Tea stops in Strathmore

Its been a few years since I lived in Dundee but there used to be a good tea xhop in Alyth. Also Glamis Castle for a posh cuppa. Lots of lovely cycling around there. 10 minutes from the city centre and you are on deserted country roads. Happy memories.

There are a couple of Cafes in Kirriemuir, one which sell really nice ice-cream ! I have cycled in this area and it is a nice area, but too far for a daytrip for me.

Andy (Aberdeen)

robbiew said:

Its been a few years since I lived in Dundee but there used to be a good tea xhop in Alyth. Also
Glamis Castle for a posh cuppa.

Not a bad one or overly expensive one either, and cycling down the main drive is fantastic, but
unfortunately the castle shuts at the end of October IIRC. There still is a good place in Alyth,
though the name escapes me right now.

Quoted message said:

cycling around there. 10 minutes from the city centre and you are on deserted country roads. Happy
memories.

Though it's a pity that most routes north involve climbing over the Sidlaws in both directions.
OTOH, going *down* them is tremendous sport!

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Peter Clinch said:

Quoted message said:

cycling around there. 10 minutes from the city centre and you are on deserted country roads.
Happy memories.

Though it's a pity that most routes north involve climbing over the Sidlaws in both directions.
OTOH, going *down* them is tremendous sport!

That's because you are riding an armchair on wheels ;-)

Seriously though, they are not too bad a range to cycle over, even for a fat unfit person like me.

..d

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by David Martin
On 18/11/03 11:20 am, in article [email hidden], "Peter Clinch"

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

cycling around there. 10 minutes from the city centre and you are on deserted country roads.
Happy memories.

Though it's a pity that most routes north involve climbing over the Sidlaws in both directions.
OTOH, going *down* them is tremendous sport!

That's because you are riding an armchair on wheels ;-)

Seriously though, they are not too bad a range to cycle over, even for a fat unfit person like me.

..d

Any day you don't fancy a hill you can just head towards Perth. You can't get much flatter than that! On my first bike run after arrival I thought I would explore the castle I had seen from the Perth/ Dundee train. I was pretty well at the front door before I realised I had just cycled through the grounds of Castle Huntly Young Offenders Institution. No tea room there, by the way.

robbiew said:

Any day you don't fancy a hill you can just head towards Perth. You can't get much flatter than
that! On my first bike run after arrival I thought I would explore the castle I had seen from the
Perth/ Dundee train. I was pretty well at the front door before I realised I had just cycled
through the grounds of Castle Huntly Young Offenders Institution. No tea room there, by the way.

The problem with the Carse is that it is flat which means that it is a headwind both ways ;-)

Seriously though, I will look for the Old Smiddy in Errol and the tea stop by the Inchture junction.
There might be something nice at Scone as well..

..d

robbiew said:

Any day you don't fancy a hill you can just head towards Perth. You can't get much flatter
than that!

But if you go all the way to Perth then you either use the A90 dualie from St. Maddoes (no fun at
all) or take NCN 77, which is very nice *but* takes you up Glen Carse and then up a 20% hill! And
you really *can* get much flatter than that! But once you've done the hill you went your way along
to the folly on the end of Kinnoul hill with absolutely cracking views along the Tay valley. Coming
the other way, you leave Perth and go up the other side of Kinnoul hill, which is a fair climb but
note that the practically vertical start isn't very long or representative.

The other side of the river is a bit more up and down, but is a good ride (did the Tour de Tay on
Sunday and went out on the south bank), *and* there's a tea shop by the Round Tower in Abernethy
(which unfortunately is closed on Sundays, but the pub round the corner did a good pot of tea and
some spot-on apple and bramble crumble and clootie dumpling). Between Perth and Newburgh it's a
relatively busy A road, but not *that* busy and not bad enough to detract from the overall route (go
through Gauldry rather than Balmerino if you want a hill instead of a Hill though...).

Heading the other way, Guardbridge Inn is okay for a brew, and following through to St A's there's
plenty of tea rooms there.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Peter Clinch said:

robbiew said:

Any day you don't fancy a hill you can just head towards Perth. You can't get much flatter
than that!

But if you go all the way to Perth then you either use the A90 dualie from St. Maddoes (no
fun at all)

For about 1k along the bike path/pavement then dive left through Walnut Grove (the bikepath looks
ugly and is very close to big lorries thundering past)

Quoted message said:

or take NCN 77, which is very nice *but* takes you up Glen Carse and then up a 20% hill! And you
really *can* get much flatter than that! But once you've done the hill you went your way along to
the folly on the end of Kinnoul hill with absolutely cracking views along the Tay valley.

I've been wanting to head up their. Thunderstorms predicted for this weekend so maybe another time.

Quoted message said:

Coming the other way, you leave Perth and go up the other side of Kinnoul hill, which is a fair
climb but note that the practically vertical start isn't very long or representative.

I've been over it in the car. Definitely up at the start, probably too much for my road bike .

Quoted message said:

The other side of the river is a bit more up and down, but is a good ride (did the Tour de Tay on
Sunday and went out on the south bank), *and* there's a tea shop by the Round Tower in Abernethy
(which unfortunately is closed on Sundays, but the pub round the corner did a good pot of tea and
some spot-on apple and bramble crumble and clootie dumpling). Between Perth and Newburgh it's a
relatively busy A road, but not *that* busy and not bad enough to detract from the overall route
(go through Gauldry rather than Balmerino if you want a hill instead of a Hill though...).

The slightly northerly parallel minor roads seem quite nice but again don't come under the
definition of flat.

Possibly best to go anticlockwise on that tour? Everytime I ride through the Carse I end up with a
strong headwind on the way home.

Quoted message said:

Heading the other way, Guardbridge Inn is okay for a brew, and following through to St A's there's
plenty of tea rooms there.

thanks.

..d

David Martin said:

Possibly best to go anticlockwise on that tour? Everytime I ride through the Carse I end up with a
strong headwind on the way home.

No, that's just cycling... ;-/ The route works either way, and since it's mainly an E-W-E route
you'll not escape whatever's in the Carse on the other side. It's more often westerlies than the
other way, mind, so you're more likely to get the extra thrust on the flats if you're this side
coming home.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗