Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Early this morning, Kerry MacPhee became the first woman and third rider overall to finish the 2026 Highland Trail 550, overcoming snow, hallucinations, and a tumble into a river. Find photos and details from her impressive ride here…
Words by The Whisky Trail Angels (Donnie and Richie), photos by Gavin Kaps
A tearful but elated Kerry MacPhee rolled into Tyndrum this morning to complete the Highland Trail 2026 as the first woman and an outstanding third overall after a dramatic and demanding ride through the Scottish Highlands. Moments after crossing the finish line, emotion briefly got the better of Kerry as she was greeted by a group of supporters waiting in Tyndrum. However, the tears quickly gave way to her trademark broad smile as she reflected on an eventful race.
Her immediate concern after the finish was not fatigue, but rather what she described as a “bird’s nest” of hair after days out on the trail, joking that cutting it off might be the only solution. The final approach through Glencoe delivered one last reminder of the Highlands’ unpredictability. Kerry spoke of fresh snow on the mountains and the stunning scenery that accompanied her into the closing miles of the race.
Yet the previous night had proven far more difficult. After climbing out of Fort William, sleep deprivation began taking its toll. Kerry admitted she had started hallucinating, seeing creatures appearing among the rocks beside the trail. Recognizing the warning signs, she decided to bivvy for the night and grab some desperately needed rest before making her final push to the finish this morning.
Earlier in the race, the northern loop nearly brought her ride to an abrupt end. While approaching a bridge, Kerry struck a rock and was thrown from her bike, tumbling around six feet down a bank and into a river below. The crash left her shaken and with a puncture, but the immediate danger was the cold. Soaked through and unable to stop for long, she feared hypothermia was not far away if she could not warm up quickly. Fortunately, she had packed hand warmers, placing two inside her gloves and two against her upper body. The added warmth allowed her to recover enough to repair the puncture and continue safely.
For this year’s race, Kerry opted to ride with a small day pack rather than carrying extra weight on the bike itself—a decision she said paid dividends on the Highland Trail’s notoriously punishing hike-a-bike sections.
Reflecting on the finish, Kerry said, “I didn’t expect to cry at the end, but once I saw the group of people waiting, I just got a little bit emotional. But there were more tears of joy than tears of sadness. It was a great ride. I actually feel really good, considering everything.”
Kerry’s unofficial finish time is 4 days, 1 hour, 52 minutes. Congrats, Kerry!
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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