A Highland camping tour, pt 1

[Geoff Crowther]

A Highland cycle camping tour

My mate Hamish and I just completed a four day cycle tour of Perthshire.

Driving up in our vans along with Chrissie, we settled into the Caravan Club site at Killin with a week to spare. Close examination of weather forecasts showed some showery weather but led us to prepare for the off next morning.

So, loaded up with camping gear, away we rode.





Following the back road along the south of Loch Tay proved an easy warm up and we were soon at the reconstructed crannog near Kenmore.





Just as we finished our soup and cake lunch at the quayside café the rain came. Undeterred, we donned waterproofs and set off towards the stiffest climb of the trip; 4.5 miles up to the shoulder of Schiehallion. It took us around an hour but, once we’d turned west on the road to Loch Rannoch, we were rewarded with a restful descent and stunning views.




Opting again for the quiet road along the south of Loch Rannoch we found a perfect spot to camp, having covered 40 miles that day.







I was up at 6 making a refreshing coffee.



And after a lazy breakfast, we broke camp and continued on the circuit of Loch Rannoch.






The café at Kinloch Rannoch closes on Mondays (today) despite it being a bank holiday! So lunch was taken courtesy of the village store and a welcome bench outside. Then away to Tummel Bridge and the only black arrow on the OS map of our route. It was short and sweet though. The quiet lane south of Loch Tummel yielded up our next campsite.





We had the only rain of the day as we erected the tents but, later, we were sunbathing, decadently shirtless.







Our route next day saw us paralleling the A9 along the cycleway as we bypassed the heady delights of Pitlochry. This had been the day I’d been looking forward to most. We paused to view the Dunfallandy Stone.



Returning to the Tay Valley, we crossed the river on the old railway bridge ...



... then spun our way along the narrow lanes, before detouring into Aberfeldy for the most delicious lunch of the trip at Habitat Café in the centre. Their cauliflower cheese soup was unbelievably tasty. This café is highly recommended.

 

[videoman]

Great pictures and write up, look forward to part 2.

 

[summerdays]

I was in that part of the country last year staying just outside Aberfeldy when it snowed very heavily. We never made it to the cafe because it was closed for two weeks. But @SatNavSaysStraightOn knows that area very well. We intend to go back again.

My children bought me a print of a bike from the shop along the road from the cafe.

Awaiting the next instalment

 

[wisdom]

Brill narrative and pics.I envy folk who can do things like that.I have way too much going on to clear off on an adventure.Looking foreward to part 2

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Thanks for sharing. How were the midges ?

 

[Geoff Crowther]

Thanks for sharing. How were the midges ?

Thanks for lookin'. The flippin' midges really weren't bad at all. We were using Skin so Soft but it wasn't much of a test. I reckon we were lucky.

 

[Easytigers]

Also looking forward to part 2!

 

[Angus444]

Thanks for lookin'. The flippin' midges really weren't bad at all. We were using Skin so Soft but it wasn't much of a test. I reckon we were lucky.

Great write-up, but I'm biased...that's my part of the world

Fortunately, we're ok for midgies here....more of a problem on the west coast.....

Looking forward to Part 2.......

 

[Geoff Crowther]

Great write-up, but I'm biased...that's my part of the world

Fortunately, we're ok for midgies here....more of a problem on the west coast.....

Looking forward to Part 2.......

Thanks ... and to all you folks waiting patiently for part 2 ... it's here:
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/highland-cycle-circuit-pt-2.157648/
and has been since about 10 minutes after I posted part 1.
Sadly ... some idiot (me) tiltled it wrong.
Sorry ... enjoy

 

[Geoff Crowther]

Great write-up, but I'm biased...that's my part of the world

Fortunately, we're ok for midgies here....more of a problem on the west coast.....

Looking forward to Part 2.......

PS Angus, that's interesting to hear cos we tend to avoid Scotland in t'summer cos of t'midges.
Where exactly are you cos I'd like a bit more detail about where the little swine spend their summers .. and where they don't for future reference please.

 

[Angus444]

PS Angus, that's interesting to hear cos we tend to avoid Scotland in t'summer cos of t'midges.
Where exactly are you cos I'd like a bit more detail about where the little swine spend their summers .. and where they don't for future reference please.

I'm in the county of Angus....on the east coast, north of Dundee.....I ride up in Highland Perthshire at least twice a month, and have never been bothered by them......if you take a look at the map, there are some great routes, roads, and campsites in Deeside, (North East Scotland), Strathspey, Cairngorms, (Aviemore is a great place for a base), Highland Perthshire, and Angus.....

Eat plenty of garlic, someone once told me.....that keeps them at bay!

 

[Geoff Crowther]

I'm in the county of Angus....on the east coast, north of Dundee.....I ride up in Highland Perthshire at least twice a month, and have never been bothered by them......if you take a look at the map, there are some great routes, roads, and campsites in Deeside, (North East Scotland), Strathspey, Cairngorms, (Aviemore is a great place for a base), Highland Perthshire, and Angus.....

Eat plenty of garlic, someone once told me.....that keeps them at bay!

Cheers Angus. I'll bear those points in mind in future.

 

[Andy_R]

PS Angus, that's interesting to hear cos we tend to avoid Scotland in t'summer cos of t'midges.
Where exactly are you cos I'd like a bit more detail about where the little swine spend their summers .. and where they don't for future reference please.

I've found this site http://midgeforecast.co.uk/ useful before.

 

[kedab]

lovely stuff.