“Think thin thoughts,” a man wearing only a t-shirt and boxers announces with a smile, as he squeezes past me and my friend, Laura, so close we get a minty waft of his freshly brushed teeth. It’s almost midnight, and I am standing in the corridor of the Caledonian Sleeper train, whizzing through English countryside, en route to Pitlochry for a cycling holiday in the Scottish Highlands.
It is the start of a girly cycling weekend in the Scottish Highlands, a sort of mini-hen (or is that a chicken?), as Laura is getting married in a few weeks. Chicken may be more appropriate in my case, as Laura is about twenty years my junior, at least twenty pounds lighter, and a regular cyclist. Tucked up in my cosy bunk bed, dozing off to the gentle rocking of the train, my lycra leggings laid out in anticipation, I am indeed trying to think thin thoughts, as well as fit ones, young ones and finally, sleep ones.
Train from London to Pitlochry
Before I know it, it’s our 6.30am half-hour call, before disembarking in misty Pitlochry. The bike provider isn’t open until a more respectable hour, although if you travel by day, you can get going straight away. Our weekend has been organised by Velodays, a company run by passionate cyclist, Neil Innes, who is keen to get tourists seeing Scotland from a saddle. He has spent years cycling around various parts of the world, but recognises that there are plenty of tourists wanting to cycle but who don’t want to do 100kms a day, stay in hostels, and survive on energy bars. A bit of serious independent cycling, carefully-planned routes, good hotels, fine food, and a white bath robe at the end of the day, is what we’re talking about here.
Which leads us to breakfast. We knock on the door of a local hotel, aptly called Scotland’s Hotel, which is more than happy to host us. Thin thoughts are well and truly on hold, as we tuck into smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, and knock back coffee, slowly perusing our itinerary for the next three days. Pitlochry is bang in the heart of Scotland, otherwise known as the Central Highlands. This sounds poetic to most tourists, but with about 100km to cover by bike this weekend, the emphasis on ‘High’ is becoming more and more daunting.
Cycling in Perthshire
Blue skies have pushed their way through the mist, so we pick up our bikes, stuff luggage into provided panniers, and put the maps away. No more Ordnance Survey for us, as Neil has pre-programmed a GPS device, which attaches to the handlebars. Luckily there is no annoying voice to direct us, just a subtle little beep. Within about two minutes, we have left picturesque Pitlochry, taking a magnificent Victorian iron footbridge, over the wide expanse of the River Tummel, and up a gradual incline (to use a technical term) into the rest of Perthshire. Our GPS leads us along a ridge overlooking the River Tay, the main natural artery of the region. It’s a bit like following the yellow brick road, watching the GPS’s arrow, not quite knowing what lies ahead. Neil provides a folder with descriptions and maps, but I quite like the mystery tour feel to it all.
To my relief, today’s route could more aptly be named Highland ‘Light’. Gently undulating hills, Hawthorn hedgerows in full bloom, glistening lochs, and icy rivers, with the ‘mother’ peaks just far enough in the distance, some still snow-capped. The only hints of white down here are from the endless flocks of lambs, providing free entertainment to distract me from any exertion. As Laura cycled merrily up the hills, I had the perfect excuse to stop and dote over newborns.
This yellow brick road is a predominantly affluent one, starting off with manicured hedges and fields, vast stone houses with luscious gardens sweeping down to rocky riverbanks, and no shortage of 4X4’s. However, as we climb higher, the palette of yellow daffodil-filled lawns and apple orchards turns to more subtle creams of wild primrose which cling to the bulging roots of ancient oaks. The roads narrow and cars disappear. Even the sheep look a bit wilder, their baa’s turning to a cacophony of boo’s as we, and our beeping machine, invade their space.
We don’t waste any time choosing watering holes on this trip, with the GPS guiding us to pubs and cafes. For lunch, we head to Aberfeldy’s restored Watermill café, art gallery and bookshop, ideal for both browsing and devouring. It is only about a kilometre off our route, which is a feature of Neil’s itineraries; everything is within easy reach of the cycle trail, something we could never have worked out, had we been trying to do it on our own.
Cycle friendly hotels in Scotland
The choice of accommodation for this cycling holiday in the Scottish Highlands is also infallible, as we find out later that day, arriving into the tiny village of Fortingall, 37kms from our starting point. If Fortingall looks as if it was designed by the taste police, that’s because it was. It was the inspiration of Arts and Crafts architect James M. MacLaren in 1880, and the Fortingall hotel is centre to his achievements. It is a four-star family-run hotel which is not too posh to shun sweaty cyclists. Small comfy lounges, roaring fires, and yes, the huge bath and fluffy white robe I had been dreaming of for about the last 10k. I bask in bubbles, sipping a dram of complimentary whisky, and collapse on my bed for an hour before dinner. Now I realise why the sheep were booing. They must have smelled the fine Perthshire lamb on the menu. How fickle we are, as we tuck in with gluttonous grins.
Day two is the toughest, so we drag ourselves away from the luxury of Fortingall at 9am, and head for Strathyre, 54kms away. Neil has directed us along the southside of Lough Tay, Perthshire’s largest at 23 kms long. This road hangs a few kilometres above the water’s edge, and is almost devoid of four-wheeled traffic. Our pace increases as we gain confidence, warm up the muscles, and enjoy the rewards of flying downhill, a Highland chill in the air, despite the extraordinary sunshine. The smell of pine forest, dewy ferns and moss-covered rocks, fed by endless waterfalls, keep us going to our halfway point of the day, at Killin. Here, all streams and cyclists meet at the Falls of Dochart, where we demolish superb salmon sandwiches, shandy and chips at their eponymous Inn.
Cycling in Lomond and Trossachs National Park
This marks our official move into the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park The main road out of Killin is humming with motorbikes, and no sign of speed cameras, so we are relieved to be going completely off-road here, onto the cycling track which cuts through Acharn Forest, which leads into the greater expanse of Glen Ogle. There is a disused railway line cutting through the Glen, now converted to cycle track, which climbs for several kilometres (technical term – ‘steep incline’) and is the only point where I let the hill beat me, and walk gently, but happily, in submission to nature. The dramatic views coming through Glen Ogle towards Lough Earn are just what we came to Scotland for, and on a sunny day in April, we are still the only ones here to enjoy them.
All downhill to our final port of call at Strathyre. Creagan House is categorised as a restaurant with accommodation, where the emphasis is more fine cuisine than contemporary design. Cherry and Gordon Gunn have been serving dinner in a mock baronial hall, added onto their 17th century farmhouse, for over twenty years. The Gunns’ hospitality is faultless, and dinner is superb, although Gordon’s signature starter dish of ‘Smokie Pokie’, fresh salmon and haddock, wrapped in smoked salmon, is enough to feed a team of cyclists. The same team would only put a small dent in their whisky and wine stock too, with the biggest menu of malts I have ever seen.
Laura and I get a bit giggly about the twee(dy) décor here, until we go walking in their gardens the next morning. They back onto the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, which is over 40 000 acres of Forestry Commission protected landscape. Within metres of the house, about five waterfalls tumble down through pine forest, where red squirrels nonchalantly jump from rock to rock, and branch to branch. We learn our lesson quickly – you don’t have to have cool contemporary design everywhere you go, when you have nature’s best served on a silver platter.
After Gordon’s superb breakfast of kippers, fruit compote and oatcakes, we hop back on our bikes for the last day’s cycling, just one Lough away to our last stop at Callander. We follow the off-road trail all the way along Lough Lubnaig, and its bordering forest, which offer good shade from the drizzle. I savour every waterfall, tree, flower, lamb and Highland cow, as our trip draws to a close, and am finally jolted out of my meditative state as we cycle into Callander. It felt like some alien metropolis after the peaceful utopia of its neighbouring hillside tracks.
Our GPS gives one last optimistic beep in the direction of the Roman House Country House Hotel, at the far end of the town, which is only actually a couple of streets long. Tucked off the main street, amid twenty acres of gardens, we curl up by the fire of this 17th century country house, for soup and sandwiches, as the rain really kicks in. Sadness is also kicking in now, as our bikes are collected, the GPS switched off, and the panniers emptied.
Our sleeper train home is booked from Stirling, a bus ride away, and a bit of an anti-climax after the last few days. Back on board the train, we squeeze past a few people en route to our berth. Breathing in, I look at Laura and smile, knowing that the weekend should not end just yet. “Think Gin thoughts?” I ask. We turn and head for the bar, and raise a glass to the best Highland fling we could have hoped for.
How to get to the Scottish Highlands by train
Catherine traveled from London to Pitlochry in Perthshire on the Caledonian Sleeper train. Bargain berths available from £19 single.
Where to stay on a cycling holiday in the Scottish Highlands
Catherine’s accommodation, bikes, and itinerary were booked through Scottish cycling holiday company Velodays. There is a choice of flexible itineraries and accommodation to choose from, including Edinburgh to Inverness, The Grampian Highlands, The Moray Firth and The Scottish Borders weekend. Perfect for including as part of a longer trip to Scotland’s cities or islands. Cost from £244.00 per person sharing, including two nights’ b&b, itinerary, bike and beep hire. If not taking the sleeper train, a long weekend of four nights b&b, costs £417 per person based on two people sharing a room. Catherine stayed at the Fortingall Hotel in Fortingall, and Creagan House in Strathyre. For four night version of this trip, Velodays accommodates cyclists at Craigatin House in Pitlochry and Roman Camp Hotel (www.roman-camp-hotel.co.uk in Callander.
Where to eat in the Scottish Highlands
The Watermill, Mill Street, Aberfeldy, PH15 2BG, www.aberfeldywatermill.com, 00-44-1887-822896. You can browse through fantastic collection of books, collapse on comfy sofas, and tuck into home-made soup, baguettes and delicious cakes.
Falls of Dochart Inn, Gray Street , Killin, FK21 8SL www.falls-of-dochart-inn.co.uk, 00-44-1567-820270. One of the best views over the wide expanse of waterfalls, while eating fine local food, such as open salmon sandwiches, brie and dry roast tomato baguettes, and great chips too.
For more information on exploring Scotland see www.visitscotland.com/perfectday
This article was first published in The Irish Times. For this cycling holiday in the Scottish Highlands, Catherine was a guest of Velodays and Visit Scotland. You may also want to read my blog on kayaking along the Caledonian Canal.