Day 29 - Dunblane to Pitlochry
Quick facts
Weather: Sunny with cloudy periods H 19 L 11 C Humidity 96% at 6:30 am
Winds N 5 kph POP 9%
Depart: private home Dunblane
Destination: Hosteling Scotland Pitlochry
Planned distance: 63 mi/101 km
Planned ascent: 2,420
Planned descent: 2,316
Route: (from Ride with GPS)
Good morning / Good day
We woke up to a breakfast of fresh baked croissants and pain au chocolat. I cleaned my bike chain and jockey wheels and when doing the”M” check the Bikability instructor suggested, I didn’t
discover any loose nuts or spokes, but one of the supports for my right side pannier was just sitting in its bracket. The weld on that side had come apart as well. Out with the duct tape and zip ties. I now have matching white repairs on both sides of my bike.
Rather than head out immediately on our route for the day, we went into the old town of Dunblane and found the Royal Mail Box that had been painted gold as congratulations and support for an Olympic Gold medal winner. Andy Murray won Men’s Singles tennis gold in 2012 and 2016.
I mailed a thank you card to one of my hostesses from the special box!
Golden mailbox Dunblane
Dunblane Cathedral. It was up the hill from the mailbox so Ralph was able to get his first “church fix” early in the day.
Bansky’s famous painting on a wall in Dunblane. Is she reaching for love or has she let it go?
Midcambushinnie dry stone wall with CCTV camera warning sign. In the middle of beautiful nowhere.
Fell Ponies from the LakesDistict. The little foal was shy and hid behind the mare as soon as I took some interest.
We biked on many surfaces, cycleways and road types throughout Britain. Scotland has my favorite roads though. First of all they are numbered on the sign posts so you have a chance of knowing which one you are on. Second, they have low stone walls not high impenetrable hedges and third, they aren’t busy.
One of the communities we passed was Auchterarder , Perth which is home to the Gleneagles resort and three championship golf courses. It was fun to pedal by golfers on these famous greens.
Glen Eagle Golf Course
Of more relevance to Ralph and I was Auchterarder’s Sugar and Spice bake shop. I specifically wanted a bake shop to buy a “fun decorated” cupcake I could have the number 2 piped on to celebrate my grandson Mathew’s 2 - month birthday. No luck! I had to settle for a double cookie with sprinkles.
World Scotch Pie Champion - so I has to buy one… and
a 2 layer sprinkly cookie to celebrate my grandson Mathew’s 2nd month birthday.
Back along the quiet roads then suddenly I came upon sinister facts from the past.
A Witches burning memorial. Maggie Wall was burned here in 1657 as a witch according to the inscription. Wikipedia isn’t so sure but who knows.
The River Earn is surrounded by rich agricultural land. It is the bridges over the rivers in Scotland that have the gory history. Battles won and lost and thousands killed over land and honour and in the name of some god or king.
The Bridge of Earn or “The Brig” as the Scottish call it,
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?search=The+bridge+of+earn&title=Special%3ASearch&ns0=1
Perth, is a sizeable town and although we had half our days distance to go Ralph and I stopped in at a photo exhibition in one of the churches. I loved it. I could have talked to the photographer all afternoon. He takes ordinary street scenes which focus our attention on some aspect we would otherwise overlook.
I didn’t take pictures of his work for obvious reasons but his advertising poster gives you a hint of Tom Ryan’s work. A lady walking her dog in the early morning.
Beatrix Potter Garden. I didn’t go into the garden but the gatehouse is a good example of the hundreds guarding estate gates all around the countryside.
The photo is of the town of Dunkeld Strathway and the edge of the Dunkeld Bridge built in 1804 - 1809 to replace two ferries. It has seven arches across the Tay River.
Varied roads
Cyclepaths beside the highway and peaceful roads in a forest. This is what makes cycling in Scotland so much safer than many places I have been.
Rushing rivers and high views as rewards after climbing hills. Hills seem much easier now that we have been cycling for a month!
Pitlochry our destination today.
Hostelling Scotland’s hostel in Pitlochry and the view.
Clean and simple private hostel room.
A comfortable end to another fine day in Scotland
Safe travels.
Lorraine