Overview

Welcome to bonny Scotland and the Tay Valley. Your Trek Travel host will meet you at Dunkeld House Hotel at 11:00 AM. They'll 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 navigating and riding in the region. Once you're 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 home for the week. Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring Pitlochry at your own pace, with dinner suggestions at your fingertips in the Ride with GPS app.

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 banks of Loch Tay. For more miles, you can detour to the pretty village of Kenmore, before continuing along the River Tay eastwards on country lanes to Aberfeldy, where General Wade's 1733 bridge and the Black Watch Memorial mark the town's edge. The area around Aberfeldy is a great stop for lunch, perhaps a fresh, farm-to-fork meal featuring seasonal Scottish produce at the Grandtully Hotel. If you'd prefer a shorter day, you can ride out and back to Aberfeldy along the valley floor. From Aberfeldy, it's about 15 miles back to the hotel through the valley, with time to relax, or perhaps hire a kayak on Loch Faskally, before dinner in town or at the hotel.

Overview

Fuel up with a hearty Scottish breakfast for a day of rolling 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, and sits just within the bounds of the Cairngorms National Park. From here, you'll begin a gradual climb into increasingly remote, heather-clad moorland before descending into the Tummel Valley to the banks of Dunalastair Water. You can choose a shorter route straight along the banks of Loch Tummel back toward Pitlochry, or continue on to the banks of Loch Rannoch and the pretty lochside village of Kinloch Rannoch, a great spot for lunch. For more miles, you can add a full loop of Loch Rannoch before rejoining Loch Tummel back to Pitlochry. Follow a quiet lane along Loch Tummel with spectacular views on the way back. Arrive back in town in time to unwind at the hotel before dinner, or perhaps visit the local distillery for a dram of whisky.

Overview

Today's route pushes deep into Cairngorms National Park, climbing steadily through forest before the road opens onto sweeping views of the Grampian Mountains, growing more impressive with every mile. Take it all in before a long descent back into the Atholl Estate, to the doors of Blair Castle. This is a great stop to learn about its history and wander the gardens and woodland groves, with a café on-site for lunch or a bite. There are plenty of lunch options within the park, with pubs and beer gardens also sitting along the route as you make your way back to Pitlochry. Once back in town, you might explore Pitlochry's shops to pick up some last souvenirs, or simply relax at the hotel, with tonight's final dinner your choice to celebrate your last night in town.

Overview

After breakfast, set out on an early morning ride through the ancient village of Moulin and up onto the wild moorland above it, with the Ben Vrackie viewpoint along the way for a last look at the spectacular scenery before you return. Your host will meet you at the hotel at 11:00 AM to collect your equipment before you continue on with your travels.