Bummelling in the Glens

what to do in Scotland on a bike

We live in North East Fife and that means that whatever route we take out of our village (and their are 6 to choose from) leads to a cycling paradise. Ride East and, after a short climb, you can sweep down into St Andrews, whose mediaeval spires are etched against the North Sea behind. Ride West and the volcanic Lomond Hills rise to meet you, tempting you to ride up over the saddle between them to catch the 360 degree panorama the stretches from the Borders to the Highlands. Ride North and across the stilted Tay Bridge and you are in the lush gloriousness of the Angus Glens with their deep forests and roadside pictish stones. Ride South over the farmlands of Fife and you drop into the East Neuk with its achingly picturesque fishing harbours and views over the Forth to the Lothians.

A 100 kilometre day ride can take you to Peebles in the Scottish Borders, Stirling and the Trossachs, Dunkeld and Blair Atholl or Fettercairn and the Cairn o Mount. Hang a couple of panniers over your back wheel and I swear you'll never want to come home. There's no point in recommending routes; take an OS map and set out; you pretty much can't go wrong. A few weeks ago I took a wrong turning outside Kirkcaldy and found myself on a ridge from which I could see all the way up the Forth, beyond the bridges, beyond Kincardine to the Campsie fells. It was breathtaking. I was even glad to throw a chain so that I could get off and gaze at it all.

A couple of my favourite 100k circuits. Start anywhere along the route.

1. Tay tour (100ish kilometres)

Tayport-Dundee-along the Tay to Errol and then over the ridge to Perth - Bridge of Earn - Abernethie - Newburgh and back along the Tay by Wallace's road to Tayport. From reed beds to rugged heights, you can't fail to be thrilled.

2. Lomond lap

St Andrews - Ceres - Craigrothie - Chance Inn - Star - Leslie - Scotlandwell - head towards Milnathort but cut up the brae to ride along the shoulders of the Lomonds to Strathmiglo - Falkland - Freuchie - Ladybank - Cupar - Dairsie Bridge - up the ridiculously steep hill to Strathkinness and sweep back to St Andrews. Half of this trip is going to be into the wind, the other half is going to make you sing.

We have cars, too, and they have bike racks on them. Drive for a couple of hours and you can do some richt braw daunders:

The islands: We've done Bute (cute), Arran (great 90k circuit of the island between ferries), Islay (spiritual), Orkney (ancestral) and the Hebrides from south to north tip (tempestuous).

The hills: Duke's Pass (Callander), Cairn o Mount (Fettercairn), Shiehallion (Aberfeldy), the Bealach na Ba (Applecross). What climbs! What rewards! What an excuse for a beer afterwards!

Of course, there is the weather. We were so completely soaked on the way back from Dunkeld, that it didn't matter after a while. But steaming by the fire at the Bein Inn at Glenfarg over a hot Sunday lunch made it all worthwhile. It was minus 5 degrees all day when we circumnavigated the Black Isle but, miles from home as the dusk fell, we saw a very fine fluffy white fox. The southerly wind against me coming down from Edzell to Dundee was so severe I had to use the granny gear going downhill. But let me tell you, when you get that wind on your tail and you're heading down some unpopulated wind-tunnel of a glen, you ARE Chris Hoy for the day!

So why go to France, or Spain? Only so we can have the joy of coming back to all this.