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Scotland Loop
  • Liz Sedley
  • Liz Sedley

Scotland Loop

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  • Trip start
    July 16, 2026
    Liz SedleyScotland LoopLiz Sedley

    Glasgow

    July 15 in Scotland ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Day 0

    Long day today driving up from London.

    The staff here in Glasgow are very friendly- but I have to concentrate really hard to understand what they say - their accents are so strong 😀

  • Liz SedleyScotland LoopLiz Sedley

    Day 1

    July 16 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Glasgow to Callander
    Miles: 50
    Total Miles: 50
    Ascent: 2,900 ft

    We followed national cycle network 7 all day today and I have to say up until Aberfoyle at 38 miles it was one of my best days cycling ever. We were on very pretty cycle paths almost all the way.

    It started off fairly cold - which we were very pleased about. In England right now it’s so hot you can hardly move - but here in Bonnie Scotland I needed my winter gloves, sweatshirt and coat.

    We saw a full IBC (those huge plastic containers farmers use to collect rainwater) and it was completely full. It took Sue ages to realise it was full from rain water - because her IBCs on the farm only have an inch of water in them 😀

    Leaving Glasgow was easy - they have cycle paths everywhere. We rode along the Clyde and then the canal.

    Our first stop was called Loch Ness but it turned out to be a river feeding into the loch, rather than the famous loch. Though that did not stop me singing ‘The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond’ for a few miles 😀

    The scenery is gorgeous. It looks like the sound of music with fields and flowers and mountains in the background.

    Aberfoyle was a very cute town. Complete with a daily duck and dog show where the dog rounds the ducks up like they’re sheep.

    After Aberfoyle it got really tough as we had to cycle 7 miles on a forest road which we found really tough.

    Then for the last 7 miles we were cycling around another loch and we were happy again.

    Callander is also a very cute town. We are staying in a lovely Tudor building.    Read more

  • Liz SedleyScotland LoopLiz Sedley

    Day 2

    July 17 in Scotland ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Callendar to Pitlochry
    Miles: 60
    Total Miles: 110
    Ascent: 3,600
    Punctures: 1

    60 miles is my longest cycle ever! Very proud of myself (and relieved I made it).

    The route was stunning again. Really enjoying cycling the 7.

    There weren’t quite enough places to stop though. We got a great cake at Killin served by a lovely guy in a kilt.

    We cycled all along Loch Tay.

    Then past Dull and Castle Menzies.

    Then with 8 miles to go I got a puncture! Sue pumped it up but it went flat again straight away.

    We use Gatorskin tyres which never get punctured - but they are very hard to change.

    I had to cycle the last 8 miles on a flat. But I thought, it’s ok. Pitlochry is a big tourist town it’ll have bike shops.

    When we got there it turned out both bike shops were closed for their summer holidays. We couldn’t believe it. It’s peak season and the town is heaving with tourists.

    We didn’t know what to do. Luckily there is a train station in Pitlochry so we could take the train to Kinguisse or Inverness if we could find a bike shop there. Or we could try a bike rental place here but the staff might not be able to change our tyres either.

    I posted on the Lands End to John O’Groats Facebook group about our predicament. Did anyone know anyone who could help. And went to sleep a bit stressed.    Read more

  • Liz SedleyScotland LoopLiz Sedley

    Day 3

    July 18 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Pitlochry to Kingussie
    Miles: 45
    Total miles: 155
    Ascent: 2.000 ft

    I often wake up very disoriented sleeping in hotels. This morning I woke up from a stressful dream worried that I hadn’t packed my magic spell to protect my bike 😄

    Then I checked my Facebook post and - just like magic - someone said they were also staying in Pitlochry that night and if I came to their hotel they’d change my inner tube for me! 💕💕💕

    They were so lovely. Once again I’d found a guardian angel in Pitlochry (I’d also needed one when I cycled LeJog 4 years ago 😄)

    Today is the famous pass over the Cairngorms. 15 miles uphill. It’s not very steep at all, and it’s a lovely cycle path, so it should have been easy enough but we were tired from yesterday and we had a strong headwind the whole way so we did struggle quite a bit.

    Sue also managed to get bitten on her bum by a nasty horsefly when going for a wild wee 😁

    We met lots of cyclists today cycling LeJog, including a fellow New Zealander.

    We found a lovely cafe for a very late lunch at Delwhinnie. And made it to Kingussie just after 5.

    Kingussie isn’t a cute tourist town and our dinner options are limited…..    Read more

  • Liz SedleyScotland LoopLiz Sedley

    Day 4

    July 19 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Kingussie to Inverness
    Miles: 55
    Total Miles: 210
    Ascent: 2,400ft

    The first 15 miles to Aviemore were perfect. Very scenic. Slightly undulating so we didn’t have to work very hard.

    We loved Aviemore. Finally managed to find an open bike shop. Got some more inner tubes and treated myself to new bike shorts.

    Went to a great cafe for 2nd breakfast.

    Out of Aviemore was 4 miles of sandy forest track which we didn’t like so much.

    Then was a long slow climb over Slochd pass. 2 passes in 2 days. Feel very proud of ourselves.

    Then it was mostly downhill.

    8 miles out of Inverness we visited the Clava Cairns which is a prehistoric burial site. It was very cool.    Read more

  • Liz SedleyScotland LoopLiz Sedley

    Day 5

    July 20 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Inverness to Brodie
    Miles: 31
    Total Miles: 241
    Ascent: 1,700ft

    A short day today so we could visit Brodie Castle, which was excellent.

    Sue’s beer was made from porridge oats 😁. She said it tasted nice. Not sure I’ve found a drink she doesn’t like 😄Read more

  • Liz SedleyScotland LoopLiz Sedley

    Day 6

    July 21 in Scotland ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    Brodie to Banff
    Miles: 60
    Total Miles: 301
    Ascent: 2,000 ft

    Another very long day but the wind was good, it was mostly flat and we had a great day.

    We found a Halfords at Elgin which partially fixed my noisy bike.

    The ruins of the cathedral at Elgin were great.

    Picked up a picnic lunch for tomorrow in Buckie. Bought a macaroni pie, which is a pie filled with macaroni cheese. 😀

    They really like their porridge here. Staying in a nice Hotel in Banff. Ordered a roast dinner which came with stuffing made from Oats.    Read more

  • Liz SedleyScotland LoopLiz Sedley

    Day 7

    July 22 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Banff to Aberdeen.
    Miles: 53
    Total Miles: 354
    Ascent: 3,000

    It was quite cold today! And our first day of rain. Not much rain, but enough drizzle we had to put our phones in our handle bar bags.

    A really tough day today. I hadn’t got the route perfect, which annoyed me, and my bike was making a dreadful noise.

    We went through only one town, and besides that it was 50 miles of hard slog.

    All week we’ve seen fields of potatoes and fields of Christmas trees. Both have fascinated Sue.

    And, after signs all week, today we saw a red squirrel.

    There was a lovely cycle path into the outskirts of Aberdeen but once we got into the city the map kept taking us on the main road and it was very unpleasant.

    Eventually we got to Aberdeen centre and the lovely boys at Becycle changed my brake pads for me. That’s our 3rd bike shop this week 😀

    Aberdeen university looks like something out of Harry Potter. Very cool.    Read more

  • Liz SedleyScotland LoopLiz Sedley

    Rest day

    July 23 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    A rest day in Aberdeen - the granite city.

    It has lots of lovely buildings but it seems quite down and out and it isn’t my favourite UK city.

    However we found an amazing Hungarian restaurant for dinner. Down an alleyway inhabited by druggies….Read more

  • Liz SedleyScotland LoopLiz Sedley

    Day 8

    July 24 in Scotland ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    Aberdeen to Montrose

    Miles: 53
    Total Miles: 407
    Ascent: 2,800ft
    Road closures: 1

    The day started off very well. It was lovely cycling around the coast and through farmland. We were both happy and relaxed and saying what a wonderful time we were having.

    Then just before Stonehaven there was a road closure. The detour was going to add miles to the day so we decided to take a farm track and hope it didn’t deteriorate too much.

    Luckily our detour worked and we only had to walk about half a mile.

    Stonehaven is a lovely seaside town. The nicest one we’ve been to on this trip. I guess the East coast is warmer than the North coast.

    But after Stonehaven we hit the most ferocious headwind I’ve ever cycled in. And the headwind stayed with us the rest of the day - all 25 miles of it. It was so strong we had to pedal on the downhills. Very very tough.    Read more

  • Liz SedleyScotland LoopLiz Sedley

    Day 9

    July 25 in Scotland ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    Last day. Montrose to Abroath
    Miles: 21
    Total Miles: 428

    Once again the head wind was brutal, so when we got to Abroath I decided we needed to catch a train to Perth - much to Sue’s disappointment.

    It would have been a pretty seaside day but I just couldn’t do it.

    Abroath was great. The first proper seaside town we’ve seen. With all the things you’d expect at a British seaside town - including an ice cream kiosk.

    In summary

    Cycle touring is s great way to see a country. Saw lots of beautiful scenery. Really feel we understand Scotland a lot more.

    Scotland is beautiful- but there weren’t enough castles for me. Wales and France were a better balance of cycling and castles.

    Cycling is also hard, and it times ouchy. I have no idea why we do it 😀

    Things we should have packed:
    Spare brake pads
    A teaspoon

    Things we shouldn’t have packed:
    Sun hats
    Sunscreen

    Problems with booking a year ahead:
    Viaduct collapsed adding 5 miles to our route
    Hotel shut its restaurant leaving us in the middle of nowhere with no food.     Read more

    Trip end
    July 25, 2026