A dedicated adrenaline run to Perthshire: one of the only bungee jumps in Scotland, hung over the River Garry at the dramatic Pass of Killiecrankie — a real gorge, a real 1689 battle site, and two whisky distilleries to recover in afterwards.
Most of this series is about hiking, climbing or paddling somewhere beautiful. This one is about jumping off a bridge. Highland Fling Bungee operates from the old Garry Bridge — the original A9 road bridge over the River Garry, bypassed since the modern A9 was rerouted in 1986 — right at the mouth of the Pass of Killiecrankie, a genuinely dramatic wooded gorge a few kilometres north of Pitlochry. It's one of only a small handful of permanent bungee operators anywhere in Scotland, which makes the drive worth it on its own. Around it: the Pass itself (a real 1689 Jacobite battlefield, with a National Trust for Scotland visitor centre and the famous "Soldier's Leap"), Blair Castle a few minutes further up the glen, and two of Perthshire's best-known whisky distilleries in Pitlochry.
Sources: leshuttle.com, dfds.com, directferries.com (fares genuinely dynamic — re-check before booking).
Unlike the Skye trip in this series (which runs west via Glasgow and Glencoe), Killiecrankie sits on the A9 north of Perth, so the cleanest route from Calais runs via London's orbital motorways, up the M1/A1(M), past Newcastle, across the border, then Edinburgh → Perth → Pitlochry. Add the ~290 km from Meudon-la-Forêt to Calais, and it's roughly 1,300 km one-way and 13–14 hours of pure driving — noticeably shorter than the full Highland expeditions elsewhere in this series, so it's realistic to do as a proper long weekend rather than a week-and-a-half trip.
Real Tesla Superchargers en route in England: Maidstone/Ashford (Kent), then Rugby or Corley Services (M6), then Southwaite Services (M6) just south of Carlisle — the same chain used on the Skye run. With the Model Y's realistic ~330–370 km range, you genuinely don't need all of these: a stop near Maidstone/Ashford shortly after landing and a single stop at Southwaite are enough to cover the length of England, with Rugby/Corley sitting there as an optional buffer if you'd rather split the driving into shorter hops. Crossing into Scotland, Abington (M74) and the Edinburgh-area sites are likewise optional top-ups now rather than required stops; Perth itself, which has a Supercharger close to the A9, remains worth using as your last full charge before the 26-mile final stretch up to Pitlochry and Killiecrankie — less about range than about arriving with maximum buffer before a stretch with no fast charging. Pitlochry itself has slower public ChargePlace Scotland CCS chargers as a backup, but there's no need for them if you top up fully at Perth.
Sources: Tesla Supercharger map, joinbonnet.com Scotland charging guide, freemaptools.com distance data.
No seasonal camping-management byelaw applies to this stretch of Perthshire (unlike parts of East Loch Lomond), so a genuinely free, legal overnight is realistic here.
Motorway run to Calais-Coquelles, load onto the Shuttle, remember to keep left in Kent. Charge at Maidstone/Ashford, push toward the Midlands. Overnight at a quiet Park4Night-listed layby or pub car park (ask first) near the M6 — Britain has no French-style Aire network, so this takes a bit more improvisation.
Long motorway day the length of England. With ~330–370 km real-world range, a single charge at Southwaite comfortably carries you across the border and on toward Edinburgh. Cross into Scotland near Gretna — Abington is a genuine, well-placed Supercharger if you want extra margin, but it's optional rather than required — and overnight near Edinburgh or push on toward Perth if you've made good time.
Short driving day up the A9. Charge fully at Perth — your last Supercharger before Pitlochry, which sits 42 km (26 miles) further north. Set up camp near Killiecrankie, walk off the drive at the free NTS-managed Pass of Killiecrankie visitor site: a genuinely dramatic wooded gorge on the River Garry, site of the Battle of Killiecrankie (27 July 1689), the opening battle of the first Jacobite rising, where the Highland charge overwhelmed General Hugh Mackay's government troops in about ten minutes — and where Jacobite Viscount "Bonnie Dundee" was killed. The Soldier's Leap — where a fleeing government soldier is said to have jumped the gorge to escape — is a short walk from the car park, free to visit.
This is the trip's centrepiece and its one genuine splurge — everything else in the budget stays cheap so this doesn't feel like a stretch. Bring closed shoes and be ready for a genuinely unnerving few seconds of freefall before the cord catches.
Price range is an approximate current estimate for a standard jump — Highland Fling Bungee's own site should be checked directly before booking, as bungee pricing shifts with add-ons and season.
Pitlochry has two real distilleries. Blair Athol, distilling since 1798 and now part of Diageo, sits right on the main road through town with a proper visitor centre: the entry-level Signature Tour (1 hour, with tasting) runs from £21 per person, with longer Allt Dour (£65) and Beyond the Cask (£110) experiences for those who want to go deeper. Edradour, just east of town, is the smallest legal distillery in Scotland — tiny production, historically atmospheric, though check current visitor access before planning around it. Round off the day with a proper Scottish pub dinner on Pitlochry's high street — venison, salmon or a good steak pie — as the trip's other treat, alongside the bungee jump itself.
Retrace the A9/M74/M6 route south, charging at Southwaite and Maidstone/Ashford — the two stops that are genuinely necessary given the extra range — with Rugby/Corley and Abington available as optional buffers if you want them. Shuttle or ferry back across the Channel, then the final motorway run home. Most people will want to split this into two days rather than one very long push.
Perthshire has genuinely good cycling — the Pitlochry area connects into National Cycle Network routes along the Rivers Tummel and Garry, and Glen Tilt above Blair Atholl is a classic off-road route into the Cairngorms fringe. This is fundamentally a one-adrenaline-activity trip, but the bike is a great way to fill the rest day between the drive up and the jump itself. Loaded inside per the Car Camping & Bike Guide, no range penalty on the motorway legs.
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| Fuel-equivalent charging (France + England + Scotland, ~2,600 km round trip) | ≈ €140–180 |
| French tolls (Meudon–Calais return) | ≈ €55–70 |
| Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, return, booked ahead off-peak | ≈ £150–220 (≈ €175–260) |
| Lodging (free wild camping most nights; 1 night at Faskally Caravan Park for a shower) | ≈ €20–30 |
| Highland Fling Bungee jump | ≈ £70 (≈ €82) |
| Blair Athol Signature Tour | £21 (≈ €25) |
| Treat-yourself Pitlochry pub dinner | ≈ £20–25 (≈ €23–29) |
| Food (self-cooked, remaining meals) | ≈ €60–80 |
| Total | €480–620 |
Ferry/tunnel and charging costs are genuinely dynamic — re-check nearer your travel dates. Bungee price is an approximate current estimate; confirm directly with Highland Fling Bungee before booking. Rate used: £1 ≈ €1.17 (July 2026, approximate).