Kinlochleven poised for influx of athletes

Kinlochleven and its indoor ice climbing centre are set to be busy over the next few months

A small village in the west Highlands is to be the focus of major outdoor pursuits competitions.

Thousands of athletes are to descend on Kinlochleven and its Ice Factor indoor ice climbing centre.

In July, the Ice Factor will be used as a staging post for the City to Summit Edinburgh to Ben Nevis duathlon.

Endurance runners will be arriving in Kinlochleven in September for the International Skyrunning Federation's 2018 Skyrunning World Championships.

Other events to set feature the village include July's Coast2Coast run and September's Mamores Half-marathon, which is held as part of the Glencoe Marathon Gathering.

In November, some of the UK's top mountain bikers will register at the Ice Factor for the 2018 Kinlochleven Enduro.

Shane Ohly, who is involved in organising September's Skyrunning World Championships, said: "With the dramatic Mamores and wild mountainous terrain of Glen Coe on its doorstep, Kinlochleven is an ideal base for these events."

He said his event worked hard with the local community and businesses.

Mr Ohly said: "The backbone of the Skyrunning event is the village of Kinlochleven.

"Ice Factor and its facilities are an essential part of the event delivery and is transformed into a hive of adventure racing activity during the weekend."