Friday 12 August 2011

Stuff On Your (Our) Doorstep

At Big Tree Campervans we have loads of customers who are keen to head off to the fantastic west and north coasts of Scotland, and so zoom from Perthshire out to the west. Dont get me wrong, the west and north coasts are awesome places, and perfect for a campervan adventure.... but here's a thought: in my humble opinion, Perthshire is one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland, and well worth at least a couple of days (if not a whole holiday) spent exploring some of it's gems.

So, here's a few of our favourites, right here on Big Tree Campervan's doorstep:

Swimming at Rumbling Bridge - if you're into wild swimming, there are some fantasic rocky pools a couple of hundred metres upstream from Rumbling Bridge. It's easy to find - turn off the A9 onto the A822, and it's signposted on the right after about 2miles.
Camping wild - a couple of great local spots, one at the ford at Little Glenshee, just north west of our base in Bankfoot; and one in the wooded carpark at Rumbling Bridge. Slightly further from Bankfoot, there are some lovely wee spots in the upper reaches of Glen Lyon. As with all wild camping, be sure to follow the simple guidelines which we published on a recent blog (a copy will be in your campervan).
Great campsites - our favourite has to be Inver Mill (0044 1350 727477) which is a great campsite beside the river Braan, and just near the lovely picturesque village of Dunkeld. Our pals who run Inver Mill have always been really helpful in finding space for a last-minute Big Tree Campervan customer, and as it's only a few miles up the road it's a great lazy option for a first or last night.
Highland Safaris - (http://www.highlandsafaris.net/leisure/) if you fancy seeing and experiencing a bit more of the real highlands on a fantastic 4 x 4 Safari, then Donald & Julie's business just up the valley from Aberfeldy is a must. They also have a great cafe there, and are always looking to add different things, and have recenly opened Bike Trax, which is a fab moutain bike skills course.
Stewart Tower Dairy - if you love icecream, you just must make time to pop in and sample some of Neil & Linsey's awesome 'proper' italian gelato icecream... and it's only about 2 minutes drive from our base in Bankfoot!
Adventure Stuff - loads to do to get the adrenalin pumping: river rafting with Nae Limits http://www.naelimits.co.uk/) or Splash (http://rafting.co.uk/); Progression Bikes, which is the new mountain biking uplift facility at Dunkeld (http://www.progressionbikesscotland.com/), and one of our favouities - Highland Fling, (http://www.bungeejumpscotland.co.uk/) which is the UK's first static bridge bungee jump.... 40m of real buzz!!
The Bankfoot Inn - (http://www.bankfootinn.co.uk) we couldn't end this blog without mentioning what we think (ok, we're probably somewhat biased!) is one of the best real ale pubs in Scotland! Fantastic beers, great food, really comfy and welcoming rooms, and of course the increasingly famous Wednesday night music sessions - if you're into trad music, then you simply must get along on a Wednesday evening when there is a regualr crowd of lovers of trad music: a couple of fiddles, a guitar or two, an accordion, and lots of hearty singing voices all in a hugely welcoming atmosphere. Perfect!