Let's go outside: Guide to those peaceful back roads and tracks

Feb 13 2009 by Our Correspondent, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

IF the credit crunch is encouraging you to look for an inexpensive way to spend your time, how about going cycling? It won’t cost you much if you already have a bike or hire one for the day, and it’s great for your health.

Perthshire is blessed with beautiful countryside that is criss-crossed by peaceful back roads and miles of cycle-able tracks. A bike lets you explore a wider area than by walking, and it beats a car as you can stop anywhere without looking for a parking place. What’s more, you’re much better connected to the world around you – you can hear the birds and smell the blossom.

When the days began lengthening, I dragged my bike out of the back of the garage and got it ready for some outings. Then the question was – where to go? Fortunately, Perthshire is covered by three cycling maps that show routes researched by members of ByCycle, the Perth and Kinross cycling group. I wrote in this column about the Highland Perthshire one when it was produced in 2004. So I thought it was now time to explore the two maps published more recently.

The Cycling Maps for Strathearn and East Perthshire are published by Harvey, the Doune based company who are perhaps better know for their walkers’ maps. The maps were produced in cooperation with ByCycle, Perth and Kinross Council, and Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust, who supported the work with a grant.

The Strathearn map covers from Comrie to Perth and as far south as Powmill and Vane Farm on Loch Leven. The East Perthshire map has Perth and Dundee at the bottom and stretches as far north as Kirkmichael and Glen Prosen. Both are at 1:80,000 scale and very easy to read.

Eight different routes are suggested on the Cycling Map Strathearn. Each is graded for difficulty and its length shown.

Beginners and families could start with the easy 9-mile route called Hidden Chapels, which starts in Auchterarder and makes a loop past three historic ruins that most people miss. Next step up could be a 19-mile ride around the Gask Ridge, exploring the sites of Roman watchtowers and more ancient chapels. This route includes Innerpeffray Library, where the snowdrops are currently in full bloom.

For a longer outing, there’s a 24-mile route from Perth around Glenalmond, whilst mountain bikers can test their legs and lungs on a hilly Corb Glen circuit from Dunning. The suggested routes are just a start, as you can use the map to make up your own routes around places of interest.

The Cycling Map East Perthshire has five suggested routes, as well as showing National Cycle Network route 77, which follows minor roads through the Carse of Gowrie between Dundee and Perth before continuing north through Dunkeld.

For starters, try the 22-mile 5 Lochs route from Dunkeld, which explores the Lunan Lochs on the way out to Meikleour and returns on the south side of the River Tay. The hardest route is a 52-mile ride from Alyth up and around Glen Isla.

Hills are a challenge for the unfit rider, but the maps have contour shading that means you can readily see where these are. In addition, roads with steep gradients are marked with black arrows, to show hills and the direction of the slope. It’s good to know whether you can expect to be slogging uphill or freewheeling downhill!

A great feature of the maps is that they have bold symbols to represent places of interest that you can visit on your bike. Stopping at an archaeological site, such as Ardoch Roman Fort, or a historic castle, such as Glamis, can give much more purpose to an outing. Depending on what appeals to you, you could make up your own ride – perhaps around the Meikleour Beech Hedge and the Pictish Stones at Meigle, or to Rumbling Bridge gorge and Burleigh Castle at Milnathort.

Symbols also show the different facilities available in the towns and villages you might visit, so you can plan refreshments stops or see where to find bike hire or a shop.

I have ridden extensively around the area shown on the Strathearn map and found it excellent cycling – summer or winter. Along the way I’ve discovered all sorts of delightful corners and interesting sights that I’d missed when whizzing by in a car. Now I want to apply the same two-wheeled approach to riding around East Perthshire so that I can see beauty spots such as Loch of Clunie from a new perspective, and visit places like Ardler that I’ve always bypassed while driving. With the aid of the Harvey map, there are miles of intriguing countryside to explore.

Harvey’s Cycling Map Strathearn and Cycling Map East Perthshire cost £4.95 each and are available in a number of retail outlets around Perthshire. Alternatively, you can buy them online direct from the Harvey website at www.harveymaps.co.uk.