epic trip.

"We didn't cycle every day," said John. "But we were able to find the right balance between cycling and sightseeing to suit the client.

With a successful first season under his belt and a healthy increase in enquiries for 2006, he expects that if the business continues to be a success he will look to take on additional staff in the near future. He believes that as the Highlands and Islands become more accessible, particularly from other European countries, his business will grow.

He said: "With more flights coming into Inverness airport, we are becoming more accessible. Once we have the transport infrastructure right and at the right price, Europe will become an even bigger market for me."

Stuart Black, chief executive of HIE Inverness and East Highland said:  "John has identified a great business opportunity that takes advantage of the stunning natural environment we have across the Highlands and Islands. Mountain biking is growing in popularity and the region is becoming well known in this sector -  with the World Championships in Fort William,  Strathpuffer, the 24-hour endurance cycle held in Strathpeffer in January and the Ross and Cromarty Sportif event to be held in July. We are delighted to have been able to assist John with setting up his business, which should attract many people to the area and help make their stay even more enjoyable."