Etape Loch Ness 2026

The UK's largest closed-road cycle sportive, now in its 12th edition, takes 6,500 riders on a 66-mile (106 km) loop around Loch Ness on fully traffic-free roads, starting and finishing in Inverness. The route includes around 900 metres of ascent, with a timed King and Queen of the Mountain climb — a 4.8-mile section rising 380 metres at gradients peaking at 12%. Riders are seeded into four waves (A–D), released at three-minute intervals from Bught Park. Pre-event registration takes place the day before at Eden Court Theatre, Bishops Road, Inverness (10:00–19:00); official charity partner is Macmillan Cancer Support, with over £2.62 million raised since 2014.