Route Planning

The Pictish Trail, unlike routes that stick closer to the rugged west coast, is actually a pretty mellow proposition from a logistics persepective. Rail Transport links appear frequently, and while sections of the route are fairly remote, there are only a few places where more than 100km of food needs to be carried. The various towns and villages offer services that the smelly cycle tourer will find very welcome after a long day in the saddle, which means you can choose how you want to go about riding the trail — fast and light, or a slower way to savour the sights and sounds. While it isn't exhaustive, the information below aims to make the planning process a little easier if you aren't familiar with the area.

Route Highlights

The plunging sea cliffs of Dunnet Head at the top of the British mainland, and views across the Pentland Firth to the Orkney Isles.
The huge skies and smooth-rolling gravel tracks of the bleak yet beautiful Flow Country (the most intact and extensive blanket bog in the world, just so you know!)
Vegan stovies from Jamieson Bakery in Thurso — we’re not saying it’s Michelin-starred, but if you want a classic Scottish café experience to get you started on the route then this is it.
Endless sandy beaches at Nairn and Culbin Forest (where the dunes once swallowed an entire village).
The scattered evidence of the enigmatic Picts, who left behind the huge drywall brochs that can be spotted beside the route, especially in the north (e.g. Ousdale Broch)
Crossing the southern Cairngorms via the ancient Fungle Road.
Riding right into the centre of Scotland’s capital city and up to Edinburgh Castle on a cycle-friendly route.
The hugely varied landscape and surfaces, from the wild north coast to the mountains of Easter Ross and the Cairngorms, to the farmland of Fife and the big city lights of Edinburgh.

Camping

There is easy wild camping along the length of the route. Scotland has a fantastic right of access which includes wild camping, which relies on all of us exercising that right responsibly. Look here for advice on how to camp responsibly in Scotland.
If you can’t find suitable wild camping or just want a shower and to recharge your gadgets, some pay campsites are marked on the route map.
There are no bothies along the route. You will pass locked estate bothies and lodges, but no open shelters.

Food/H2O

In the Highlands, water in the burns is often potable, but give thought to what is upstream from you and check for nearby livestock. If in doubt, either filter or purify it. Further south in Angus and Fife, pubs and cafés are frequent enough to suffice.
The Tesco supermarket in Thurso is the easiest place to stock up to start your ride, and Thurso also has a Lidl (think of the pastries). Heading south, the next shop is all the way down in Helmsdale. Aside from that initial stretch, food shops are frequent, and useful ones are marked on the route map.
Cocoa Skye in Brora is a particularly nice café (you can stand a spoon up in the hot chocolate).
Capaldi’s ice cream shop in Brora and Golspie is not to be missed.
Sticking with the ice cream theme, Basil Harbour café in Nairn is worth a stop too…
One more for luck. DO NOT pass Loulou’s in South Queensferry, and good luck choosing just one flavour ice cream to try.
Perhaps try an Arbroath smokie while passing through — it’s only a smokie if it comes from the town, otherwise it’s just sparkling smoked haddock.
Spider on a Bicycle in Aboyne, and Velocity in Inverness, are two cycle-friendly cafés well worth a quick sit down while you pass by.

Must Know

The route is not marked. A lot of it uses what were once important routes through the country, but which have been relegated to byways and backroads. Virtually all of it is on the map, but a GPS device is by far the easiest way to navigate. If you’re a paper map person, Ordnance Survey Landranger 1:50000 series maps are the most useful, but you’ll need quite a few of them.
Train access to the route is very good. In fact, there’s even a station at Altnabreac which has no road access at all! Getting a bike on a train in the UK can be hit and miss, but to avoid disappointment it’s always worth reserving a bicycle space when you buy your ticket. Train stations are marked on the route map, and make it easy to tackle the route in sections.
There is one (just one!) ‘adventure secteur’ for 5km along the Berriedale Water towards Berriedale. In the dry it is rideable, honest, but may involve a little pushing usually. It’s short and sweet, and worth it for the excellent camping beside the river, quiet glen and reducing time spent on the A9.
The route does unavoidably use sections of the A9 between Berriedale and Helmsdale, approaching Brora and then leaving Golspie. They are as short as possible, but if riding during the summer holidays in July and August the road can be fairly busy. Make sure to wear visible clothing, and take a bright(!) rear light. The road is fairly wide and has good sightlines, and is nowhere near as busy as it is south of Tain.

Transport

Trains

Luckily, the Pictish Trail is well served by railway stations despite the remote sections of terrain, and these are marked on the route map. As ever, the subject of taking bikes on trains provokes all manner of anecdotal horror stories, and experiences on the ground certainly vary, but in general it isn’t too much of a faff to get your bike on the train, although you will need to reserve a space for the vast majority of train lines serving this route. The well-spaced train stations also mean that this is a great route for breaking down and tackling in smaller sections when you get the chance.

Buses

As with trains, getting a bike on a bus depends on a winning smile, a sympathetic driver and a little luck. In general, getting one on a long-distance coach is a goer, but the lack of clear answers is as frustrating as ever. Stagecoach, who operate a lot of longer journeys in Scotland, are relatively enthusiastic. Their X99 route connects Inverness and Thurso, but they also operate between major towns and cities across Scotland.

Aeroplanes

The airports of most use to Pictish Trail travellers are Edinburgh and Inverness. Edinburgh airport is served by the tram system, which is a helpful way to get into town (but keep your bike in its bag or box). Inverness airport is just to the east of the city, but can be a useful way to get straight to the north if you’re coming from far afield.