Lead Guide
My dad put me on a bike without stabilisers (there were no balance bikes in the 70s) when I was two years old. I immediately fell off. Undeterred however I got back on and as I grew up bicycles were always part of my life.
I cycled to school, I cycled on my newspaper delivery round and I cycled everywhere in between: bikes were my ticket to adventure and exploration. As kids, my friends and I organised mini-races, built jumps and rode down (on a Raleigh racer) the steep slopes of our local, disused quarry. I joined my first cycling club when I was 14 and did my first race (a 25-mile time-trial) the following Sunday; I came last but loved it all.
Since then I have raced time-trials and road-races, hill climbs and stage races, velodrome and grass-track, XC and Enduro. Over the years I have had so much enjoyment, met so many people and learnt so much from riding bikes that I decided I wanted to give something back. Moving to Highland Perthshire I joined a new cycling club and started organising road races for them. One thing led to another and before I knew it I was organising all sorts of races including multi-stage MTB Enduros.
I am now a British Cycling qualified road and time-trial, track and mountain-bike coach and since 2009 have coached countless young people and adults. I am the head coach at my local youth cycling club and it is fantastic to see so many children getting on bikes and having as much fun as I did at that age. My favourite aspect of coaching is going into schools and running sessions with pupils who haven’t had the same opportunities to get out and ride and see how they engage with the activities. At one school the teacher warned about one pupil who could be very disruptive. During the session, he had a big smile on his face and at the end was one of a few pupils who came to thank me and tell me “I didn’t know that riding a bike could be so much fun”.
And for me, that is why I cycle.
It is great fun and I love coaching, guiding and supporting others to get as much fun out of cycling as I do. See you out on two wheels very soon!
What our road cycling clients say about Scot…
One day when it was raining heavily Scot, having already passed us in the van, turned around and dropped back down so that we were able to get our wet weather gear out of the van. This and other similar touches just reinforced the level of support provided on this trip: really first class. G Borton, Raid Corsica road cycling holiday 2016
Scott waiting for me on Madeleine on the last day (as the other riders had long gone as I had fitted in an extra climb), was so kind and appreciated. His “it is important to have someone waiting for you to see you finish your last climb” was very touching and not something I will forget. N Mullet Raid Dolomites road cycling challenge 2016
A real gem that everyone really liked. Energetic and enthusiastic and extremely personable. Always ready and prepared – nothing is too much trouble. We would all like him and Merv when we do the Raid Sardinia next May, please. R Parsons, Raid Corsica road cycling challenge 2016
Very positive at every hour of the long rides. Dealt with some minor problems ( slow puncture, squeaky transmission) with my hire bike. Scott was very helpful by providing first aid kit when I fell off on some gravel early in the week. A Staniforth, Raid du Massif Central 2016
Knowledgeable & v supportive. Good at mixing with guests and helping with any mechanical issues. H Gibbs, Raid Dolomites road cycling challenge 2016
As ever Scot provided great support and good humour, thanks. R Hart, Cycling holiday in Gran Canaria (Canaries, Spain) 2017
A great combination of someone you have total confidence in, unflappable, enjoyable to sit and talk with and nothing is too much trouble. Sliced tomatoes and salt were brill. Scott has become a brilliant ambassador for Marmot Tours. N Gillespie Raid Sardinia 2017
Scot was brilliant, very experienced and friendly and super helpful. The perfect guide really. I Threadgold Raid Pyrenean 2018
Great, he was very knowledgeable on the route and responsive to any questions. Super friendly guy, just what you want in a tour guide. Always in the right spot when needed without having to ask. B Murray Cycling holiday in the Northern Alps 2018
Scot and Katia were helpful, supportive, encouraging, practical etc. etc.etc. In other words, they were excellent. I often thought that they went above and beyond what I would have expected. Without a doubt, their efforts and commitment were a significant help to all the riders in the group. A Taylor. Raid Alpine (Geneva – Nice) road cycling challenge 2019
Very passionate guy, honest and very forthcoming with himself as a person, we got to know him well and were the better for it. He knows the climbs and has excellent recall of fun facts and things to look out for both for pleasure and interest but also for safety. He helped us immensely getting set up in the mornings and keeping things working from a tech perspective which is very important when you don’t know where you are going. M Rogers. Alpine Classic Cols road cycling holiday 2019
Knowledgeable about the area and always did his best to make the rides interesting and well serviced. Good company in the evening. Nothing seemed too much trouble. R Hall. Road cycling tour in the French Alps 2019
So much knowledge, encouraging, great natured advice when suggesting someone should not do something… salty tomatoes were a godsend! I’ve never experienced someone so accommodating and whilst I know it’s his job, he genuinely exudes real passion to enable people to achieve their goals in a really enjoyable manner. Amazing fella. J White. Mont Ventoux 3 times in a day ‘Club des Cinglés’ Challenge.
