Edinburgh Sightseeing

Riders will arrive in Edinburgh by varied means. Some will ride to the Scottish Capital whilst others will fly into the city and have their bikes delivered to the hotel.

Accommodation is at the Waldorf Astoria (The Caledonian) Hotel. This 5 star luxury hotel is a former railway hotel at the westetrn end of Princes Street Edinburghs main shopping street and primary visitor attraction.

Edinburgh Castle is the view from rooms on the eastern side of the hotel as is Princes Street Gardens. The hotels secure car park on the west side is ideal for the bikes.

The hotel boasts two French restaurants designed by the Michelin-starred Galvin brothers: fine dining at The Pompadour by Galvin and the more informal Galvin Brasserie de Luxe. Afternoon tea is a treat at Peacock Alley. The hotel also boasts the only Guerlain Spa in the UK and best French-style beauty treatments are available. The 12 metre pool, sauna, steam room and fitness centre complete the health and wellness offering.

The Waldorf Astoria will be our base for the next three days whilst we tour the Lothian and Borders area. On arrival, some of the group members might like to tour the city to explore the sites. Others might want to visit Edinburgh Harley-Davidson to buy dealer merchandise. A vehicle and driver will be available to collect group members from the airport.

Some group members might wish to visit places along the Royal Mile which has the Castle at one end and the Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament at the other. This old town street also has other interesting places to stop along the route for Castle to Palace including St Giles Cathedral, John Knox house and the Dungeon. Those wanting to venture a bit further afield might wish to visit the former Royal Yacht Britannia and of course there are an abundance of shops in the capital.

East Lothian circuit 105 miles about 4 hours riding

We begin with a relatively relaxing ride through the East Lothian countryside. We make our way out of Edinburgh and head east passing many of the towns on the southern shores of the Firth of Forth. Along the route we shall pass the historic battle site at Prestonpans (21 September 1745) and at Athlestonford you will discover the birth place of the Scottish Saltire and site of a battle between Saxon King Athelstane and Pictish King Hungus in the year 832. Later we pass some ancient castles including Dirleton which dates from 1240 before reaching the coastal town of North Berwick. A little further along the coast we pass the ruins of Tantallon Castle which was destroyed by Oliver Cromwell's troops during a siege in 1651.

We then change direction to make our way to East Fortune where you will find the National Museum of Flight and Myreton Motor Museum. Depending upon group interests we shall take a break here and view the artefacts and stop for a refreshment break.

Our journey continues through East Linton and onwards to the ruins of Hailes Castle which dates from the 1100's before reaching the Royal Burgh of Haddington, the county town of East Lothian. The town was where one of Scotland's longest serving monarchs, King William the Lion (1165 - 1214), had his palace. We break here for lunch at the Maitlandfield which overlooks the 14th c. St Marys Church.

The next stage of the route heads south into the Lammermuir Hills through Gifford and onwards to Humbie then over Soutra to Lauder where we shall take a private tour of Thirlestane Castle, one of the oldest and finest castles in Scotland and still inhabited by the Maitland family. We shall end the castle tour with a light refreshment.

The final leg of this route takes us from Lauder west to Stow before returning north back to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

Borders circuit 150 miles about 4 1/2 hours riding

We begin by heading south passing Roslyn Chapple which dates from 1446 and featured in the movie The Da Vinci Code on our way to Peebles a royal burgh in Tweeddale, within the Scottish Borders region, where we take a short refreshment break. Peebles was once a thriving market town and the local industry was predominantly weaving. Those industries have now diminished and the town is largely a commuter town for Edinburgh and a popular tourist destination.

From Peebles, we head east towards Kelso passing through many borders villages most notably Melrose. We make our main stop at Floors Castle, the home of the Duke of Roxburgh, where the group will tour the property and rest for lunch. The property is built in a Palladian style to a design by Robert Adam in the 1720's although some remodelling was carried out by William Playfair a century later and these alterations include the turrets to can see in the picture below.

After lunch, we pass through Kelso and cross the Tweed before turning west the road takes us through Newton St Boswells and Selkirk en-route to St Marys Loch where we take a coffee break.

We shall now pass two reservoirs; Megget and Talla as we cut across the hills to Tweedsmuir where we turn to the north to make our way back to Edinburgh via West Linton.

Some of the roads will be single track and it is commonplace for farmers to graze sheep in unfenced fields, therefore, you will often find sheep grazing at the side of the road and occasionally on the road so added care must be taken riding these borders roads especially with a group of bikes in convoy.

Edinburgh to Dunkeld 105 miles about 3 1/2 hours riding

We depart Edinburgh and make our way to the Forth crossings where you can see the three river forth bridges; the railway bridge constructed in 1882 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the original road bridge constructed in 1964 and at that time one of the longest spans in the world, and the new The Queensferry Crossing where construction began in 2011 yet at the time of writing it has not yet opened.

After crossing the Forth we make our way up the northern shore to the conservation village of Culross. The community was founded by St Serf in the 6th century and in the 16th and 17th c. it was a major area for coal production with shafts extracting coal beneath the river Forth and considered one of the marvels of the British Isles back in the 17th century. More recently Culross became recognised for the numerous unique historical buildings which the National Trust for Scotland has been working to preserve and restore since the 1930s. It makes a very pleasant morning coffee stop.

Continuing our journey, we shall bypass Stirling but note you will only see the Castle from a distance as we begin our climb to the highlands. We shall pass Gleneagles before reaching our lunch stop at Crieff. In medieval times the town was a major political and judicial centre, it later developed into the main cattle trading centre in Scotland between the 16th and 18th centuries and today is a bustling country town.

We continue north taking the single track road through Glen Quaich and dropping down to Loch Tay where we shall visit the Scottish Crannog Centre where you will learn what life was like in Scotland 2500 years ago.

We complete the days route passing through Aberfeldy and progressing on to the Dunkeld House Hotel a 4 star luxury country house hotel that has spa facilities, award-winning food and drink and sits on 280 acres of well-maintained and natural woodland and overlooks the wide and fast-flowing River Tay.

Kinloch Rannoch circuit 135 miles about 4 1/2 hours riding

This local circuit takes you to the west along Loch Tummel to Kinloch Rannoch. If you point at a map of Scotland Kinloch Rannoch can be found right in the very centre. The town name is rather puzzling because "Kinloch" means head but Kinloch Rannoch is at the foot of Loch Rannoch. The roads and buildings are quite modern by Scottish standards with most being built after the 1745 rebellion.

We now cut across the hills to Fortingall the site of one of the world's oldest Ewe trees (circa 3000 years old). The village is also reputed to be where Pontius Pilot was born or certainly lived for his early life. The Fortingall Hotel is a nice spot to stop for a coffee break.

From Fortingall we head west through Glen Lyon to Bridge of Bargie then south to Killin where we take another break to see the Falls of Dochart some white water on the River Dochart just before it enters Loch Tay. After a photo stop we progress to Lochearnhaed and traverse the north shore of Loch Earn stopping at the eastern end of the loch in the village of St. Fillans.

St. Fillans is a pretty, picturesque, conservation village situated within Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. With a population of about 200 residents it is a quiet place. There is a large hydro-electric power station fed from a dam at Loch Lednock high above the village. It is a pretty spot to stop and The Four Seasons Hotel has a range of restaurants including Meall Reamhar a Two AA Red Rosette Restaurant overlooking Loch Earn. We finish the days route passing through Comrie and crossing Little Glenshee to return to the Hotel in Dunkeld.

Dunkeld to Dornoch 170 miles about 4 1/2 hours riding

This route will take us through the Cairngorm National Park to Braemar where we shall break for morning coffee. The town has many claims to fame including being one of the coldest places in Scotland with an annual average temperature of 6.8 °C and the lowest ever UK temperature of -27.2 °C quite a shock to the system for those visiting from Saudi Arabia!

As we leave Braemar we pass Her Majesty the Queen's Highland home Balmoral Castle before crossing to Tomintoul. This road is one of the highest in the region and is notorious for being closed in winter. The road continues to Grantown-on-Spey a planned settlement founded by Sir James Grant in 1765. The area surrounding the town is largely ancient woodland. The town makes a good stopping point for lunch.

The next section of the journey will bring us to Culloden or more specifically Drummossie Moor, where the battle of Culloden took place in 1746. Culloden, which was the last battle fought on British soil, marked the end of the civil war between Jacobite's, (supporters of the Stuarts) and those who favoured the Hanoverian dynasty. It is just a vast plane so there is not much to see but there are some farm cottages that have been recreated in the original style called Leanach at the edge of the battlefield.

The final leg in this route takes us past Inverness and onwards across the Kessock, Cromarty and Dornoch bridges to end the day at Links House on Royal Dornoch. The 5 star hotel in beside the 1st tea of the golf course.

The Links House Hotel is small with just 13 en suite bedrooms. Some are within Georgian House and others in a modern extension built in a Victorian style.

The Aspen Spa is nearby at the former Carnegie Courthouse in Castle Street, Dornoch is well located for those in need of spa treatments.

Dornoch will be our base for the next two days.

Achiltibuie circuit 150 miles about 4 1/2 hours riding

This day trip takes us from east to west across the north of Scotland. We begin by travelling to Lairg then onwards to small fishing port and resort of Lochinver on the west coast of Scotland which offers the very best views across to Suilven.

We continue to Achiltibuie which overlooks Badentarbet Bay to the west and Loch Broom and the Summer Isles lie to the south. The coast and islands have some of the best diving, sailing and kayaking anywhere in Scotland with sheltered bays and sea caves to explore and clean sandy beaches. We stop for lunch at the Summer Isles Hotel which has an award-winning restaurant.

We return to our hotel at Dornach partly along the same road but finishing the route arriving via Bonar Bridge.View Alternative Route Guide (indicative only, actual may differ)

Dornoch to Skye 120-170 miles about 2 1/2 to 5 hours riding

Departing Dornoch bound for the Isle of Skye we first make our way south along the Cromarty Firth through Dingwall and on to the small spa village of Strathpeffer. The village grew after the discovery of sulphurous springs there in the 18th century. The pump-room in the middle of the village dates from 1819 and the hospital and a hotel followed soon after. The former railway station now contains a variety of shops and craft outlets as together with the Highland Museum of Childhood. The town makes a good spot to stop for morning coffee.

The route continues to Achnasheen where we break for lunch at Ledgown Lodge which serves good wholesome Highland food. Our journey continues to Strathcarron and from there to Dornie.

We take our next stop at the 13th c. Eilean Donan Castle. I?m sure that you will have seen this castle before because it is one of Scotland's most photographed and it has appeared in numerous movies. We shall stop to view the castle and take a refreshment break.

We complete this route crossing the Skye Bridge to the island and ending at Duisdale House Hotel. The 4 star stylish 18 bedroom boutique hotel is situated on the Sleat peninsula at the South tip of Skye was built in 1865 as a Hunting Lodge. There is no spa but there is an outdoor hot tub available exclusively to residents. The hotel has 2 AA rosette restaurant fine dining menu that delivers the best of local produce.

For those preferring a more scenic and challenging ride we can split the group at Achnasheen to progress west to Kinlochewe, Torridon, and around the coast to Applecross. We then cross the Belach na ba to regroup at Eilean Donan Castle. View Alternative Route Guide (indicative only, actual may differ)

Isle of Skye ciucuit 140 miles about 4 hours riding

This circuit of Skye beads up the west coast are returns via the east side of the Island. There are many dramatic and scenic spots in Skye and on this journey, we will stop at some of the islands best. Our first stop is at Dunvegan Castle. The seat of the Clan Macleod and the only castle in Scotland that has been continuously occupied by the same family for over 800 years. The building has significant architectural importance because it contains work from ten different periods ranging from circa 1200 through to the 1850’s. We shall stop to tour the castle and gardens and enjoy a coffee break in the castle café.

The next section passes an area of Skye much favoured by hill walkers The Quiraing a landslip on the eastern face of Meall na Suiramach, the northernmost summit of the Trotternish. The whole of the Trotternish Ridge escarpment was formed by a great series of landslips; the Quiraing is the only part of the slip still moving, indeed the road at its base, near Flodigarry, requires repairs each year. Parts of the distinctive landscape have earned particular names. The Needle is a jagged 120-foot (37 m) high landmark pinnacle, a remnant of land slipping. As you might gather it is a most dramatic area.

A short distance further on we come to another of Skye’s landmarks, the dramatic waterfall at Kilt Rock so named because the vertical basalt columns form the pleats along a sea cliffs that resemble a kilt. The Mealt Waterfall freefalls 60 meters from the cliff into the Sound of Raasay below except when there is a strong northerly wind when occasionally the water is blown away and it doesn't reach the bottom at all! Care must be taken in this area and you are advised to stay inside the security fencing at the viewing point.

After stopping for photo taking we will make our way to Portree, the largest town on the Island, where we shall break for lunch. The town is relatively modern having been established about 200 years ago when Lord MacDonald formed a fishing village. The name Portree means “Kings Port” or “Port on the Slope” in Gaelic and as such the area name predates the town. It is known that King James V (of Scotland) visited the area in 1540.

We leave Portree to return to the hotelre on some of the road we rode in the morning, but the view is in the opposite direction and so there will be new sights to see.