This page is designed to help you Plan Your Week - there you are; it does exactly what it says on the tin. Its aim is to help you get the most out of your visit to the Drovers Tryst festival and to suggest a few ideas to add a little extra pleasure to your time.
First of all, and assuming that walking will play at least some part in your week, we'd suggest you read our information on What To Bring and the descriptions of our Easy, Medium, Hard and Extra Hard walks.
Wed then suggest that you look at the range of walks, events and other activities available in the Crieff & Strathearn area, and try to pick those things that you and those coming with you already enjoy or would most like to try.
Some of the options are these:
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Walking (more than down to the shops but less than a trek)
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Hill Walking (thats walking with lumps)
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Mountain Walking (thats walking with big lumps)
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Mountain Biking (well, anything off-road really, and for the determinedly mad)
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Cycling (sedate stuff for families and others who ride at less than 90mph)
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Photographic Walks (with Photographically Expert, and possibly Photogenic, Leader)
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Historic Walks (with Historically Expert, but not Historic, Leader)
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Literary Walks (with Literally Expert Leader)
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Gardens (the big ones youre glad you dont have to look after yourself)
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Historic Buildings (Castles, Churches and all that old stuff)
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Scottish Country Dancing (some sedate, some leaping about like crazy)
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Golf (remember, a lady or a gentleman is one who plays golf as if it were a game)
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Fauna and flora (stags including one recently-spotted white variety, eagles, wildcats, alpines, lichen, fungi some deliciously edible, some decidedly inedible)
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Haggis-hunting (October sees many plump wild haggises or haggi on the hills, also including a rare true albino variety, if youre skilful enough to catch them using your locally-manufactured Haggis Whistle see www.thehaggiswhistle.com for more info)
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Cloud-spotting (weve more kinds than you can shake a camera at and they dont all drop their wet stuff on you; try cloud-spotting with the family to keep everyone amused on a walk see www.cloudappreciationsociety.org for more info)
OK, so now youve listed the things that interest you all. Next, how much of each do you want to fit into your week? Or maybe youve only got a weekend or even just one day (in which case, Planning Your Week looks a bit of an overkill but maybe itll help anyway).
If youre keen walkers already, do you know your level(s) as defined in our types of walks? Maybe you can consider doing walks of different levels during the week even if youre experienced, adding in an Easy walk might just be interesting, relaxing and informative. It might also give you a chance to do that bit of sight-seeing or shopping you promised yourself. Mixing, say, Medium and Hard walks if youre experienced might add a variety you hadnt thought of.
If there are only adults in your party, whats your first priority? Put that at the top of your list and then the next most important and so on. Probably whats at the bottom will be for another week (or day) but at least you can now focus on the stuff at and near the top of the list.
If youve children with you, its worth putting their likes (and dislikes) pretty high up. Were not sponsoring Spoil-Your-Child-Rotten Week but if its FUN youre after, children having FUN usually means the adults have quite a bit too. Theres a lot for families in our area, with the social climax of the Ceilidh (Scottish Barn Dance) for those of leaping-about age.
Now you need to decide what to go for. If you were planning to come here just for the walking, youll have already gathered that you just might be missing out. Why not add at least one or two of the other places and/or activities weve got? Of course, if your purpose is just to add a Munro or Corbett or two (or lots), youll probably ignore this bit anyway but well plough on regardless. If youre not (or havent the foggiest idea what a Munro or a Corbett is), theres lots of opportunity to mix the physically energetic with the cerebral. And brain food is very nourishing and prolongs your life immeasurably (OK, we made that bit up but it might be true).
Since everyone has their own blend of interests, we can only make a few suggestions that you can draw on to build up your own Week Plan for the Drovers Tryst. For example:
Day 1 Arrive and get settled in. Maybe a stroll down Lady Marys Walk by the lovely River Earn in Crieff to enjoy the inevitable Strathearn Autumn sunshine. For the slightly more energetic, a short stroll up to The Knock Viewpoint to enjoy a wonderful view down Strathearn to the west and across to Ben Chonzie. Later, adults conduct careful but thorough forensic examination of local licensed premises and enjoy the equally inevitable results. Make friends with locals in smart uniforms and nice hats who all seem to be called Bobby.
Day 2 Walking / Cycling / Other Energy Day
Day 3 am stroll around Crieff and/or Comrie with frequent retail therapy (women) and coffee breaks (men). (OK this is a mite sexist but we still bet most of you recognise it.)
pm visit to Drummond Castle Gardens.
evening discuss with locals in a warm friendly tavern why Gaelic words have so many letters they dont use, why Ben Chonzie is pronounced Ben-y-Hone, why Monzie is pronounced Mer nee and Cultoquhey is pronounced Cult-a-he-way. (Crieff is Creeff, in case you wondered and, for our overseas friends, Edinburgh is Ed-in-burr-uh, not Ed in burrow which is the front end of a dog looking for a rabbit or Ed in burg which is a German castle). Discover true Gaelic speakers are almost as rare as wild haggis (though less frequently hunted down than the haggis these days).
Day 4 Walking / Cycling / Other Energy Day
Day 5 am visit to the Famous Grouse Experience at the worlds oldest Scotch distillery to sample the delights followed by an equally delicious lunch at The Crieff Hotel.
pm short energising stroll down the bank of the River Earn from across the road near Stuart Crystal followed by visits to Stuart Crystal & the Crieff Visitor Centre.
evening dinner at one of the several excellent evening eating places in Strathearn.
Day 6 Walking / Cycling / Other Energy Day with live music at night
Day 7 day visits to Highland Heathers, Auchingarrich, Comrie, Dundurn Hill fort, St Fillans and Loch Earn. Pop in to support the cyclists at the Hairy coo Mountain Bike Challenge at Comrie Croft.
evening Ceilidh (Scottish Barn Dance) at Comrie Croft to burn off any lingering surplus calories.
The younger ones will also enjoy Auchingarrich Wildlife Park near Comrie (www.auchingarrich.co.uk) and Macrosty Park in Crieff.
And dont forget that Strathearn is one of the most good-value places in the UK to do that shopping you were thinking of. (Is it too early to mention Christmas shopping? Probably yes, but Crieff does have its very own Christmas shop open all the year round.)
So do please come to the Drovers Tryst week and enjoy our walking offerings but give yourself time to enjoy as many of the other sights and sounds that you wont get on the hills as you can. And come back next year to catch the ones you missed this year (especially that darned elusive wild haggis).