Summit to Sea Expedition in Scotland

It is important that you travel as light as you possibly can for the mountain section of this journey, so you should only take true essentials for the first night in your hiking backpack. Please note that you will need to add your share of the cooking and camping equipment to your bag before you set off, so you will need to leave some room for this.

The rest of your luggage will meet you at the changeover point (from walking to canoeing) late afternoon on Day 2, so you can re-pack for this part of the expedition with fewer weight and space restrictions. You'll have a 60-litre drybag to pack your stuff into, which is ample space. You can leave any spare luggage in your host's vehicle when you get in the canoes and it will meet you once again at Spey Bay on Day 5.

On the morning of day 1, please turn up ready to hike! Boots on, water filled up. Have your extra canoeing kit & spare travelling bags separated from your hiking pack. These will be returned to you on day 2 after the hiking section of the expedition.

Absolutely! We recognise that you may want to leave some of the luggage you bring to Scotland somewhere safe before you start your expedition. You will be able to leave any non-essential items you don’t want to take on the boat with you at our host's local base.

Yes; this trip is a participatory expedition. Your host will provide all meals and snacks from the first lunch onwards. During the expedition your host may ask the group to help collect firewood, boil some water for brews and help the guide set up the kitchen or chop vegetables. We believe that small things matter and getting involved around camp will help enrich your experience. This trip gives you a chance to take time out from your usual routine, make bonds and create memories. Mucking in and fostering a team spirit for the expedition is what it's all about, and will create the best atmosphere – and best chance for completing the expedition – with your fellow adventurers.

Whilst outdoor toileting is all part of a wilderness adventure, it can have a negative impact on the surrounding environment if not practiced carefully. To avoid this, on most trips (for the canoeing section), your host provides a portable camping toilet for use at each of the wild camping spots. Small and packable, this camping toilet allows waste to be packed-out and disposed of properly when facilities are available. Not only does this help to minimise impact on the countryside, but many adventurers find it a bit more comfortable! For those who have periods, we have also written this handy guide, to help you manage these whilst on adventures.

For comfort and safety reasons regarding the paddling element of this trip, unfortunately we are not able to accommodate people over 18 stone (110 kilos). If you have questions regarding this, please speak to our customer experience team.

Midges are very tiny winged flies, often found in Northern Scotland between May and October when conditions are damp, humid and warmish. While they don’t have a great reputation, they generally aren’t as bad as they are made out to be: they can be an annoyance, but they don’t carry any diseases. So they're pretty harmless, apart from a small itchy red bite.

They don't like direct sunlight and they can’t fly in anything more than a light wind, so on very sunny or breezy days you're unlikely to be bothered by them.

There are preventative measures you can take if you do find there are some midges around. Wear white or light-coloured clothing – midges are drawn to dark colours. Use a repellent, such as Smidge (a DEET-free insect repellent developed in Scotland) – Avon's Skin So Soft is also often recommended as an effective deterrent. Antihistamine creams or tablets will help with any itchy bites. Whilst midges are so small that they can pass through a mosquito net, you can buy 'midge-proof' head nets made with a fine mesh that will keep them away.

Occasionally, participants may need to leave an expedition earlier than planned for various reasons. Although rare, when such occasions do arise, your hosts can generally arrange for you to be collected and returned to Inverness. This is subject to being able to reach an accessible location and the availability of a vehicle and driver, so it might not be immediate. Your host reserves the right to charge £150 to collect an individual (with those travelling with them) and return them to Inverness; this extra charge covers staff time and the use of a vehicle & fuel. Your host will be happy to provide a receipt for this, should you require it for insurance claim purposes and we recommend that you take out suitable travel insurance to cover holiday cancellation costs or instances like those described above. You are more than welcome to make your own arrangements to leave if necessary, however, please be aware that this trip operates in some very remote locations, and taxis/public transport are not always readily available.  

Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.

Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).

For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.

We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.

You're always in good company on one of our adventures.

Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.

Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.

It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.

Don't just take our word for it:

• 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
• 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
• 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends

See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.

The Scottish summer is usually warm but you can expect some rain, even if it's just a little. Prepare for anything and think ‘layers.’ Conditions in April and May will be slightly cooler, with the potential for frost at night. Kit-wise, the main thing is a warm sleeping bag – bring an additional sleeping bag liner if you feel the cold more.