- Overview
- Day-by-day itinerary
- Photos
Why choose this route?
Dunkeld’s riverside paths, a bakery breakfast and Loch Morlich’s beach make this a woodland escape. The final sightseeing day includes the drive south to a Perthshire pitch.
Cairngorms — good for: Good for families who want activities and short outings; several lower-level alternatives to exposed hill routes. The compromise: The drive north is substantial, and a forest base does not make the mountain plateau an easy walk. Some familiar blog routes are currently closed.
Your route at a glance
Pink markers show the itinerary’s day areas. Tap a marker for its name, or open the stops in Google Maps. Ferry crossings and road journeys need separate checks for your travel dates.
- Renfrew — collection / return
- Day 1: Dunkeld
- Day 2: Pitlochry
- Day 3: Aviemore
A glimpse of the places
Photo: Caroline Legg · CC BY 2.0. Resized for display.
Your 4-day plan:
- Day 1: Dunkeld
- Day 2: Pitlochry
- Day 3: Aviemore
- Day 4: Return to Renfrew
3 nights away. Open the daily plan below for the food, activity and overnight choices.
Itineraries
Day 1
Dunkeld
Collection: Allow for the 14:00 handover in Renfrew before starting this day. Choose an evening stop that fits the campsite’s check-in time.
Walk the riverside and cathedral area, then choose The Hermitage if daylight permits. After afternoon collection, make this a compact first evening rather than a full sightseeing day.
Make it work: If the bakery is closed when you arrive, visit before leaving the following morning.
Day 2
Pitlochry
Explore the town and woodland, or make Blair Castle’s grounds your main stop. Blair Atholl is a practical base for the next A9 leg.
Make it work: A whisky tour is an optional booking; the driver must remain alcohol-free.
Day 3
Aviemore
Choose Loch Morlich’s beach or an open Rothiemurchus woodland route as the main outing. Leave enough daylight for the southbound drive after your walk.
Make it work: October 2026 check: FLS reports wildfire-related closures affecting Ryvoan Pass / An Lochan Uaine. Do not follow older blog routes into closed areas.
Final-night plan: Finish the outing early enough to move south. Use a booked Perthshire pitch such as Invermill Farm or Blair Castle Caravan Park. This transfer is part of today’s driving; extend the hire if you want to stay here tonight.
Day 4
Return to Renfrew
Today is the return journey, with standard handback by 12 noon. Check live traffic, allow time to refuel and arrive at the agreed return point. Optional sightseeing and cafés come after the return only, unless a later handback has been agreed.
Food: Breakfast in the van before leaving your final pitch keeps the morning flexible. Sleeping: No overnight pitch is included for this final hire day; book an additional night if extending.
