Two more major Highland events have fallen victim to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The Mountain Bike World Cup will not take place in Fort William on May 22 and 23, although organisers remain hopeful it could return later in the year.
Thunder in the Glens, which attracts around 10,000 motorbike enthusiasts to Aviemore annually, has also been cancelled.
It had been due to take place between August 27 and 30.
‘Painful decision’
The announcements are the latest blow to the Highland economy as it tries to recover from the pandemic.
Last week, the Belladrum music festival’s organisers said it would not return in 2021.
Rare Management, the team behind the Mountain Bike World Cup, said in March that the event would still go ahead without crowds.
But the company’s Mike Jardine said today the likely restrictions in place made it “difficult to proceed with confidence”.
Mr Jardine added: “This cancellation is a blow to us as an organising team as much as it will be for the entire mountain bike community.
“Especially the UK stars who won’t be able to perform in front of their home crowd. Reece Wilson from the Scottish Borders should have been celebrating his world champion title on his home track.
“Instead the Fort William World Cup team will focus on the future and return bigger, better and more passionate than ever.”
The Dunedin Hog Chapter, the group which organises Thunder in the Glens, announced the cancellation of their event on their website.
A statement from the group said: “It is clear that circumstances surrounding our movement out of lockdown restrictions are still very unclear and unpredictable.
“The current situation does not provide a clear and definite forward plan out of lockdown and a situation where Thunder in the Glens would be able to take place in its normal format.
“We have therefore taken the painful decision to cancel this year’s rally.”
Mountain Bike World Cup
The downhill event is the only one of its kind in the UK and normally takes place at Nevis Range, where some of the best downhill riders in the world plough down the side of Aonach Mor.
Riders descend into the finish area in the mountain resort where, in normal times, they are welcomed by thousands of spectators.
Last year’s event was also cancelled due to the pandemic. Organisers took the decision to call it off shortly after the United Kingdom went into lockdown in March.
It was the first time the event had not gone ahead since it was first staged in Fort William in 2002.
In order to fill the void, organisers streamed a live Facebook “Fort William World Cup Gathering” event.
The stream included memories of past races at the venue as well as a preview of future events, including the downhill world championships which will be held in Scotland in 2023.
The last time the race took place, in 2019, atrocious weather at Nevis Range did little to deter tens of thousands of spectators, who crowded into the venue throughout the event.
Thunder in the Glens
There might have been glorious sunshine across the north the last time this event was held in 2019, but there was thunder forecast if you knew where to look.
The 23rd edition attracted around 4,000 bikers.
Organisers praised the “carnival atmosphere” thanks to locals and visitors mixing seamlessly to make the festival a roaring success.
A particular highlight was the hotly anticipated ride-out, which saw thousands of bikes and trikes assemble at noon to ride along the spectacular roads of Badenoch and Strathspey.
Spectators lined the streets to cheer on the procession, and afterwards the party began until the wee small hours with live music, stalls and food trucks keeping crowds entertained.