HIGHLAND CROSS - the unique coast to coast midsummer charity duathlon
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Highland Cross 2025 Bulletin 6 - 9th June 2025 Highland BlindCraft are making a wonderful offer to the Community of Highland Cross! Team Highland BlindCraft Beds are offering a 20% discount to all Highland Cross competitors and volunteers:
Highland BlindCraft were over the moon to be a 2024 beneficiary of the Highland Cross, for us, this new van is more than just transport - it’s essential. Without it, we would not be able to offer a delivery service, which in turn means we could not employ 2 permanent team members or reach customers across Scotland without the expense of couriers.
As a thank you to team Highland Cross volunteers and competitors, we would like to offer 20% off any Highland BlindCraft Bed purchase online or in our Inverness showroom. Just use the code ‘CROSS25’. Parking in Beauly Participants MUST NOT park their vehicles in Beauly Square or on the approach road to it outside the shops on the night of Friday 20th or the morning of Saturday 21st June. Please refer to Page 17 of the event booklet. The whole area, as shown on the sketch, including the coned approach zone, the Square and the area shown with the dotted line will be covered by a No Parking Order and the Police will have the authority to have vehicles parked there towed or lifted away with a considerable subsequent cost to the owner! Please park your vehicles well away from these areas, and preferably in the car park in Braeview that is clearly shown in your event booklet on Page 14. Ill-considered parking in Beauly creates safety hazards for participants on the day, creates challenges for the Organisers when negotiating for permissions to stage the event and is disrespectful of the Beauly Community who have supported us over the decades. Personal arrangements With two weeks to go please look closely at your arrangements: Are your transport options and contact details completely up to date on the SI Entries system? If not, please do it NOW! If at all possible, please load your bike and bag for Affric in Inverness on Friday evening. Have you sourced your drinking cup or bottle? Remember there are NO CUPS on the route. Have you assembled your emergency kit for the day? Please review the video at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=384326876240796 Health issues We want all participants to have a great Crossing but please do not come to the event if you are carrying an injury or illness. Remember the warning from page 11 of your booklet “ The Medical Team has advised that no participant should enter the event if they have been in any way unwell in the 48 hours prior to the Start”
Bulletin 5 – 2nd June 2025 Transport, Bike Transport and Walker/Runner choices Please ensure that you have made the correct choice of departure point on the Saturday (Inverness or Beauly), and if your circumstances have changed, please amend your entry as soon as possible and before midnight on 16th June. Also, if you are changing from being a runner to a walker, or vice versa, please amend your entry before midnight on 16th June. NO CHANGES CAN BE MADE AFTER THIS TIME The changes can be made directly on the SI Entries system by the Team Entry Owner – please make any changes as soon as possible, that will greatly assist us in our planning and bus hire dispositions. Information on how to make changes is in the FAQ section of the Highland Cross website.
Participants opting to arrive at the Start in their own transport. Please note that there is NO PARKING at Morvich for supporters’ vehicles. Please arrange to be dropped off in plenty time to walk the 1 kilometre to the Start and to go through Registration and Safety Band fitting. Remember that there will be a “one way system” in operation – IN from Allt a’ Chruinn and OUT via the junction nearest the Dornie Causeway. Safety Equipment. Please ensure that you have prepared the Safety Equipment that you are expected to carry on the day. The excellent video from Mountaineering Scotland shows graphically why you must carry it. We have a safety and support system to assist you but it cannot get to you instantly if you have a problem. You must be prepared to look after yourself with the kit that you are carrying. Historically the weather on Highland Cross has varied from snow to heat waves with every conceivable variation! Please review the video at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=384326876240796 Cycle preparedness. Please ensure that your bicycle is fit for the day and that you have the spares that you need to carry out running repairs in your baggage at Affric to take with you on the journey to Strathglass. Numbering The correct use of your allocated participant number from SiEntries is vital for the operation of the “safety net”. It identifies you and your bike and should be used for any separate items of belongings such as personal bags etc. The number is YOU from registration, through the event from start to finish and to the issue of your certificate and team sponsorship returns. YOU are responsible for providing waterproof labels for your bike and luggage. Your number should be written or typed on the label so there is no doubt as to its meaning. For example, “611” if read upside down could be “119” therefore write your number with an underline so that it appears like this “611” YOU At the registration/start of the event you will be issued with two wrist bands, bearing your event number. These will be fitted to you by the Marshals - do not attempt to self-fit them! One band will be removed at a compulsory safety check at Alltbeithe Youth Hostel, 10 miles into the foot section. The other wrist band will be removed at the change-over site as a positive check over the foot section. A light numbered mesh bib will be provided and must be worn for the cycle route to Beauly. YOUR BIKE - WITH YOUR EVENT NUMBER Using your weatherproof labels - please have a numbered stick-on label on the saddle and a numbered tie-on label secured on the handle bars (not on any covering or protective wrapping). This greatly assists unloading, correct racking and official numbering at Glen Affric. YOUR CYCLE HELMET AND PERSONAL BAGS Use your own numbered weatherproof labels on separate items. At the Bike Loading: Do not attach your belongings, cycle computers, or your helmet etc to your bike. Put clothes and cycle helmet that you want to have with your bike at Affric in a waterproof bag bearing your event number and hand it to the Bag Van at bike Loading. Marshals will place your bag beside your bike at Affric. At the Start: Put clothes or other belongings in a waterproof bag bearing your event number for immediate return to Beauly Pound by event transport. Changeover at Affric: Put clothes and other belongings in a waterproof bag bearing your event number and hand it to a Bike Pound volunteer to go in the Bag Van for transfer to Beauly Pound.
Bulletin 4 – 29th May 2025 Bus choices The supply of buses in Highland now is challenging and although we have booked sufficient capacity there is little room to spare. Therefore, it is vital that participants assist us by being accurate in their bus choices and sticking to them. Participants have all made their bus choices on their initial application forms. Please ensure that you have made the correct choice of departure point on the Saturday (Inverness or Beauly), and if your circumstances have changed, please amend your entry as soon as possible and no later than Noon 16th June. Also, if you are changing from being a runner to a walker, or vice versa, please amend your entry by Noon 16th June. If you are registered as a runner, do not travel on the walkers' buses. We are aware of runners travelling on walkers' buses which has nearly caused a lack of seats for properly registered walkers. This is important as the organisers are arranging for buses to be in place in line with what competitors have requested. Bike Loading It helps the organisers to have as many bikes loaded as possible on the Friday evening at Inverness, irrespective of where you depart from on Saturday morning. Again, if appropriate, please amend your record. Safety Equipment Please review your equipment choices for the day especially the Safety Equipment that we expect you to have. Please watch the video that we gave you a link to. Highland Cross is a cupless event Participants are remined that that we will not be providing cups on the event. It is your responsibility to bring a cup or bottle of your choice to the event.
Participant Bulletin 3 – 19th May 2025 Transport to Morvich Please use the event buses wherever possible! If you are registered as a Walker please travel on the Walkers’ buses and equally if you are registered as a Runner/Jogger please travel on the buses scheduled for that start time. We have a juggling act to ensure that we have the correct number of buses in place for each start time. We appreciate that you may want to travel with teammates going at a different time but that causes real challenges to the Bus Schedulers! If you cannot use the event buses, please follow the instructions below…
Access to Morvich for folk arriving in non event vehicles Please approach Morvich via the junction at Ault a’ chruinn off the A87 to the South of Morvich and NOT via the junction on the North side of the causeway. We have applied for a Road Traffic Order on the road and there will be an effective one-way system for access. IN at the Ault a’ chruinn access and OUT at the North side of the causeway. Parking is extremely limited in the area, and we appeal for participants to be dropped off at the Morvich road T junction before Croe Bridge and for cars to leave the area. These measures are necessary to reduce disruption to the community of Morvich that hosts the Start and has supported us so generously over four decades and to protect participant and volunteer safety.
Morvich Breakfast Bar The Loch Duich Primary School Parents and Teachers committee intend to organise the Morvich Breakfast Bar once again. If you intend to avail yourself of an “athletic breakfast” prior to the event please make sure that you have some cash with you and in small denominations if possible. All funds raised support activities for the young folk. The Breakfast bar has become something of an institution on the Cross!
Fundraising Highland Cross exists to raise funds for folk in Highland disadvantaged by medical or social causes. We have learnt of some amazing fundraising efforts by participants and we are hugely encouraged by these. Thank you to every team who are exerting themselves to generate the best sum possible. We have four wonderful charities nominated as main beneficiaries – Badenoch and Strathspey and Badenoch Community ConneXions, Gatway, Rag Tag and Textile and Skye and Lochalsh Mental Health Association. Any funds remaining after the pledges to them are fulfilled will be distributed in smaller grants to other Highland charities. In 40 years participants in Highland Cross have generated £6.3m for charities! This is an amazing total, but the need continues…
Participant Bulletin 2 – 12th May 2025 Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance Many folk will recognise various versions of this old saying – some more polite than others. With the Cross six weeks away now is the time to check that you have all your preparations in order. Emergency Kit The Organising Committee expect all participants to carry the Emergency Kit detailed in the event booklet. 1. A whistle to summon help – 6 blasts of the whistle repeated at one minute intervals 2. A weather protective suit 3. A small amount of high energy food You may get away with a t-shirt and shorts some years but an injury causing a minor slowdown on a windy, damp day can have serious effects and if you end up sitting waiting for help you can be in serious trouble without the emergency gear. Please take it with you. The link below will take you to a superb video from Mountaineering Scotland about the necessity to carry kit in case you have to sit and wait for help. PLEASE WATCH IT and take account of its learning when developing your kit for the day. It was filmed on a windy day with a temperature of 13 deg C – common conditions on Highland Cross. We have had snow on the Cross! A minor twist or sprain can change the whole nature of the risk of the Cross. We will try to get supporting resources to you as quickly as possible, but they will not be immediately there for you. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=384326876240796 Each year we end up helping find and return gear loaned to injured folk by good hearted fellow participants. This means that the injured party were without the correct kit and other folk put themselves at risk by loaning gear to them! Bike Every year our wonderful volunteer Bike Doctors work miracles on bikes in Affric Quarry that were not really ready for the day, but there is a limit to what they can achieve! There have even been a number of bikes discovered in the Quarry with repair lists attached to them for their attention! Please make sure that your bike is ready for the event and that you have the spares that you need and can use for punctures etc on the route. Our Support Crews do not have cycle spares or puncture repair sets with them. If you arrive at Bike Loading on Friday and have an urgent need for “bits” our friends from Highland Bikes will have their mobile shop in attendance for last minute purchases. Baggage Think very carefully about the bags that you are going use to protect your baggage going to Affric and to Beauly. We recommend some sort of robust DRY BAG. The Bike Pound at Affric and the Baggage Pound at Beauly are open to the elements and there is no way that baggage can be kept off the ground in wet conditions. If you are using a rucksack or sports bag, please use strong waterproof bags as a liner. All baggage must bear your event number on a waterproof label, and we recommend that you place a label with your details inside the bag. Please underline the number to indicate how it should be read... 611 can be 119. Fluid on the Foot Section Highland Cross is a “cupless event” – participants are responsible for bring their own choice of cup or bottle with them. The pictures below show the style of cup that you might find useful.
We will have fluid stations with water or water and rehydrating fluid at regular intervals along the way. We recommend that you start the day carrying some fluid to suit your own needs and if the day is forecast to be hot carry a bit extra.
Participant’s Bulletin 1 – 6th May 2025 Participant’s Booklet No matter how many Crosses you have taken part in please study the booklet! There are changes and memory can play tricks on you! Rules Please read ALL the rules and the Safety Advice. Your individual 2025 event number You will be issued with your individual event number by SI Entries within the next few days. This must be displayed on all baggage and bikes that you want Highland Cross to convey for you. Please carefully read page 4 of the booklet. Please ensure that you remove all past event numbers from your bike and baggage! Rehydration fluid on the course We will be providing water or a product from Active Root, a Scottish based company who have developed and manufacture it in Scotland. This year it will be their hydration product in Lemon flavour. Highland Cross is a cupless event Please provide your own cup or water bottle as stated on page 11. THERE WILL BE NO SPARE CUPS! If the day looks like being hot, please start the event carrying fluid of your own choice. A warning from our Medical Team Please see the medical warning on page 11. Our wonderful Medical Team state that: Do not be tempted to start the event carrying an injury or hiding an illness. The Medical Team has advised that no participant should enter the event if they have been in any way unwell in the 48 hours prior to the Start. Nothing matters more to us than our participants getting home safely. We have had a number of instances of folk allowing their urge to take part to overrule their commonsense and ending up very ill. If you have been unwell prior to the event please do not attend, let us know by e mail that you are dropping out due to medical reasons and get well safely at home. If our marshals or Medical Team believe that you are not well enough to continue on the course we will withdraw you from the event. If you are moving so slowly that you are unable to complete the course in appropriate time you will be removed from the course. Please see rules 8 and 9 on Page 3. Safety layouts at the Strathglass/Beauly Toll junction and on the route into the Square for the Finish Please look closely at the sketch plans on pages 16 and 17. These new provisions have been brought in as a direct result of near misses between participants and oncoming cars. The final approach into the Square has been altered from last year and the final chicane into the Finish from the Police control is narrower and over a mix of surfaces including a ramp into the final approach to the Finish Arch. PLEASE study the changes and stay in the coned off lanes for your safety and to protect the future of the event as we know it.
Further regular bulletins will be issued in the run up to the event please read them all and please check that your team colleagues are getting theirs. If anybody is not getting their bulletin, ask the Team Owner to check the e mail address that is displayed on the team’s SI Entries page and correct it as necessary. If you have problems, check the FAQs page on the event website or as a last resort e mail info@highlandcross.co.uk with details so that we can help you out.
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