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 fitness and equipment for our Easy, Medium, Hard and Extra Hard walks.
We'd 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 (that's walking with lumps)
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Mountain Walking (that's 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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Gardens (the big ones youre glad you don't 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 you're skilful enough to catch them using your locally-manufactured Haggis Whistle see www.thehaggiswhistle.com for more info)
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Cloud-spotting (we've more kinds than you can shake a camera at and they don't 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)
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The younger ones will also enjoy Auchingarrich Wildlife Park near Comrie (www.auchingarrich.co.uk) and Macrosty Park in Crieff.
OK, so now you've listed the things that interest you all. Next, how much of each do you want to fit into your week? Or maybe you've only got a weekend or even just one day (in which case, Planning Your Week looks a bit of an overkill but maybe it'll help anyway).
If you're 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 you're 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 you're experienced might add a variety you hadn't thought of.
If there are only adults in your party, what's your first priority? Put that at the top of your list and then the next most important and so on. Probably what's 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 you've children with you, it's worth putting their likes (and dislikes) pretty high up. We're not sponsoring Spoil-Your-Child-Rotten Week but if it's FUN you're after, children having FUN usually means the adults have quite a bit too. There's a lot for families in our area, with 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, you'll 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 we've got? Of course, if your purpose is just to add a Munro or Corbett or two (or lots), you'll probably ignore this bit anyway but we'll plough on regardless. If you're not (or haven't the foggiest idea what a Munro or a Corbett is), there's 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).
And don't 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 won't 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).