Road Cycling Grand Tour

Meet your guide at the Inverness Railway Station by 9:00 AM. From here you’ll transfer to Culloden Battlefield, which is a nearby location with enough space for a proper welcome and tour briefing. After a bike fitting and, if time permits, a quick tour of the battlefield, head out of the city into the countryside. Take the road heading east, which is flat and fast all the way to Cawdor, where you will stop for lunch in a wonderful local tearoom. After lunch, continue your ride into the Speyside Whisky Country. Turn onto an old 18th Century military road which will lead you to Grantown on Spey, where you will spend the night.

Ride today through Cairngorms National Park, which is both the largest and the highest national park in the UK. The route offers a few challenging hills to climb, but each is rewarded with a spectacular view at the top and an exciting ride back down. Stop in Tomintoul, the highest village in the Scottish Highlands, and browse through one of the best whisky shops in Scotland. From here, be prepared for a tough climb to cross the Lecht Pass, but pause at the pass for a well-deserved rest and to appreciate the beautiful views overlooking Royal Deeside. After a few more ups and down, the road brings you to Ballater village, where you will stop for the night.

Continue your journey to the east, following the River Dee, then take a scenic road across rolling hills through the lovely Forest of Birse. Eat an early lunch then begin the tough climb to cross the Cairn O’Mount pass. This climb is a real challenge but the support vehicle will be available if needed. From the top, your efforts are rewarded with breathtaking views all the way to the east coast of Scotland and the North Sea. There is also a stone cairn at the top that is believed to be over 4,000 years old. The remaining 10 miles of today’s tour are all downhill and you’ll quickly arrive at the village of Edzell, where you’ll stop for the night. Be sure to visit the local whisky bar in Edzell, which holds the Guinness World Record for offering more than 1,000 different varieties of whisky.

Leave the spectacular Cairngorm mountains behind you today as you turn south through the town of Kirriemuir then on to Glamis Castle. Stop here to tour this castle, often called Scotland’s most beautiful castle, and hear its stories and secrets. After the tour, relax with a restaurant lunch before hopping back in the saddle to cross the Sidlaw Hills. Continue riding to reach Dundee, the fourth-largest city in Scotland, where you’ll check into a lovely waterfront hotel.

Start the day by visiting Dundee’s Victoria and Albert Museum, which is considered the world’s leading museum of art and design. Then return to your bike to ride across the Tay Estuary to reach St. Andrews, a historic university town. Park your bike and spend some time exploring St. Andrews on foot. As you leave St. Andrews, there is a short climb accompanied by lovely views, then you’ll descend to the coast. Pass through a small fishing village called Crail to reach your guesthouse in Anstruther. Enjoy eating dinner tonight in a cozy local tavern from the 18th Century.

Today you’ll ride away from the coast along quiet roads to reach Ceres Village, which is home to the Fife Folk Museum. Here you’ll join up with a section of the National Cycle Network as it passes through several villages to the Falkland Palace. Stop for lunch at a delightful eco-cafe called The Pillars of Hercules. After lunch, the route climbs through Lomond Hills Regional Park heading for Aberdour. Eat dinner together at the inn on this last evening of the tour, then spend the night here in Aberdour.

On this last day of your tour, you’ll cross the Firth of Forth to enter the Edinburgh city limits. A cycling path takes you into central Edinburgh where your tour ends in the spectacular Holyrood Park. Celebrate the end of this wonderful tour with lunch and drinks in a pub near the park. If you’d like to extend your tour and continue exploring Edinburgh on your own, you can add an extra night in Edinburgh for an additional fee. If you are departing today, please plan your travel from Edinburgh’s Waverley Station for after 3:00 PM. Have a pleasant journey!