You’ll kick off your holiday by staying in the heart of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, either in the quiet town of Aberfoyle or the quaint village of Gartmore, a few miles away, where you’ll be based for the first two nights of your self-guided trip. If you‘re traveling by train, you’ll arrive at Stirling station, where a friendly representative will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. For those driving, simply make your way to the hotel, and one of our representatives will meet you tomorrow morning. Your accommodation serves delicious evening meals and offers a good choice of drinks, so you can dine in your accommodation the first evening and rest up before cycling begins.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 790 Metres Approx

After breakfast, it’s less than a mile’s ride before tarmac gives way to the gravel, as you enter Loch Ard Forest Park and its network of varied unpaved paths. There are a few climbs this morning, but you are rewarded with glimpses of the imposing Ben Lomond and spectacular views over the vast forest and distant mountains, not to mention the exhilarating free-flowing descents!

The route combines a mixture of wide forest roads with some short sections of narrower singletrack, and you’ll likely encounter more deer than cars along the way – so keep an eye out for wildlife as you wind your way along the Old Statute Labour Road. This wide gravel path, once used to service the 18th-century Inversnaid Garrison, now offers a scenic, undulating ride above the tranquil Loch Chon.

After a brief stretch on a single-track road, you’ll reach Stronachlachar, a picturesque village on the shores of Loch Katrine, the 8-mile freshwater lake which was the inspiration for the famous Sir Walter Scott poem, The Lady of the Lake. This small hamlet is your halfway point where you can enjoy a well-deserved lunch at the Pier Cafe and watch the steamships cross the loch and admire the views. Your return route to your hotel is easier going, with a few climbs on a quieter road, with stunning views of the serene Loch Ard, before a final foray into the forest and back to your accommodation via Aberfoyle. You can then relax and dine in your hotel or stroll the short distance to the local pub for some excellent beer and home-cooked food.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 725 Metres Approx

Your second day in the saddle has a bit of everything in terms of terrain and views! You head back into Loch Ard Forest Park on a smaller gravel loop than yesterday, on varying gravel tracks past an impressive aqueduct and along the shore of Loch Ard (this loop can be cut out in bad weather if you prefer).

After your morning loop ride, you return to Aberfoyle, which is exactly halfway on your route today, and with its selection of cafes and shops, it makes a great spot for lunch before you head up into the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park. After a long off-road climb through the forest on National Cycle Route 7, you freewheel down the wide, sweeping gravel ‘Forest Drive’ to the shores of Loch Drunkie and Loch Venachar. Navigating a variety of fun forest trails, muddy singletrack, and undulating gravel paths along the south shore of Loch Venachar, you’ll eventually arrive in the bustling town of Callander where you can unwind and explore the town’s shops, pubs and cafés before settling in for the night.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 685 Metres Approx

After breakfast this morning, you’ll follow a scenic old railway line as it gently climbs out of Callander, before a tough gravel climb (with fantastic views across the Trossachs) takes you above the Pass of Leny.

After 5 miles / 8km you will be rewarded with a superb descent down to Loch Lubnaig to rejoin a mixed-surface, shared-use path through Strathyre Forest and on to Lochearnhead. You also pass close to the grave of folk hero and latter-day Robin Hood, Rob Roy Macgregor, whose grave may be found in Balquhidder.

After lunch, you will continue your journey through the verdant Glen Ogle, with its impressive viaduct before the final stretch from the top of the pass is on forest tracks down to Killin, where you will stop for the night. As it’s a shorter day today, you should have time to stop and admire the impressive Falls of Dochart on the outskirts of the village, or wander around the cafes and shops in this small town before eating out this evening.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 945 or 1180 Metres Approx

You’ll likely want to treat yourself to a traditional Scottish breakfast this morning to help you through the longest and hilliest day today! The start of the ride follows the 15 mile / 26km long scenic, undulating road parallel to Loch Tay, then you’ll have a choice of routes to get to Dunkeld.

The tougher (and more gravelly) route takes you up a sharp on-road climb out of Kenmore at the eastern end of the loch, before some stunning off-road tracks above the Tay Valley (with beautiful views over towards Loch Tay and Ben Lawers) lead you along then down to Aberfeldy; known for its scenic beauty and historical landmarks, it’s a great spot for lunch. (The easier route takes the flatter road along the River Tay to Aberfeldy).

This afternoon, the routes rejoin and you climb over 350m on gravel forest tracks through the Tay Forest Park, but the views and the remote gravel riding are absolutely worth it – it’s a great place to spot some wildlife too, with deer, squirrels, buzzards and kestrels a common sight. After skirting around Grandtully Hill, the views will open up around Griffin Wind Farm before you re-enter the forest and start your descent down through the Hermitage – a tranquil section of forest with cascading waterfalls and beautiful fir trees.

You eventually reach the town of Dunkeld on the banks of the River Tay, which will be your base for your final few evenings. There is also an alternative on-road route with less climbing, along the Tay Valley, if your legs aren’t feeling up to it or the weather is not so good today.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 760 or 975 Metres Approx

Your final day takes you on a scenic gravel loop of the Tay Forest Park and both sides of the River Tay. Again, there are a couple of options to choose from, depending on how much of a challenge you’d like today, and what the weather is like. For either route, we’d suggest you pick up some food in Dunkeld for a picnic lunch before setting off today, as the route is quite remote with few shops or cafes.

Your morning ride takes you up into the Craigvinean Forest and on to a variety of forest tracks and single-track bridleways on the west side of the Tay, before crossing the river at Logierait and the old railway bridge. You have a few gentle miles along quiet roads on the east side of the river, a short 1km (1/2 mile) section on a rougher track before the route splits. The harder route takes you up to the beautiful Loch Ordie and down to Butterstone on wide tracks and a few short single-track sections, but this can be bypassed by going along the shorter route past Dowally and Rotmell Lochs. The shorter route is a good option if you’d prefer a more relaxed final day in the saddle, or if it’s particularly wet, as there are some unsurfaced sections which can be very muddy after rainy spells.

The best gravel of the day is yet to come, as you wind your way through Drumbuie Woods and you enjoy a fun, free-flowing gravel descent back down to the banks of the river, passing King’s Seat viewpoint, with spectacular views of the Tay Valley. Once back in Dunkeld, there are plenty of nice bars and restaurants to choose from, to celebrate having completed your gravel adventure!

• Meals: Breakfast

After a good night’s rest and a final full Scottish breakfast of the trip, we will transfer you back to your car in Aberfoyle or Gartmore, or if travelling by train, you can leave directly from Dunkeld, with its train station being only a 10-minute walk or a short taxi ride away.