Loch Ness and the Highlands Cycling

A transfer takes you to Gairlochy from where your route follows the Great Glen Way as it criss-crosses the Caledonian Canal and snakes effortlessly to Fort Augustus. En route you'll pass beautiful forest, peaceful rivers and brooding Loch Lochy whose sparkling waters and steep-forested hillsides give a fjord-like feel to the landscape. Your final stretch follows the foaming River Oich. You stay tonight in Fort Augustus at the southern tip of Loch Ness.

A transfer takes you along the Loch to Dores. Cycle quiet country roads between Lochs Ashie and Duntelchaig. Pedal past the impressive Nairn viaduct to visit 14th Century Cawdor Castle, the setting for Shakespeare's Macbeth. Continue onto Nairn, known for its two championship golf courses and sandy beaches, where you stay for the next two nights.

There is a lot to fit in today so an early start would be wise. Starting along the shore head first to the spectacular historic barracks and Highlanders Museum at Fort George. The route then passes the pretty waterside hamlet of Loch Flemington then follows the south side of the Nairn valley and under the impressive masonry arches of the Culloden Viaduct, the largest stone bridge in Scotland. Visit the Prehistoric Burial Cairns of Bulnuaran of Clava which have long been a source of wonder. Across the river and up the hill lies Culloden Battlefield, site of the last battle fought on British soil in 1746. The excellent visitor centre shows the timeline of events before, during and after the battle in great detail. Ride on into Inverness for your final night.