With the North Coast 500 becoming increasingly popular with people visiting Scotland, many are starting to look for other road trips to get their Scottish staycation kicks.
Thankfully, Scotland is home to plenty of other areas with stunning scenery, iconic landmarks and top food and drink hot spots for travel fans to check out.
One area of the country that is often overlooked can be central Scotland with those areas away from Glasgow and Edinburgh deserving to be explored.
One route, in particular, the Heart 200, is hoping to show how the region can rival the very best the north coast has to offer.
The Heart 200 Route
Launched in 2019, the touring route covers 200 miles around Perth, Stirling, The Trossachs and Highland Perthshire.
Designed to attract more visitors to one of Scotland's most attractive and easily accessible locations, the self-drive trip offers fun for motorists, bikers, cyclists and even walkers.
Featuring both of Scotland's national parks, the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs and the Cairngorms, there is plenty of spectacular scenery to be found on the route.
When to go
Scotland's weather is so changeable that it means you'll find plenty of opportunity to enjoy the route most of the year-round.
The only times that it's probably worth avoiding would be during winter, though snow will add its own magic to the route - it can make driving or cycling much less enjoyable.
Other than that, arriving in any time from spring to autumn (early March to late September) is best for getting the most out of this wonderful road trip.
How long will it take to do?
Depending how long you wish to spend at some of the more interesting spots, you can get round the Heart 200 in around 2-3 days, however we suggest making the most of the trip with a longer duration of 3-4 days to make it even more rewarding.
The Highlights
Castles - Outlander fans will be delighted to see Doune Castle on the route, after it appeared on the hit show, while history lovers can enjoy both Stirling and Blair Castle.
Distilleries - Whisky and gin fans will find a rich vein of distilleries on the 200 including Stirling Gin Distillery and the home of Persie Gin, as well as the Tullibardine, Blair Athol, Aberfeldy and Edradour whisky distilleries
And if you are looking to take some whisky home with you, a trip to the Grail in Doune is always in order.
Activities - There are loads of fun things to do on the route including family fun at Go Ape Aberfoyle, food and drink fun at the Campbell's Bakery and Bake School and thrill-seekers will love the Bungee Jump at Killiecrankie Visitor Centre.
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