ramblers routes ramblers routes Britain’s best walks from the experts Britain’s best walks from the experts

Scotland 12/11/2013 12:18 01 Craigellachie National Nature Reserve, 02 Dunkeld & Loch of the Lowes, Perthshire l Distance 5km/3 miles l Time 2hrs l Type Forest and hill l Distance 9½km/6 miles l Time 3hrs l Type River and country NAvIGATION LEvEL FITNESS LEvEL NAvIGATION LEvEL FITNESS LEvEL walk magazine winter 2013 walk magazine winter 2013 plan your walk plan your walk

PERTHSHIRE l CRAIGELLACHIE DuNKELD Dundee l l HIGHLAND Perth

l Stirling

Cairngorms l National Park l Edinburgh

Where: Woodland and hill Where: Circular walk walk through Craigellachie through countryside around th FErgUS KEI PhotograPhy: National Nature Reserve in Dunkeld in Perthshire. KEIth FErgUS PhotograPhy: . Start/end: Atholl car park, “Stand fast Craig Elachie” is the grow with the arrival of the Dunkeld is an historic and from Friday to Sunday between Start/end: Aviemore railway Dunkeld (NO026429). battle cry of Clan Grant and refers railway in the 1800s. But even in beautiful town sitting on the November and February. station (NN896123). terrain: Pavement, to Craigellachie, which stands the preceding centuries, the village banks of the River Tay. It is home terrain: Pavement, countryside and guard over Aviemore. A burning was a major through route for to the arresting Dunkeld 1. START From Atholl car park, woodland and hill paths and riverside paths. beacon on its summit was used travellers, hence its translation Cathedral, which was built turn R onto Atholl Street and walk tracks, with one steep ascent MapS: OS Explorer 379; to rally the Grants to arms. The from Gaelic as ‘The Big Pass’. between 1260 and 1501 and is through Dunkeld, turning R onto onto Craigellachie. Landranger 52. panorama from the top is far- Today, Aviemore is a significant dedicated to St Columba. This High Street. Keep R of a fountain MapS: OS Explorer 403; GettinG there: Regular reaching, including much of centre for outdoor activities and superb walk leaves from the town then walk R through an archway Landranger 36. Scotrail trains run from Badenoch and Speyside, the big, a great base to explore the centre and journeys all the way to into the parkland of Stanley Hill, GettinG there: ScotRail Glasgow and Inverness to lonely Monadhliath Mountains National Park. From Loch of the Lowes – a wonderful which was created by the second operates from Glasgow, Dunkeld. Citylink bus M91 and a number of the renowned Aviemore railway station, turn L body of water, which is home to Duke of Atholl around 1730. At a Edinburgh and Inverness to goes via Dunkeld from Cairngorms. Beneath the summit and walk south through Aviemore a staggering array of wildlife, junction, go L through the park to Aviemore. Scottish Citylink Edinburgh to Inverness is Craigellachie National Nature along Grampian Road (B9152). including ospreys. It was here, in a fork. To the L are the grounds bus G10 runs between (✆ 0871 266 3333, www. Reserve, one of the largest semi- Once away from the town centre, 1962, that the first breeding pair of Dunkeld Cathedral (NO024425) Glasgow and Inverness and travelinescotland.com). natural pockets of woodland in turn R onto a road (NN894119) of these raptors was re-introduced and a visit is highly recommended. the M91 from Edinburgh to eatinG & drinkinG: Strathspey, with many of the birch signposted for the youth hostel, into Scotland after being Inverness, both going via The Taybank, Dunkeld trees over a century old. They turn Catholic church and Craigellachie persecuted to extinction in 1916. 2. To continue the walk, take the Aviemore (✆ 0871 266 3333, (✆ 01350 727340, www. an extraordinary shade of gold in National Nature Reserve. This Such was the success of the R fork, follow a path around to www.travelinescotland.com). thetaybank.co.uk). autumn. Aspen, rowan, hazel, minor road climbs by the hostel breeding programme that today the L then go L again at another eatinG & drinkinG: The SleepinG: The Atholl Arms, Scots pine and juniper can also be and church onto a broad there are around 240 pairs in fork. The path swings R towards Old Bridge Inn, Aviemore Dunkeld (✆ 01350 727219, found in the reserve, together woodland path. Follow this down Scotland. Sharing Loch of the the River Tay. When the path (✆ 01479 811137, www. www.athollarmshotel.com). with over 50 bird species, including to a fork, go L through an Lowes quite happily with the splits again, bear L to reach the oldbridgeinn.co.uk). ViSitor inforMation: bullfinch, Scottish crossbill, wood underpass beneath the A9 into ospreys are sandmartins, buzzards, riverbank. Proceed west, following SleepinG: Strathspey House, Dunkeld TIC, The Cross warbler, tree pipit, lesser redpoll Craigellachie (NN891120). Canada geese, great-crested one of the finest sections of the Aviemore (✆ 01479 812 453, (✆ 01350 727688,

and spotted flycatcher. grebes, teal, wigeon, tufted River Tay, the banks cloaked in www.visitscotland.com). www.strathspeyhouse.com). 2. The path climbs gently into the ducks, goldeneyes and otters. beautiful woodland with fine

ViSitor inforMation: Guidebook: Walking 1. START Like many villages in the stunning birch woodland. At a The visitor centre is open daily views back to Dunkeld Bridge.

Highland Perthshire by ▲

Aviemore TIC, The Parade ▲ ▼

fork, go R and walk to reach the between March and October, and Follow the path then a track to a ▼ Highlands, Aviemore began to 53-54 walk41 ramblers routes SCOTLAND.indd 1 53-54 walk41 ramblersroutesSCOTLAND.indd 2 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright.AM34/08 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright.AM34/08

5 4

3 START FINISH 1 4 5 START 2 FINISH 1 3

2

Map not to scale. Map not to scale. Map not to scale. Representation of Representation of Representation of OS Landranger OS Landranger OS Landranger MAP 52 1:50,000 MAP 36 1:50,000 MAP 52 1:50,000 www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Continued... To download this route and hundreds of others, Continued... To download this route and hundreds of others, visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes Ronald Turnbull (£14.95, (✆ 01479 810363, Cicerone, ISBN www.visitscotland.com). L then R to a waymarked path on 3. Bear R at the next waymark, maintained path then continues 978 1852846732). carefully cross a minor road then Guidebook: Walking in the the R. Take this then immediately cross a burn by stepping stones south over a series of undulations, LoCaL RambLeRs GRoup: walk L along a path to the visitor Cairngorms by Ronald bear R and descend a lovely path. then walk around to the R of the passing a cairn, onto Craigellachie’s Perth & District Ramblers centre and hides at Loch of the Turnbull (£14, Cicerone, Just before the A923, take a L fork loch, relishing the landscape. Once 493m/1,620ft summit (NN881123). (✆ 01738 813123, www. Lowes (NO041435). ISBN 978 1852844523). and walk through attractive beech away from the loch, a wider stony perthramblers.blogspot.com). LoCaL RambLeRs GRoup: woodland, soon dropping down to path is reached (NN888125). 5. Retrace your steps back to the 5. Retrace your steps back to the Badenoch & Strathspey the A923 opposite Dunkeld and path passed on the way up junction a little southeast of Ramblers (✆ 01479 851735, hotel (NO012425). Bear L onto the Birnam Golf Course (NO030432). 4. Turn L and climb steadily (NN887125). Turn R and follow this Fungarth (NO041429). Take the www.highlandramblers.org. entrance drive but, just before the through birch woodland towards narrow path southwest then L fork (signposted for ‘Dunkeld’) uk/badenochandstrathspey). hotel, go R at a fork, follow the 4. Carefully cross the road, turn R along a grassy path through the steep crags of Craigellachie. south, traversing the lower slopes drive around the rear of the hotel then L and walk along the golf attractive countryside. After a Keep straight on by a path on the of Craigellachie and above the and through a car park. At the course entrance road, past the gate, bear R onto a broad track, first birch pool, Loch Puladdern L (the return route) and continue second of the birch pools. Descend next fork, go R and climb the drive clubhouse and through a car park. which descends gradually then (NN891121). Bear L to follow the to climb. The path soon zigzags gently (with some great views over to a road (NO013430). At its R corner, join a path that steeply, veering R onto a narrow path around the loch’s L edge steeply underneath the crags, Aviemore), eventually reaching a turns L then goes through a gate road. Follow this to Brae Street then continue away from the with great views opening out junction. Go R and drop down the 3. Cross the road and turn R then onto a field-edge path. After two (NO034424) on the outskirts of loch, alongside a burn to the R. towards the Cairngorms and well-maintained path to reach L through a gate onto an Atholl more gates, go straight on and Dunkeld. Turn R and walk along The path veers L to a junction. north along the River Spey. another junction near Loch Woods path, keeping along it past walk past Fungarth (NO037431). this quiet road, eventually Turn R here, where another path The path then veers L and climbs Puladdern. Bear R and walk back lovely Polney Loch. At the head of A rougher track here drops down dropping steeply back to Dunkeld continues underneath the a flight of steps to gain a down to the outward-bound path. the loch, bear R through Atholl through scenic countryside and at Atholl Street. Turn R back to the wooded slopes of Craigellachie. wonderful viewpoint over Go R here and retrace your steps Estates woodland to Cally car park then swings L, climbing to a start of your walk. Follow this to a path on the L Aviemore towards the Cairngorms back under the A9 and past the (NO024437). Go straight on, follow junction. Bear L, continue above Route devised by Keith Fergus and take this to a waymark. Turn and down over Craigellachie youth hostel to Aviemore. Turn L a broad track (signposted ‘Loch of the golf course and, once through R onto a narrow path, which National Nature Reserve. The onto Grampian Road back to the

12/11/2013 12:18 the Lowes’) and go straight on at a gate, descend through climbs gently to reach the second neighbouring hillsides are train station. the next crossroads. The track turns woodland. Beyond a gate, birch pool (NN887123). swathed in woodland. The well- Route devised by Keith Fergus