Downhill.

Mountain biker and traveler?  If you’re in Europe, you should check out the Outdoor Capital of the UK.

A popular destination for mountain bikers and cyclists, the Outdoor Capital of the UK region is the Fort William and Lochaber region in the Scottish Highlands.

The building of the 2nd easier mountain bike track at Anoch Mor Fort William which is scheduled to be completed for 2012.

For beginners to experienced riders, the region offers thousands of square miles of hills, glens and forests from flat forest tracks to epic, remote highland glens.

The Outdoor Capital of the UK’s mountain bike calendar includes the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup at Nevis Range.

Opening of the new “red” route downhill course Nevis Range.

Called “the race that took mountain biking back to the mountains”, the Tour de Ben Nevis is coming up on September 24, 2011.

The Tour de Ben Nevis is a 72km circumnavigation around Ben Nevis, UK’s highest mountain.

From Fort William, the tour travels down the south side of Kinlochleven then heads back up towards Spean Bridge.

In the Outdoor Capital of the UK, there are hundreds of routes for cyclists and mountain bikers.

The mountain bike trail centre at Nevis Range is the only course in the UK with gondola access.

Nevis Range has a vertical drop of 525m and a length of 2.66km.

Glencoe Mountain Resort, on Rannoch Moor, is an emerging cycling destination with a tough, steep, black graded downhill track.

There are also gentle, flat trails along the Caledonian Canal; cycle trails around Glen Nevis; family-friendly routes that pass through townships and others out to the Ardnamurchan Peninsula.

For special organized cycling holidays, the Pedal in Paradise ActiVacation is a 5-night package with great cycle routes of around 40 miles per day and bike-friendly accommodation.

Pedal in Paradise starts in Fort William and cycles through Glencoe, Kingairloch Estate and Lochailort to Spean Bridge.

For more info on mountain biking, visit the Outdoor Capital of the UK site.

Images courtesy of the Outdoor Capital of the UK.