How it all started!

Things always start with a 'good idea'', often with a little too much drink or ambition...or both!

I have always loved to travel and explore, and every few years I get itchy feet for a big adventure, be that for charity, science, education, or just for the craic. And, like many people, I have had to quell that thirst for travel due to Covid restrictions and the arrival of a little bundle of nappies a couple of years ago. 

The Whisky Ventures Ride evolved out of the desire to explore again, but also to stay fairly local...ish! Lots of people do challenges like the coast to coast, or John-O-Groats to Lands End, and chapeau to them; But I wanted to find something a little novel. So the idea for cycling from the most southerly distillery in Scotland to the most northerly sprung to mind. Then, after looking at the maps, I saw there were several distilleries en route. Then I saw a few distilleries near to the route. Then some within a few miles of the route.....I think you can see where this is going!

After adding quite a few distilleries to the route plan, it became obvious I was just going to have to travel via all of them. However, as the whisky industry is growing rapidly at the moment, every time I Googled "new whisky distiller", my route seemed to get longer. Eventually we end up here; with a website and social media platforms promoting a 2000 mile monster ride. But undertaking such a behemoth felt like it needed some purpose. Therefore, I chose two charities to support through this ride that I feel do fantastic work, yet are often taken for granted by the masses. These being Cash for Kids and Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance. 

I hope people out there will support my ride, or maybe just take pity on me after the first 1000 miles, and dig deep to support the charities.....more info to follow.