Aberfeldy based professional Storyteller Claire Hewitt is to cycle the 81-mile route of the legendary Etape Caledonia Sportive (very slowly!) whilst creating a Cycle Story, a series of stand-alone stories that merge into one (and a Story Rap), with local children she meets en route. Her week-long trip will take place during the Highland Perthshire Cycling Festival, a community and family friendly cycling festival with a diverse range of (mainly) free bike events staged across the region, from 4 to 11 May 2012.

Starting and finishing her journey in Pitlochry Claire will travel through the communities of Loch Tummel, Kinloch Rannoch, Loch Tay and Kenmore; following the River Tay by Aberfeldy, Grandtully and Logierait. She will host schools workshops and chat to community groups and individuals along the route gathering and telling old and new journey related stories in order to create her own unique Story Cycle.

Claire, who is an accredited Storyteller with the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh, will share all sections of her story with each new community she visits, before developing new ones with them. She will stitch together the fabric of the final tale as she goes, linking all of the region’s communities and weaving in the local fauna, flora and rich folklore connected to the stunning landscape and wider environment of Highland Perthshire.

Claire Hewitt said: ‘As I cycle gently along on my bike through some of the most beautiful wild landscape in Scotland, rich with stories and folklore I will have time to stop and chat to anyone who has time for a blether and share a story over a cup of tea. So if you see me on my travels, maybe you could join in on your bike, or walk a step of the way with me. I’d be delighted to have your company.’

During the week Claire Hewitt is also keen for individuals in each community she visits to host an evening Kitchen Ceilidh, a small gathering of neighbours in the home where Claire and the assembled company can share stories and songs.

At the end of her journey the whole Story Cycle and Rap will be complete and Claire will share it at Highland Perthshire Cycling Festival’s Big Day, a community and family focused fun cycle day with Scottish cycling legend Graeme Obree, on Saturday 12 May in Aberfeldy.

She will then leave the Etape Caledonia to the capacity field of 5,250 cyclists on Sunday 13 May when some of the fastest riders will cycle the route in under three and a half hours, a mere 160 hours faster than Claire.

In order to create a sense of wonder as each part is created and added during the week Claire will encourage the children in each school she visits to send/email their piece of the story onto the next school on the route once it is has been written thereby building A Relay Story Cycle.

The Highland Perthshire Cycling Festival has a diverse range of (mainly) free road and mountain bike events, aimed at cyclists of all ages and abilities, that will be staged across the region from Friday 4th to Sunday 13th of May. It has a busy roster of races, guided rides (with local enthusiasts both on and off road), skills sessions, workshops, women’s events, a schools programme, family fun days and cultural evens; all culminating in the legendary Etape Caledonia Sportive weekend.

For more information on Highland Perthshire Cycling and The Highland Perthshire Cycling Festival – visit:

http://www.highlandperthshirecycling.co.uk/

You can find out more information on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Highland-Perthshire-Cycling/333320520038338 and twitter: @HPCycling

For more information on Claire Hewitt and the Scottish Storytelling Centre go to:

www.clairehewitt.co.uk

www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk

Source: The Highland Perthshire Cycling Festival