News

We're going to tell you a little story. Years ago, when The Carter Company started, one of our first ever enquiries was from a group of South African journalists, who were writing a book about fascinating journeys by bicycle around the globe. England was one of their last stops, and they asked us if we could suggest a trip that was 'geographically interesting'. We proposed the Thames Path and they accepted, intrigued. When we met them after they had completed the route, they told us they'd had a real hoot (that's old-fashioned English for a wonderful time, if you're reading this from outside the UK!) They also told us something that's stuck with us ever since, and that's kept us going since the days when people thought we were mad to try and sell cycling holidays. They said that they'd cycled all over the world, but that Britain was unsurpassed in terms of the sheer density of interesting things to see along the way. Britain is indeed a compact country, and it has bucketloads of history, so it's perhaps not that surprising when you think about it. We do think it's one of the biggest selling points though for cycling holidays in the UK, and it's something we've worked very hard at maintaining when designing our trips abroad too. The luxury of a gentle cycling holiday is that there is plenty of time to hop off your bike as and when you please, to visit the local places of interest, and to take in the local atmosphere, culture, history, heritage, cuisine, and of course, horitculture!

One of our favourite places to visit whilst on a cycling holiday is a garden. And our tours take you past the front door of a fair few absolutely spectacular ones. We count down our favourites below.

1. Hidcote Manor Gardens in the Cotswolds features on our aptly named Cotswold gardens cycling holiday. Created by the talented American horticulturist, Major Lawrence Johnston, its colourful and intricately designed outdoor ‘rooms’ were a conceptual innovation at the time. Explore the maze of narrow paved pathways and discover secret gardens, magnificent vistas and plants that burst with colour. Many of the plants found growing in the garden were collected from Johnston’s many plant hunting trips to far away places. We love the Skunk cabbages and the multicolour tulip blooms.

2. Kew Gardens need no introduction. It's hard to pick out highlights, but if we had to, we'd say the Princess of Wales Conservatory, which recreates ten climatic zones; see Madagascan baobab trees, orchids from Central America and carnivorous plants from Asia here. Second, The Palm House and Rose Garden, for its steamy jungle-like interior and fantastic architecture. Finally, the Kitchen Garden - recently updated by Raymond Blanc - where a bountiful range of mouth-watering fruit and vegetables can be seen growing here across the seasons. Visit on our London bike tours along the Thames, including this one.

3. Cluny House Gardens is a magical woodland garden in Perthshire created by Bobby and Betty Masterton in the 1950s. It contains two magnificent Wellingtonias, including Britain’s widest conifer, with a girth of 11 metres! The Mastertons had a particular interest in Himalayan plants and many of the seeds they grew are now large trees, such as the Tibetan cherry, notable for its mahogany peeling bark. You'll also glimpse 4m high lilies and blue poppies. Cluny is also home to extremely rare red squirrels. It features on our tailor-made Scotland cycling holidays, and on our soon-to-be-published Trossachs' tour. Contact us for more info if you're interested.

4. The Flower Island of Mainau (see photo above) on the shores of Lake Constance in Germany is a sight to behold. It may only cover 45 hectares of land, but it is home to an extraordinary diversity of trees, flowers and shrubs. Its other attractions include a 13th century baroque palace, a palm house and the biggest butterfly house in Germany. It was created by a Swedish prince, Count Bernadotte. Among the particular treasures are rare and often very old trees, for example the Viktoria lime, planted by the grand duke in 1862 to mark the birth of his daughter, or the bizarrely knotted pagoda tree, also around 150 years old. Visit on our Lake Constance cycling holiday.

5. RHS Rosemoor in Devon was created by Lady Anne Berry, and is a true plantsman's garden. The seasonal displays here are pretty impressive; they planted 30,000 English bluebells last autumn under a beech woodland that overlooks Lady Anne’s garden, which will erupt in magnificent sea of blue. The Queen Mother Rose Garden contains a fantastic collection of Hybrid Tea and Floribunda roses. You can visit this garden on our longer Devon cycling holidays.

We've just returned from a reccy trip to Scotland, where we spent the past two weeks scouting out new routes, local boutique hotels and those all important hidden gems that we like to share with our customers. Unfortunately, this usually means trying out lots of different cafes and restaurants, and nattering away to friendly locals... life is tough sometimes! We're very excited to announce that the trip will result in a total of FIVE new Scottish cycling holidays, which will be revealed in full detail soon.

What makes these Scottish cycling tours special?

We're particularly proud of the range and variety in the new tours, from challenging MAMIL (that's "middle-aged men in lycra" for those of you not familiar with the term!) routes, to gentle 'pottering around' tours, and everything in between. Yes, surprising as it is, you can in fact design a 'gentle' cycling holiday in Scotland.. you just have to work a little bit harder to find appropriate routes! The other thing we're really proud about with these new tours is the accommodation. We will be offering 'classic' versions of each tour as we normally do, but the cherry on the cake (and the reward for a day's cycling) are our luxury hotels. Scotland is known for its luxury hotels, and with good reason! It is full of old country houses with sumptuous interiors in magnificent settings. We've been working closely with 'Connoisseurs Scotland', a collection of the finest hotels in Scotland, to put together some of the new holidays. And they are absolutely fantastic, if we do say so ourselves!

As always, we like to share a few of our discoveries with you here on the blog, just as a teaser of the treasures you might encounter. If we've tickled your interest, we hope you'll get in touch and book a tour with us soon.

Highlights

1. Mhor 84 Motel in Balquhidder, Lochearnhead
   This place is amazing. Like, so amazing we were actually jumping up and down with excitement when we walked through the door. Sadly, a lot of the more budget hotels and B&Bs in Scotland are in desperate need of a new lick of paint and a new lease of life. So we were especially surprised when we found the relatively recently opened Mhor Motel (sister of the luxury Monachyle Mhor Hotel, which is 4 miles down the road). It's unlike anything else in the area... a fresh and fun interior, full of light and quirky, kitsch touches, friendly staff and individual bedrooms that are simple yet utterly charming. The 'Mhor' family began with a bakery in Callander (also well worth a visit if you find yourself there), and has slowly expanded to include a gourmet fish & chip shop, the luxury hotel and now this cool little 'motel'. We even heard they're going to hold a folk festival this summer (an extension of their Thursday night folk nights at the motel). With a heritage like this, you can imagine that food is something they take very seriously. And we weren't disappointed! We had a smoked haddock and beetroot pâté, a fantastically tasty salad and honestly the tastiest soup we have ever eaten in our entire lives. Ever. So, in summary, it's amazing. Stay here!

2. 'Just you and the landscape'
   This sounds like a funny highlight to put in, but what really struck us about Scotland was the ragged and wild beauty of its remote landscape. We say remote, because it really is remote. Most of our customers tend to live in big cities or at least close to one. The Carter Company team spends a lot of time in London. But in Scotland, it's just you and the landscape. Especially on some of the routes we've found, where you're unlikely to encounter much traffic, be it cyclists or motorists. You climb aboard your saddle and pedal off into the distance along roads that snake through the countryside, affording some epic views along the way - which are so fantastic that we had to keep stopping every two minutes to take photos. And the colours are just spellbinding: mosses and lichens in every shade of green imaginable, burnt oranges and flashes of bright yellow, bunny-ear browns and slate greys, and then the most unusual hues of purple in the trees and heather bushes. It's an artist's paradise.

3. Pillars of Hercules
   This place was a real find! We had just stopped off at what turned out to be our favourite village of the trip, Falkland. Falkland is completely unspoilt and charming; it almost looks like it's been plucked out of Provence in France... it's all old stone buildings with architectural quirks, narrow lanes and a sweet little square with a shop and a cafe in it. As we continued on our journey, a sign about half a mile out of the village caught our eye. Curious, we turned off the road and soon found ourselves at Pillars of Hercules, which is an organic farm, farmshop and cafe. It even has a campsite attached to it. Situated adjacent to a number of popular cycling and walking routes in the area, it is perfectly positioned to offer healthy and utterly delicious seasonal food to hungry passersby. The place was completely packed when we visited - despite the fact it feels like it's in the middle of nowhere. They have a stunning selection of teas, home-made cakes and lunch plates. We recommend their hot chocolate, made with huge coins of real dark chocolate and hot milk. Out of this world!

4. The little touches
   We all know the beauty is in the details... and some of the places we stayed in really nailed it when it came to little touches. Without giving too much away, we'll mention just a few. The welcome you get at The Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews is second to none, with champagne on arrival and unbelievably delicious macaroons awaiting you in your room. The huge bathroom in the honeymoon suite at Boath House (see pictures on our Facebook page), with its two old bathtubs looking out of the window and directly on to the walled garden, is just to die for... as is the tasting menu at their Michelin-starred restaurant. The bar and lounge at Andy Murray's hotel, Cromlix, manages to tread that incredibly difficult line of 'modern classic' design to a tee, and serves up the best tea we had all week. Try their Smoky China loose-leaf with a finger or two of their home-made shortbread.

A few days ago, Harriet, our design advisor, sent me a link to the wonderful Petalon. Right up our street, I knew we had to share it here on our blog. Petalon is a London flower delivery service, offering 'bouquets by bicycle'. Combining two of our favourite things here at The Carter Company - cycling and nature - we fell in love with the concept instantly. It's a small company, started by a bike-loving family who also run a bicycle manufacturing business called Kennedy City Bicycles.

They offer a simple choice of two different bouquets each week. The flowers are chosen according to what is seasonal and what looks fresh and fantastic at the Flower Market. By delivering by bicycle and limiting choice, they reduce any unnecessary waste and can afford to charge just £25 per bouquet including delivery. But what really caught our attention at Petalon flowers is the curation. These aren't your average florist's bouquets... the team at Petalon clearly have a great eye, and choose beautiful combinations of colours, textures and fragrances, resulting in genuinely sophisticated and original bouquets.

They also have a 'bee friendly' ethos. Every time an order is placed, they make a donation to Capital Bee. Based in South London and Central London, Capital Bee produce their own delicious honey to sell, run courses on beekeeping and keep bees for organisations such as universities, schools and businesses.

So what's not to love? If you live in London, or know someone who does, why not send a beautiful gift of flowers, support a local small business and broader 'go green' initiatives. Along with bicycle couriers in the City, start-ups like these who are choosing to do things a little differently by using bikes instead of gas-guzzling cars, are creating a mini movement, and we love it! Keep up the good work guys.

We love a hidden gem here at The Carter Company. So when one of the family members recently visited Leiden and was shown around by a local resident (by bike and on foot, no less!), we were delighted to hear of the beautiful Cafe de Bonte Koe. An old fashioned Dutch 'living-room-cafe' over 120 years old, it was once rated in the top 20 bars in The Netherlands. Despite this, it's very much an authentic local hotspot, rather than a tourist trap. Step inside for a taste of real Dutch style and cafe culture!

Although the bar is fairly old fashioned, it features a highly original design. Tiles of gorgeous hues and fantastic detail cover pretty much every wall. Many depict agricultural scenes, with farmers and cattle set amidst a classic Dutch landscape, reflecting Holland's traditional agriculture-based economy.

And then there's the beer! Of course. Wilderen Blonde is quite rare, especially on tap, but here you can indulge in as many glasses as you like. Even the pumps are special designs from the 70s. Beware though, the beer glasses are so giant you need two hands to lift them!

All in all then, a quintessential Dutch 'brown bar'. Small, dark, and cosy with relaxed drinking vibes. You can find out more on the cafe's website.

Why not visit Leiden on our cycling holiday in Holland?

If all this talk of kicking back with a refreshing pint in Cafe de Bonte Koe has tickled your fancy, why not book a spot on our ever-popular 'Highlights of Holland' cycling holiday. A 6 night wonderfully gentle, self-guided tour, it begins in Leiden and finishes up in Amsterdam - where you can choose to stay for an extra night or two and experience all that the capital has to offer. The route takes in a stunning mix of heritage rich towns, breathtaking coastline, picture postcard countryside and maritime history. Plus there's overnight stays in some very individual and stylish 3 and 4 star hotels. It's the best way to see Holland!

And so we come to the final installment in this mini blog series where we have been excitedly unveiling for you our brand new cycling holidays and walking tours for 2015. We hope they have whet your appetite for some authentic travels by bike and on foot. We can't wait to share them with you all.

And so the final three:

1. Ireland cycling holiday

'A jolly around Connemara' is our first cycling holiday in Ireland. Despite the fact we've wanted to have a trip in Ireland for some time now, it's been a long time in the making, so we're really excited to be finally offering it this year. Putting together the final itinerary and selecting the photos for the holiday gallery was a delightful if painful process because I'm now absolutely chomping at the bit to do this tour. Some of the hotels are located in the most stunning settings, and the landscape sounds just fab: wild yet pristine sandy beaches, dramatic mountains and lush countryside. It's gentle cycling at its best.. short distances allowing you plenty of time to take a detour and stop for a cake whenever you fancy it, as well as a cycling-free day here and there so you can really kick back (or head off on your own steam and explore more of the beautiful Connemara region). How dreamy!

2. Hadrian's Wall walking holiday

This is a favourite route of walking enthusiasts in Britain, and it's not hard to see why. Follow this World Heritage walk alongside Europe's largest surviving Roman monument, and discover history by the bucketload. This 8 night trip traverses some of Britain's most ruggedly beautiful landscape. Soak up the views, marvel at Roman Ruins and discover details of life from two thousand years ago. There's also a chance to explore Newcastle, a cultural hotspot in the North of England, full of interesting things to see and do. The perfect combination of countryside and cityscape. We can't recommend it enough!

3. 'Alice in Wonderland' cycling holiday

Celebrate the 150th anniversary of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ this year and discover the key places that inspired the book on this leisurely cycling trip based in Oxford. This is great one for the family - a two night tour with both classic and luxury hotel options, including traffic-free riverside cycling and Oxford exploring on foot. You choose from either a guided or self-guided itinerary. We can even arrange for a Mad Hatter's tea party on arrival day if you'd like one. More details here.