Responsible Access Useful information Acknowledgments Paths For All
Enjoy Scotland’s outdoors - responsibly! Angus Ahead website Many of the signposted paths have been developed with Wherever possible, obstructions such as stiles and steps www.angusahead.com.uk the co-operation and assistance of local landowners. have been avoided, to make the paths as accessible as Know the Code before you go… possible. Everyone has the right to be on most land and inland Gateway Museum Tourist Office, The Eastern Cairngorms Access Project has been made water providing they act responsibly. Your access rights 32 High Street, Kirriemuir. possible through partnership funding from Scottish Most of the paths are accessible to cyclists and and responsibilities are explained fully in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Tel: (01575) 575479 Enterprise Tayside, Angus Environmental Trust, horseriders as well as to walkers. In a few cases physical Angus Council, Local Estates and SNH, together with conditions make routes inaccessible or less suitable for Whether you’re in the outdoors or managing the Traveline (Public Transport information): Paths To Health Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Regional cyclists or horseriders. In these cases walking, cycling or outdoors, the key things are to: Tel: 0871 200 22 33 Walking is an excellent way of helping you improve your Development Fund. horseriding symbols have been used to recommend • take responsibility for your own actions; health. It is the simplest and most natural form of www.visitcairngorms.com appropriate use. • respect the interests of other people; The content of this publication can be made available on exercise there is. • care for the environment Visit Scotland, Castle Street, Dundee, DD1 3AA. Tel: alternative formats or translated into other community All of the paths are signposted with green fingerposts, as 30 minutes brisk walking each day can make a big Find out more by visiting www.outdooraccess- (01382) 527527 www.angusanddundee.co.uk languages. Please contact the Council’s ACCESSLine on are return routes to Kirriemuir along public roads. scotland.com or phoning Scottish Natural Heritage on difference. You don’t have to do this all at once; it could 0845 777 778 for further information. Distances are given in miles. (01738) 458545 for a copy of the full Code or a leaflet. Other Leaflets available: Forfar Path Network, Brechin be two 15-minute walks. Path Network, Arbroath Path Network, Walking in Glen Many of the paths have a hard, well-drained surface. Clova and Glen Doll, Walking in Glen Esk. What are the benefits of keeping active? Other more remote paths in the network may have a Taking regular exercise will not only make you feel For further details contact: grassy surface or may be muddy, particularly where they For information on the leaflets and path networks in Angus better, it could also be a lifesaver. are shared with farm vehicles. Appropriate footwear for please contact Angus Council. ACCESSLine (all Council enquiries) 08452 777 778 Research has shown that exercise can help to: wet or muddy conditions is recommended. Please e-mail: [email protected] • Lower stress levels and blood pressure or visit: www.angus.gov.uk • Take your litter home. • Reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes • Keep your dog under close control. Remove Dog dirt • Strengthen bones and muscles and dispose of it safely. • Be aware that cattle can be dangerous. Don’t take your • Maintain flexible joints dog into fields where there are calves or other young • Control weight animals. Never let your dog worry or attack livestock. If you want to improve your fitness, why not try out some • Expect to meet other people. Let farm traffic pass of the paths on the map. Try starting with short walks, safely. Cycle or ride at a safe speed. and build up to longer walks as your fitness improves. Many of routes listed are used by riders. If you have a dog with you keep it under close control while horses pass. Riders please clear your horse’s manure off paths as walkers and children also use the paths.
Planning & Transport
track back to Kirriemuir. to back track
public road to the sign for Herdhillmuir Farm. Follow this Follow Farm. Herdhillmuir for sign the to road public
is suitable for horses. for suitable is turn left for about 400 yards then right and follow the follow and right then yards 400 about for left turn
also pass his Birthplace, which is now a museum. museum. a now is which Birthplace, his pass also
replanted and there is a wide verge on East Hill Road which Road Hill East on verge wide a is there and replanted Alternatively continue up Eastgate to the top of the hill, the of top the to Eastgate up continue Alternatively
Barrie is buried. If you continue towards the town you town the towards continue you If buried. is Barrie
Caddam Wood and Kirrie Hill. The wood itself has been has itself wood The Hill. Kirrie and Wood Caddam can continue out onto the public road to Kinnordy loch. Kinnordy to road public the onto out continue can
Cemetery (signed Path Network “Kirrie Hill”) where J.M. where Hill”) “Kirrie Network Path (signed Cemetery
east of Northmuir and makes a pleasant detour between detour pleasant a makes and Northmuir of east village. It is worth a detour to look at their work and you and work their at look to detour a worth is It village.
the town. This will take you past the access to the town the to access the past you take will This town. the
Migvie Wood or Kate’s Wood as it is known locally, lies locally, known is it as Wood Kate’s or Wood Migvie created their own community woodland just west of the of west just woodland community own their created
down to Brechin Road where you turn right to return to return to right turn you where Road Brechin to down
starting point or you can branch off into Caddam Wood. Caddam into off branch can you or point starting
and cross the A926 at the shop. The villagers have villagers The shop. the at A926 the cross and
you can use them as refuges from traffic. from refuges as them use can you
path round the reservoir down into the quarry then on then quarry the into down reservoir the round path
Kinnordy Road. Turn right to follow this back to your to back this follow to right Turn Road. Kinnordy
To complete the loop turn right up Low Road at the sign the at Road Low up right turn loop the complete To
road verges around the woods have been cleared so that so cleared been have woods the around verges road
Stone then crosses the access to a reservoir. Follow the Follow reservoir. a to access the crosses then Stone Wood. Follow the road itself to the junction with junction the to itself road the Follow Wood.
become soft and are best avoided in wet weather. The weather. wet in avoided best are and soft become
Plovermuir farm and on into Westmuir. into on and farm Plovermuir familiar with the area. area. the with familiar The pathway continues along the ridge past a Standing a past ridge the along continues pathway The parallel to this road for part of the way back to Caddam to back way the of part for road this to parallel
routes. Riders please be aware that these tracks can tracks these that aware be please Riders routes.
hill. At the foot turn right and follow the track past track the follow and right turn foot the At hill. generally signposted on the ground if you are not are you if ground the on signposted generally
northwards to an unclassified road. There is a track a is There road. unclassified an to northwards
another vista across Strathmore towards Forfar. towards Strathmore across vista another
Walkers are asked to allow riders to pass safely on these on safely pass to riders allow to asked are Walkers
meets a farm track where you should turn left down the down left turn should you where track farm a meets individually but are shown on the map. They are also are They map. the on shown are but individually
you reach a farm track where a sign directs you directs sign a where track farm a reach you
point above the quarry and you will be rewarded with rewarded be will you and quarry the above point
wood which, in good conditions, are suitable for horses. for suitable are conditions, good in which, wood
houses until it widens out onto the fields. The path The fields. the onto out widens it until houses paths around the town. These have not been listed been not have These town. the around paths
read the book, see how many you can identify. identify. can you many how see book, the read until woods the of edge the along continues path The
top of a disused quarry. Follow this to a triangulation a to this Follow quarry. disused a of top
There are rides along the north and south edges of the of edges south and north the along rides are There
Street. Once you cross this, follow the path between the between path the follow this, cross you Once Street.
In addition to the listed routes there is a network of network a is there routes listed the to addition In
ideas for some of locations in “Peter Pan”. If you have you If Pan”. “Peter in locations of some for ideas
will find a path on the right, which takes you along the along you takes which right, the on path a find will
area to clear ground where the loch is visible. is loch the where ground clear to area
Webster’s High School and follows Clova Road to Lindsay to Road Clova follows and School High Webster’s
the public is restricted in places in restricted is public the the Den and it is not difficult to see where he got his got he where see to difficult not is it and Den the
the Angus hills. If you continue past the cemetery you cemetery the past continue you If hills. Angus the
Westmuir. Alternatively continue through the reeded the through continue Alternatively Westmuir.
two links connecting with Kirriemuir. One starts beside starts One Kirriemuir. with connecting links two
trees to get established. which means that the area for area the that means which established. get to trees Young J.M. Barrie used to enjoy playing in and around and in playing enjoy to used Barrie J.M. Young
yourself in the open on Kirrie Hill with amazing views of views amazing with Hill Kirrie on open the in yourself
a reeded area you can branch off to the Bird hides and hides Bird the to off branch can you area reeded a
Kirriemuir. It has its own network of paths but there are there but paths of network own its has It Kirriemuir. Other Paths Other
to develop. The new planting is protected to allow the allow to protected is planting new The develop. to
a track to the Camera Obscura and you will soon find soon will you and Obscura Camera the to track a
from the town centre following the vintage signposts. vintage the following centre town the from of start the At bridge. arch stone a crossing before bank
century to provide housing for linen workers from workers linen for housing provide to century
with more mixed woodland, which will take a few years few a take will which woodland, mixed more with
Walk up Roods from the town centre then turn right up right turn then centre town the from Roods up Walk
enjoyed for its own sake or it can be included in a loop a in included be can it or sake own its for enjoyed south the along path the Follow banks. its along up piled
west of Kirriemuir. The village sprang up in the 19th the in up sprang village The Kirriemuir. of west
areas in the centre have been harvested and replanted and harvested been have centre the in areas
railway station in Marywell Gardens. The den can be can den The Gardens. Marywell in station railway was removed material the and century 19th the in loch
Westmuir is a village in its own right about a mile to the to mile a about right own its in village a is Westmuir
1.75 miles 1 hour 1 miles 1.75 The outer edge of the wood is mature beech trees, but trees, beech mature is wood the of edge outer The
begins and runs right through to the site of the old the of site the to through right runs and begins the lower to dredged was burn Gairie The wet. quite
Kirrie Hill Kirrie 3.5 miles 2 hours 2 miles 3.5 alternative path in the trees, which runs parallel to it. it. to parallel runs which trees, the in path alternative from Lochmill Road where the path to Kinnordy loch Kinnordy to path the where Road Lochmill from be can path the as recommended, is footwear stout and
rough & muddy in places. You may prefer to follow the follow to prefer may You places. in muddy & rough open space with its own network of paths. The ‘Den’ runs ‘Den’ The paths. of network own its with space open times at overgrown be can area The Den. Kirrie of top
Westmuir Loop Westmuir
Windyghoul Road. This runs through the wood and is and wood the through runs This Road. Windyghoul development of the town it has also created very pleasant very created also has it town the of development the from starts which loch the to path a is There loch.
reached by following either East Hill Road, Mid Road or Road Mid Road, Hill East either following by reached town in a deeply eroded valley. While this has split the split has this While valley. eroded deeply a in town the of side south the on hides public with reserve, bird
Caddam Wood lies to the north of the town and can be can and town the of north the to lies Wood Caddam The Garrie burn flows right through the centre of the of centre the through right flows burn Garrie The a as Loch Kinnordy around area the maintain RSPB The
3.5 miles 2 hours 2 miles 3.5 1.75 miles 1 hour 1 miles 1.75 hours 1.5 miles 3
Caddam Wood Caddam Kirrie Den Kirrie Loch Kinnordy
Kirriemuir - ‘Gateway to the Glens’
Signposted Routes Long before the Roman Legions camped in Caddam Wood, There are many pleasant paths and tracks which provide opportunities for Kirrie Hill walking, cycling and horseriding in the countryside around Kirriemuir. The the area was a settlement for Stone, Bronze and Iron Age dwellers. routes in this leaflet have been signposted to help you explore the area. Relics of their existence can be found in the ‘Stannin Stane’ on Caddam Wood You can follow one of the routes described overleaf, or link together the signposted paths to make your own route. The walk times assume that Kirrie Hill and in the Pictish Stones from the old Parish Churchyard Kinnordy Loch you will be walking at an easy pace to enjoy the countryside. The circuits are usually best started from the town centre, where you will find parking now on display in the Meffan Museum in Forfar. Westmuir Loop if you need it. If you start elsewhere please park your car considerately. Kirrie Den The right of responsible access applies to other paths and tracks on the map, unless they pass through land where access rights don’t apply. Kirriemuir church dates back to Pictish times. It was probably Other Paths Further Information can be found in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. founded in the early 9th century, and dedicated to Queen Mary, Dashed routes are on roads who is remembered in the street name Marywell Brae. The Earls of Angus, and their celtic predecessors, the Mormaers of Angus, had the right of burial in the church. It was an important Pictish church which also had judicial powers, giving the Kirriemuir the status of a burgh of barony. The Court hill just above the Den was where this justice was dispensed, probably until the building of the town house in 1604.
The ‘Kirkton of Kirriemuir’ became a ‘free burgh in barony’ in 1459 with a population of 124, but did not become a significant town until the mid 18th century when the weaving boom brought great prosperity. By the mid 19th century the population of the ‘Wee Red Toon’ had risen to 3000 and the demand for housing saw the establishment of Southmuir, Westmuir and Northmuir villages. Wilkie’s factory at the south end of the ‘Den’ continues the textile tradition although it has progressed considerably from the early machinery powered by the water from the adjacent Garrie Burn.
Kirriemuir is perhaps best known for its famous son, J M Barrie the creator of Peter Pan. His birthplace is now a museum run by the National Trust for Scotland. Son of a weaver he was the ninth of ten children. He became a journalist before he moved on to his now well known novels and plays. In his books he used Kirriemuir as his imaginary town of ‘Thrums’. This is its local name and is the local pronunciation for threads presumably from the weaving trade.
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