Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
As the riders of the 2026 Highland Trail 550 continue to push forward, clear frontrunners have emerged in both the men’s and women’s races. Photographer Gavin Kaps spent the day tracking down Justinas Leveika and Kerry MacPhee, and the Whiskey Trail Angels provide an update from out on the course. Find it all here…
Words by The Whisky Trail Angels (Donnie and Richie), photos by Gavin Kaps
Day three of the Highland Trail 550 brought a welcome return to good weather. The rain that battered the riders yesterday had finally cleared, leaving far more favorable conditions on the trails. We arrived at the Oykel Bridge vantage point in the early afternoon, which usually means we miss the first wave of riders. By the time we get there, the leaders are often already deep into the northern loop.
At around 9:30 p.m., Justinas Leveika rolled into our location after completing the loop. It’s always a pleasure to see the riders at the sharp end of the race, especially those moving at a serious pace, and he was more than happy to stop briefly for a small dram. He looked strong, was in great spirits, and after a short pause pressed on towards Ullapool.
The next morning, lying in the camper van and regretting the previous evening’s overindulgence in Scotland’s finest water, I heard the sound of bike brakes outside. It was just before 7 a.m. I opened the door to find Kerry MacPhee standing there.
As ever, Kerry was in high spirits, despite having endured a brutal night on the northern loop. She told us how she’d been thrown from her bike, down a bank, and into a river. After recovering herself and the bike, she discovered the tyre sidewall had been badly slashed. Too cold to stop for long and deal with it properly, she pushed on, hiking the bike to the nearest village in search of shelter. Eventually, she found refuge—and a few hours of sleep—inside an open public toilet.
Justinas had already passed through Fisherfield. According to his tracker, he’d stopped there for a few hours’ sleep before powering on past the stunning Loch Maree.
Kerry, meanwhile, was just about to enter Fisherfield herself. During our chat that morning, she asked if I’d ever been there before. I told her no.
“It’s amazing,” she said. “I’m so looking forward to it. I’m so excited to be going there.”
A brilliant attitude from a brilliant rider.
Check out the 2026 HT550 Tracker page to follow along on the live tracking map, find our Rigs of the HT550 roundup, and stay tuned in for more event coverage. Find it here.
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