Highlights
- Watching the sun rise over Loch Lomond
- The beautiful lochs of Venachar, Lubnaig and Tay
- Cycling through the dramatic Cairngorms National Park
- Scottish wildlife at its best including deer, red squirrels, eagles and osprey
- Castles and distilleries galore
- Rural Scottish cycling at its very best
Itinerary
Balloch, on the shores of Loch Lomond, is where you will spend your first evening.
For those arriving by train (40 minutes from Glasgow) your accommodation is a short walk from the station. If you decide to arrive into Balloch by car, on-street parking is available nearby. The Skedaddle guide will meet you at the accommodation in the evening and there will be a chance for a chat about the next few days riding over a drink and something to eat.
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch
- Ascent: 810 Metres Approx.
Following a hearty Scottish breakfast, we leave our accommodation and follow a route via lochs and glens to Callander, our second night’s stop. The route takes us out into the solitude of the countryside from Loch Lomond to Loch Venacher via quiet country roads. After Aberfoyle we enter Achray Forest from where we will weave our way to Callander along the southern shore of Loch Venacher. Some climbing, with the inevitable descents, but plenty of time to enjoy the views, tranquillity and great cycling.
Show Profile- Meals: Breakfast, lunch
- Ascent: 510 Metres Approx.
The countryside is different to yesterday's riding, with a gentler landscape of farmland and woodland. A real combination of surfaces today, quiet lanes, cycle paths and a disused railway line through the beautiful Glen Ogle. You are now close to the birthplace of folk hero and latter day Robin Hood, Rob Roy Macgregor, whose grave may be found in Balquhidder. The final stretch is to Killin (or nearby) where we will stop for the night.
Show Profile- Meals: Breakfast, lunch
- Ascent: 690 Metres Approx.
The start of the day follows the 15 mile long Loch Tay to Aberfeldy the home to Dewars World of Whisky Distillery. All road today, as we pass through Aberfeldy and Strathay, before arriving at Pitlochry - watch out for those leaping salmon! An optional detour can be made from here to the Edradour Distillery (2.5 miles from Pitlochry) – you'll need no persuasion to visit Scotland's smallest distillery, established way back in 1825. The wide glens of the river Tay and river Tummel guide us to Pitlochry and our accommodation for the night.
Show Profile- Meals: Breakfast, lunch
- Ascent: 615 Metres Approx.
Today we ride through Glen Garry and over the Pass of Drummochter, the main mountain pass separating the southern and northern Highlands. Not to worry as it's a gradual, undulating climb with lovely Highland vistas. Early sights include impressive Blair Castle, ancestral home of Clan Murray in the pretty village of Blair Atholl. Soon we ride on a traffic free path adjacent to the River Garry with a waterfall or two spotted on the way. After conquering the pass on undulating cycle path, we‘re rewarded with 20 miles of gradual downhill to finish the day in the town of Kingussie, passing Dalwhinnie, the highest village (and distillery) in the Highlands, and time permitting, a visit to the Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore, Britain's first open air museum and a glimpse at how locals have lived and worked here since the 1700s.
Show Profile- Meals: Breakfast, lunch
- Ascent: 750 Metres Approx.
The first impressive sight of the day comes immediately after leaving Kingussie. Our route passes directly by the well-preserved Ruthven Barracks, built in 1719 after the Jacobite rising, sitting on an old castle mound. We will take a few minutes to explore the complex and take photos at this picturesque site. Continuing up Speyside through quieted forested roads we soon reach the ski resort town of Aviemore with terrific views of the Cairngorm Mountains. More traffic-free sections follow on a stretch of the Speyside Way, through pleasant forest and moorland track, you might see one of the local golden eagles or osprey if you're lucky! A few miles further we reach Carrbridge with its packhorse bridge, the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands. Following the Slochd summit it's mostly downhill to the capital of the Highlands, Inverness, with glimpses of the Moray Firth ahead. The final miles are steeped in history, passing the 4000 year old Clava Cairns and the Culloden Battlefield before finishing our journey on the Ness Bridge in the heart of the northernmost city in the UK. We'll have a celebratory evening with a wee dram or two before a good night's rest and departure the next day.
Show Profile- Meals: Breakfast
After our final hearty Scottish breakfast of the trip, time to say farewell to our fellow cyclists and start our return journey home. Transfers to the train station at Inverness and back to cars in Balloch will be provided.
Understanding Profiles
Use these profiles to see:
- Distance in Km (horizontal axis)
- Ascent / Descent in metres (vertical axis)
Click 'see gradient' to see:
- Distance in Km (horizontal axis)
- % Gradient (vertical axis)
Please check the scales on both graphs, and both axes as they both may differ from day to day.
White vertical lines indicate unpaved sections or slightly rougher terrain. Using both graphs, alongside the grading and terrain information provided, will give you a full picture of how flat, bumpy or steep the climbing on your particular tour is going to be. Please keep in mind this is an indicative guide and GPS units and software produce different statistical information.
Gallery
The Cycling
Terrain
The route follows traffic-free paths and quiet roads. There are forest trails with some roots and stones, and forestry roads with small sections of rough track with chunky, looser gravel. We recommend either a hybrid bike, or a mountain bike fitted with semi-slick tyres, as parts of this route are not suitable for a road bike.
If you’re wanting to spend more time exploring the sights along the way, then an e-bike is perfect to cover the miles a little quicker. Take advantage of the pedal assist on the climbs. Please note – E-bikes are normally heavier than standard hybrid bikes, so worth considering when handling the bike on rough tracks.
For more information about riding an electric bike on our holidays please click here
Lochs and Glens uses a part of the National Cycle Network, a route from the charity, Sustrans, who are working to make it easier for everyone to cycle in the UK. Skedaddle will donate to Sustrans for every mile that you and others ride on this route with us. If you fancy donating more to Sustrans, you can choose to make your own donation for the development of the National Cycle Network when you make a booking with us.
Leisure Cycling Grade
Aspects of both our grade 3 and 4 trips
Suitable for the leisure cyclist who rides frequently, and who’s comfortable with some moderately challenging climbs
Some of the terrain may vary, potentially including sections of uneven or unpaved ground
Our grading guidelines have been carefully created based on our many years of cycling experience, as well as customer feedback from our trips. Of course, if you're still struggling to figure out where you fit on the scale, do feel free to give us a quick call and we'll be more than happy to help!
For more information about our grading system click here.
Is this suitable for you?
Trips that are graded as a 3-4, will have aspects of both our grade 3 and 4 trips. These tours are suitable for those who keep themselves relatively fit and maybe enjoy an afternoon out on the bikes at the weekend. Your preference may be for flatter terrain, but you don’t mind tackling some hills, the occasional steep climb and some varying terrain (forest tracks, gravel paths etc.). It might be however that on some days the distances will be longer than a standard grade 3 trip, or some of the climbs may be quite challenging. You may also require some previous experience of tackling some uneven / unpaved ground to comfortably and safely ride certain sections of the route.
For more information about the grading of this holiday in particular, please check out the terrain section which will give you some specifics of what to expect on this tour.
Dates & Prices
Secure Your Holiday With A Deposit
Book now with a $375 deposit and nothing more to pay until 60 days before departure. Choose a date to start your booking and see all prices, including bike hire and single room supplements.
Whats Included
A) Accommodation (shared twin / double en suite rooms)
B) Meals as itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
C) Full support service including a guide qualified in First Aid and a back up vehicle carrying spares, snacks and extra equipment not needed on your bike
D) Access to the Skedaddle App for holiday information
E) GPX files available upon request
E) Scheduled train station transfers on arrival and departure days
F) Financial Protection through ABTOT
What's not Included
A) Bike and helmet rental (available if required)
B) Travel or flight costs or charges for travelling with your bike (if applicable)
C) Meals not stated in the itinerary
D) Single room (available if required)
E) Travel insurance
F) Personal clothing and equipment
G) Personal expenditure (souvenirs, bar bills, hotel facilities etc)
H) Entrance fees to cultural or historical sites and visitor centres
I) Other optional activities
Private Departures
Are you keen to only travel with your family or friends? Struggling to find the right date? Well, we can organise a private departure for this tour and tailor aspects to suit your group's specific needs. Contact our friendly team and we'll help you turn your dream into reality.
The Essentials
News, Reviews & Stories
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Meet our partners and hosts
Hear from a few of the people that help make our Skedaddle tours so special!
Reviews
Helen, CanadaExcellent!Excellent service, accommodation, hosts, excellent holiday! Alison is always super-efficient and helpful with our pre-holiday service. I am constantly recommending Saddle Skedaddle to people in UK and here in Canada.
JillWonderful scenery...Wonderful scenery, and every day had its own unique challenge. Balloch to Callendar had spectacular scenery and made the pain of the climbs worthwhile, Glen Ogle, Killin and Loch Tay had amazing views and the rain and drizzle of Drummochter just added to the atmosphere and the sense of achievement when the summit was reached. All the guides were incredibly helpful and supportive. Nothing was too much trouble.
Christine, York, UKEach day had its high points...Each day had its high points – mainly the mix in scenery and how our own Scotland can favourably compare with Europe – be it alpine-type meadows, woodlands or mountains!
SheenaEvery day was different and every day was great...It was a beautiful route I felt well looked after and the detail given each day gave me confidence in the route we were taking that day. The junctions were well marked by the team giving me confidence that I would not go off route. The guides were friendly, patient and worked extremely hard to meet the needs of every cyclist so that the group gelled together very well. Every day was different and every day was great.
Nigel, UKCertainly recommend Saddle Skedaddle...Overall an excellent holiday, well chosen route in beautiful countryside. The guides catered for all our needs without any hesitation and were knowledgable about the route and gave full daily briefings. The accommodation was good and the guides made good choices of venue for the evening meal. Breaks were just right and refreshments excellent. Would recommend this as good leisure group cycling holiday and would certainly recommend Saddle Skedaddle as a company that can be relied upon. Hope to see you in Laos next Autumn!!
Alison, SurreySaddle Skedaddle are the best!I have used other companies for Cycle holidays but Saddle Skedaddle are the best. The attention to detail, itinerary and cycle expertise can’t be beaten.
The guides were an excellent team. They had everything well organised and we felt very well looked after. Thank you so much to both of them. They helped to make this an excellent holiday.
Susan, LondonExcellentHad a great time. The 2 leaders were both wonderful, and the group was a lot of fun. Thoroughly enjoyable and did me a world of good.
Julie, UKThe whole route was spectacular and very varied...Day 4 Killin to Pitlochry cycling along Loch Tay with the inverted cloud sitting on the loch – it was absolutely stunning! Although every day had something to offer and the whole route was spectacular and very varied. Alex, the tour leader, was very conscientious, knowledgeable and paid attention to detail. He tried very hard to meet all the group?Ts needs at all times.