100 Climbs Route: Day 21, Banchory to Perth

In August 2018, three Cycling UK members - Dominic Millar, Graham Salisbury and James Findlater – cycled a 3,300-mile, 29-day route around Britain to take on all 100 hills featured in Simon Warren’s book ‘100 Greatest Cycling Climbs’. This route plots day 21 of the journey, 113 miles from Banchory to Perth, taking in the climbs of Cairn O’ Mount and The Cairnwell.

There are only two official climbs left to conquer in Scotland and you’ll do them both today. The first, Cairn O’ Mount, actually comes pretty soon after leaving Banchory. Ride south on the B974, through Bridge of Dye, and you'll soon find yourself heading up over Cairn O’ Mount, albeit from 'the wrong side'.

Unfortunately, this is another one of those climbs that you have to descend and retrace. Once you get to the Clatterin’ Brig tearooms, that’s pretty much your marker to turn around and take on this tough test into the Grampian Mountains. It's not the fiercest climb in Scotland but it starts hard at 16% and never really eases enough for you to recover. 

With that done and dusted, it’s a long ride south and then west - north of Kirriemuir but south of Backwater Reservoir - to Cray. Here the route detours north, up the A93 past the Spittal of Glenshee, to take on The Cairnwell. This giant arc of a climb up into the Cairngorms comes as the main course following an enjoyable approach through a stunning valley. In fact, you can enjoy that valley twice, because you’ll have to turn around once past the Glenshee Ski Centre to come back down the mountain.

Then it's a case of just spinning on to the finish. Pick up the River Tay at Kinclaven and follow it all the way to the day's destination in Perth.