The Grand Tour

Inverness to Grantown-on-Spey

We meet this morning in Inverness and transfer to the nearby Culloden Battlefield. Here there is ample space for us to welcome everyone with a trip briefing and bike fitting before we set off, and there may be time for a quick look around the battlefield. Our route quickly takes us out of the Highland capital and into the surrounding countryside. From here we head east, past Cawdor, where we stop for lunch and then into the Whisky Country of Speyside. An ancient military road dating from the 1700s leads to our first overnight stop at Grantown-on-Spey.

Meals Included: Lunch and Dinner
Ride Details: 59 km / 37 miles | 632 m / 2,073 ft

The Cairngorms National Park

Today, we ride through the UK’s largest and highest National Park. There are a few hills to contend with today, but the exciting descents and superb views more than reward the effort required on the climbs. Our first stop is in the village of Tomintoul – the highest in the Highlands. It’s also home to one of Scotland’s best whisky shops, which is well worth a visit. From Tomintoul, it is a stiff climb over the Lecht pass, but the views over Royal Deeside are superb on a clear day. From the summit, there is a long descent, one final climb, and then a 10km/6 mile run downhill, which delivers us to the lovely village of Ballater.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Ride Details: 63 km / 39 miles | 1,050 m / 3,445 ft

Royal Deeside to Edzell

Our journey continues east along the River Dee and then through the picturesque Forest of Birse on rolling and very scenic roads. This gentle warm-up sets us up for the climb over the Cairn O’Mount, which is challenging, but the van will be nearby should you need it. Look out for the stone cairn, which is said to be more than 4,000 years old, and enjoy the commanding views from the summit and our first glimpse of the North Sea and Scotland’s east coast. It’s all downhill from here – a superb 10 miles of fast riding all the way to our overnight halt at Edzell, where the whisky bar has previously held the Guinness World Record with over 1,000 different whiskies.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Ride Details: 63 km / 39 miles | 840 m / 2,756 ft

Edzell to Dundee

This morning, we leave the Cairngorm Mountains behind and head south from Edzell. We take a coastal route today, passing through Montrose with its landlocked lagoon, a haven for wildfowl and wading birds and to Arbroath, famed for its smokie – a hot smoked haddock unique to the local area. From there, we ride into the City of Dundee, where there is the option to visit the world-famous V&A museum situated in an iconic building right on the waterfront. This is Scotland’s first design museum, revealing the many hidden stories of Scottish design which have had a global impact. This evening, we stay in the heart of Dundee.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Ride Details: 72 km / 45 miles | 611 m / 2,005 ft

St Andrews and Fife

We’ll make an early start from Dundee, crossing the Tay Estuary and reaching the historic University town of St Andrews with plenty of time to explore the old town on foot. Leaving the coast behind, we pick up part of the National Cycle Network route, passing through a number of villages and the historic Falkland Palace. This afternoon, we climb through the moorlands of the Lomond Hills Regional Park before finishing our ride at a local farm shop. From here, we transfer to our hotel for the next two nights.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Ride Details: 82 km / 51 miles | 770 m / 2,526 ft

Round the Forth

We take a short transfer this morning to our start point close to the historic town of Dunfermline. We wind through Fife before crossing over the River Forth, which widens and becomes the Firth of Forth. Riding on, we see the Kelpies, a magnificent monument to horse-powered heritage across Scotland and then the Falkirk Wheel, a rotating boat lift connecting the Forth and the Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. We continue our ride along the banks of the estuary, passing the 15th-century fortress of Blackness Castle before arriving back at our hotel.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Ride Details: 61 km / 38 miles | 335 m / 1,099 ft

Edinburgh, Scotland's Capital

On the final day of our Grand Tour, we can choose to have a free morning in South Queensferry or take a ride out and back across the Forth Road Bridge. This impressive suspension bridge is now closed to general traffic, so cyclists and pedestrians have it to themselves to admire the spectacular views of the Firth of Forth and its other two bridges, representing the pinnacle of engineering from three centuries.

Depart from Edinburgh Gateway station and choose whether to head home or into the city centre to explore more of Scotland’s capital.

Meals Included: Breakfast
Ride Details: 6 km / 4 miles | 50 m / 164 ft