Overview

Welcome to bonny Scotland and the Tay Valley. Your Trek Travel guides will meet you at Dunkeld House Hotel at 11:00 AM. We'll share a relaxed lunch together, as your guides explain how the week will unfold and provide a personalized bike fit to ensure your comfort on the road, along with a few safety tips for riding in the region. Once everyone is ready, you'll head out on your first ride of the week. You'll leave town on a quiet road close to the River Tay, famed for its world-class salmon fishing and protected as a special conservation area. The route meanders along peaceful lanes, tracing the river's course, with open farmland and mountains framing the horizon. You'll arrive in historic Pitlochry, a picturesque Victorian resort town, and settle into Pine Trees Hotel, a grand old mansion on the edge of town, your base for the next three nights. Gather for social hour to raise a glass to the week ahead, before dinner at Fauna, the hotel's restaurant that celebrates local ingredients.

Overview

You'll be exploring another beautiful piece of Perthshire countryside today, with Schiehallion, one of Scotland's most distinctive peaks, a constant presence on the horizon. The route is mostly flat, save for one steady, sustained climb that rises in its shadow. Leaving Pitlochry along the shores of Loch Tummel, you'll climb up and over from loch to loch, hugging the mountainside, before a fast descent to the shores of Loch Tay. Pausing for refreshments in the pretty village of Kenmore, you'll follow the River Tay to the Grandtully Hotel. Settle in for a fresh, farm-to-fork lunch featuring seasonal Scottish produce, before continuing through the valley back to the hotel. Once back at the hotel, you'll have time to relax before heading out for an evening on your own. Your guides will point you to their favorite spots among the town's many restaurants and pubs.

Overview

Set off this morning after a hearty Scottish breakfast for your first foray into the hills, with the towering peak of Ben Vrackie looking down as you ride out of town. Just a few miles in, you'll reach Blair Atholl, an estate that is home to Europe's only remaining private army, the Atholl Highlanders. You'll skirt the edges of the Cairngorms National Park as you continue, before a gradual climb into increasingly remote, heather-clad moorland and a descent into the Tummel Valley to the banks of Dunalastair Water. An undulating road through the valley leads you along the north bank of Loch Tummel, where we'll stop for a signature Trek Travel picnic lunch in a peaceful forest park. For those wanting more riding after lunch, you can continue along lochside stretches that loop back to Pitlochry. Once back in town, we'll visit the local distillery, Blair Athol, for a dram of whisky before dinner together at a nearby restaurant.

Overview

After a leisurely breakfast, we'll set off on a scenic two hour transfer west, driving through the dramatic glen of Glencoe and the national reserve on our way to the west coast. We'll stop at a hikers' pub and trail area, where you can set out on a short walk to take in the scenery before lunch at your leisure. From here, you'll get on the bike for a loop around Loch Leven, taking in a high vantage point before dropping down to the water's edge. You'll ride on to a local pub and distillery, with time to unwind over a cold drink or a taste of their gin, distilled onsite. You can either shuttle to the Glencoe Inn from here or, for those wanting more miles, ride the rest of the way, where you'll be welcomed by a cosy highland lounge, with windows looking out across Loch Leven to the Pap of Glencoe. The rest of the afternoon is yours to enjoy the Hidden Garden Spa, or take a walk over to the loch and village visiting the nearby Glencoe Folk Museum, set within 19th-century heather-thatched cottages, its eclectic collection celebrating local heritage, before a free evening in the village for dinner.

Overview

Your day starts with a short transfer and a ferry crossing over Loch Linnhe to the village of Ardgour, where you'll begin riding through unspoiled highland landscapes and along the coast. A valley road with spectacular views, takes us to the Loch Sunart before a steady climb that at times reaches a punchy 10% grade. A rewarding descent follows, sweeping down to the Morvern Peninsula's coastline and carrying you to The Boathouse. We'll stop here for a special estate-to-table lunch, overlooking the calm waters of Loch a' Choire, with time after to relax or swim and take some memorable photos. Afterward, you can either ride or shuttle back to the ferry, before the panoramic transfer back to Glencoe Inn, taking in the scenery along the way. Tonight's social hour marks the end of the week's riding, a toast to the miles from the Tay Valley to the Highlands, before a farewell dinner together at the hotel's restaurant.

Overview

Today, explore Glencoe from a different perspective with a morning hike along a hard-packed, well-maintained forest trail to nearby Glencoe Lochan. This small lake was created in the 1890s by Lord Strathcona, who planted the surrounding slopes with Pacific Northwest conifers to remind his Canadian wife of her homeland. The result is a serene setting, framed by the peaks of Glencoe. Back at the hotel, you'll say goodbye to your guides at 11:00 AM before a private shuttle of about two hours transfers you to Dunblane train station, where a direct train to Edinburgh awaits.