Crispin’s Guide to Stirling Cycling – Extended Tours

Scottish Highlands & Lowlands Tour - September 2001

Background:

This tour was ridden in September 2001 by myself and five others. The route takes in the central Scottish highlands and covers many scenic lochs and glens on roads with minimal traffic. It’s an absolute gem of a route. If you wish to spend a week cycling in this area you should certainly consider riding all, or at least some, of this route.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Both Perth and Glen Doll Youth Hostels have now been closed.

Day 1 – Saturday

Stirling to Perth.

Route – Stirling - Bridge of Allan – Sherrifmuir – Greenloaning (map #2)– Braco – Glen Eagle’s - Auchterarder (Multimap link)(coffee, #3) – Dunning – Perth SYHA Hostel (#4)

Distance: 37 miles, Climbing: 2640 ft, time: 3 h 23 minutes

Notes: A massive climb to start with over Sherrifmuir and Cauldhame (Multimap link), but then just gentle undulations all the way to Perth

The Tearoom , Auchterarder – has a red and white canopy and is opposite the Co-Op. Highly recommended.

Day 2 – Sunday

Perth to Glen Doll.

Route – Perth – Almondbank - Moneydie - Bankfoot (coffee) – Murthly – (Avoid the A93 by using minor roads through Meikleour) - Blairgowrie – Alyth (Multimap link)(lunch) – Kirriemuir (shopping)– Clova (Multimap link)– Glen Doll SYHA Hostel (#5)

Distance: 65.6 miles, Climbing: 4680 ft, time: 6 h 10 minutes

Notes:

Out of Alyth, follow signs for Glenisla. Then pick up minor roads parallel to the A926 to get to Kirriemuir.

Bankfoot coffee shop – next to the local shop / garden centre. Recommended.

Alyth – Nordic café. Recommended.

Get your shopping in Kirriemuir as there are no food shops after this. The youth hostel at Glen Doll is 4 miles from the hotel at Clova. The SYHA has announced that Glen Doll youth hostel is up-for-sale - stay here while you can !

Clova hotel also has a bunk house (so I’ve been told).

The road between Clova and Glen Doll

Glen Doll

Day 3 – Monday

Glen Doll to Pitlochry.

Route: Glen Doll - Clova – Kirriemuir (coffee) – Glenisla (on the B951) – Bridge of Bewlands – Blacklunans – Kirkmichael (on the B950) – Pitlochry (#6).

Distance: 59.1 miles, Climbing: 3800 ft, time: 5 h 10 minutes

For lunch, we found a hotel at Glenisla. The one on the south side of the road is CTC-recommended.

There are also some hotels/ coffee shops on the A93.

In Pitlochry, the best coffee-stop is found on the loch side by heading north out of town and then following signs for fishing boat hire.

We stayed at the SYHA hostel in Pitlochry. There is also an Independent hostel in Pitlochry which has received good reviews.

The road between Kirriemuir and Glenisla

Feeding the ducks at Pitlochry

Day 4 – Tuesday

Pitlochry – Kinloch Rannoch.

Route – Pitlochry – Tummel Bridge (via south side of Loch Tummel) – Kinloch Rannoch (#9)– Rannoch Station (Multimap link) (coffee, #8) – Kinloch Rannoch

Distance: 59.4 miles, Climbing: 3430 ft, time: 5 h 11 minutes

Notes: This can be an exposed ride. Shorter options include Pitlochry to Kinloch Rannoch (20 miles). The out-and-back ride to Rannoch Station from the Bridge of Gaur, west end of Loch Rannoch is a total of 10 miles, so by missing this out gives a mileage for the day of 50 miles.

Buy food either in Pitlochry or in the store in Kinloch Rannoch.

At Rannoch Station, the Station Café is far friendlier than the hotel.

For accommodation, there is not much choice so you may wish to book ahead. We enjoyed staying with Jim Wilson at the Gardens, Dunalastair, 4 miles from Kinloch Rannoch (Tel: 01882 632434).

Day 5 – Wednesday

Kinloch Rannoch - Killin.

Route – Kinloch Rannoch – Inverhaden (over the shoulder of Schiehallion via the Braes of Foss) (Multimap link) – Coshieville – Fortingall (coffee in the hotel) – Bridge of Balgie (coffee, #10) – Glen Lyon – Loch Lyon - Killin (via Glen Lochay and a massive climb).

Distance: 54.5 miles, Climbing: 3790 ft, time: 5 h 12 minutes

On leaving Bridge of Balgie (Multimap link) carry on, ignoring the dead-end signs. An alternative is to leave Glen Lyon via Ben Laws visitor centre, but this is no shorter and still involves a massive climb. Continue on this single track road. Eventually you will pass a small cluster of houses at Pubil. Follow the road up to the left – this takes you up and over to Kenknock in Glen Lochay. This road is not shown on Multmap but does exist, honest.

Notes: This is an exposed ride. Do not attempt western Glen Lyon unless you are confident riding long distances on a bike. An easier route to Killin from Fortingall is along Loch Tay. You can either ride along the north shore, or preferably head across to Kenmore and ride the delightful (but not flat) road along the south side of Loch Tay. There are not many places to buy food for picnics - Kinloch Rannoch and Killin are the only places we passed; the shop at Bridge of Balgie has a very limited selection.

We stayed at the SYHA hostel in Killin: comfortable and friendly. For an evening meal we went to the Bridge of Lochay hotel – excellent.

Cycling along Glen Lyon, shortly after Fortingall

Climbing out of Glen Lyon

Day 6 – Thursday

Killin - Callander.

Route - Killin – Lix Toll – Lochearnhead (Multimap link)- Balquhidder – Callander

Distance: 30.5 miles, Climbing: 1660 ft, time: 3 h 11 minutes

Most of today is off-road – following the Sustrans route to Callander. The climb out of Killin is on loose gravel. We chose to climb on the main road from Lix Toll. In summer this is a busy road: be careful. At the top of the pass, pick up the cycle route and continue to Lochearnhead – a gem of a route with superb views. Continue on this track all the way to Balquhidder, where you follow up a minor road to Strathyre and then back on the track to Callander. The final section is a bit rougher, but otherwise everyone coped on their touring bikes with no problems.

Food: lots of choices !

Glen Ogle head. The top of the pass. During the summer a burger van is in residence. Highly recommended.

Lochearnhead –Loch-side cafe & Watersports Centre, Lochearnhead (Tel: 01567 830 330). Open Easter – September, weekends in October.

After dropping down the zigs on the cycle track you pass under a railway bridge. A rough track comes in your left. Follow this track back up for 100yds to a tarmac’d lane and descend in Lochearnhead. Turn left and then right to pick up the road along the north shore of the loch. The café is on your right. Excellent bacon butties !

To regain the cycle track in Lochearnhead, turn off the A85 at the sign for the Scottish Episcopal Church. Climb up and up. Before crossing the bridge, the track is down on your left.

Balquhidder – The Old Library. Lunches and Teas.

Strathyre – tea shops

We stayed at Trossachs Backpackers (Tel: 01887 331200) just outside of Callander. Very, very comfortable and reasonably priced.

Day 7 – Friday

Callander – Loch Katrine Day Ride

Callander – Loch Katrine (Multimap link) – Stronlochard – Aberfoyle – Callander

Distance: 46.1 miles, Climbing: 3450 ft, time: 4 h 15 minutes

One of the best day rides in Scotland. The road around the north side of Loch Katrine to Stronachlachar is closed to public vehicles and offers superb views. The gently descending, twisting single-track road past Kinlochard to Aberfoyle is excellent fun, again with superb views. In Aberfoyle, you can restock with coffee and tea and cakes before climbing the Duke’s Pass (Multimap link) (600ft of climbing). Superb views of the Trossachs on the descent. There is a Sustrans off-road route over the Duke’s Pass, but it does not offer the same views. Then back to Callander.

Food: The café at Brig O’Turk keeps changing hands and is always worth a try. There is a not very nice café at Loch Katrine car park, otherwise that is it until Aberfoyle, where there is an ever changing choice of tea-shops to choose from. There is nothing at Stronlochard other than toilets and a Cola machine.

Loch Katrine

Day 8 –Satuday

Callander to Stirling

Callander – Doune – Bridge of Allan – Stirling (& home!) (Multimap link)

Distance: 24.4 miles, Climbing: 350 ft, time: 1 h 55 minutes

Out of Callander, follow the minor road along the River Teith (B8032) to Doune. Turn left over the bridge, turn right into Doune and continue through the village. After leaving the village, turn right following signs for Dunblane. Then take another right onto a minor road to Inverardoch Mains that brings you out in Bridge of Allan. On entering Stirling, stop at Corrierrie’s café for coffee.

For accommodation in Stirling, there is modern SYHA hostel and an Independent hostel, in addition to a large number of B&B’s, to choose from.

Playing on the monkey bikes at Trossach’s Backpackers

The road from Callander to Doune, looking back to Callander and Ben Ledi

The Route: