Other Paths in the To Bridge of Call y Blairgowrie Area The P Drimmie WoodP Distance: 64 miles/103 km

T Approx time: 4-5 days Drove Road o Terrain: The trail follows quiet roads, old drovers tracks and open countryside. D ro v e The route goes through farmland with sheep R o a d and cattle and much of it is on unsurfaced paths through open countryside. Access for mountain ToBlairgowrie bikes and horses is therefore limited. Blackcraig To Bridge of Cally Forest at Bridge of Cally offers very good access Rattray Broad Moss A93 for horses and mountain bikes all year round. Lornty Burn P B947 The route will take you through some stunning Ardblair countryside, passing through Strathardle, P Wood BLAIRGOWRIE Riv Glenshee and Glenisla. Industrial Estate er Ericht Cateran River Ericht Welton Trail Gallabank B949 www.caterantrail.org Knockie Drimmie Wood Knockie A93 Hill Cargill’s A923 A Wood Leap 923 To To Essendy Distance: 4 miles/7 km planted with fast growing Sitka spruce for timber To To Perth Road North Wood, Darroch Approx time: 2½ hours production. There are other tracks through the Wood Terrain: Even ground with good tracks Start/finish: Car park at Drimmie Wood wood but the waymarked route goes directly suitable for walking, mountain towards Tullyfergus Estate. Note the difference biking and horse riding. Terrain: Most of the route follows good P tracks with gentle gradients. in types of trees as you leave Drimmie Wood and Newton Street Suitable for walking, mountain B947 North Wood at Meikleour holds a special secret. head across Tullyfergus. The estate has planted Ardblair biking and horse riding. Drimmie a large quantity of native hardwood trees such T Wood A visit to the wood will reveal one of ’s Wellm eado w Essendy o Fingask Wood and Tullyfergus loop are BLAIRGOWRIE White most curious Scheduled Ancient Monuments, the as ash and oak and also left clearings which are B Loch Black suitable for horses but not the 949 A92 Loch ‘Cleaven Dyke’. It dates back to the Neolithic linking section due to soft ground good for wildlife. The path is an ancient drove To Dunkeld Loch A923 3 period and may have been used for ceremonial conditions. road used hundreds of years ago to move cattle purposes. from the highlands to towns such as Coupar It is possible to walk to Drimmie Wood from Angus, Blairgowrie and beyond. The view to the Also near the village is another famous attraction, Blairgowrie following the Drimmie Road for north extends as far as the Angus hills and to the the Meikleour Beech Hedge. The hedge is 2 miles. This involves some steep climbs and The Knockie Path The Ardblair Trail Bluebell Wood east and south lie the . The path leads recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as blind bends so please take care. The standing to the Alyth Road and the town of Alyth can be Distance: 3 miles/5 km Distance: 3 miles/5 km Distance: 2 miles/3 km being the tallest hedge in the world. stone near the road is known as the Kynballoch reached via the Den o’ Alyth. The waymarked Approx time: 1½ hours Approx time: 1½ hours Approx time: 1 hour (allow for an additional 30-40 Stone. The stone has three ‘cup marks’, small path loops back up another drove road to regain Start/finish: Riverside Car Park Start/finish: Wellmeadow, Blairgowrie minutes if walking from the centre of circular depressions believed to be created the original route through Drimmie Wood. Blairgowrie) Terrain: Level path by the river, with steep Terrain: Gentle gradients and level paths by our Neolithic ancestors. Drimmie Wood is steps beside the Cuttle Burn and a make this route suitable for most Start/finish: Muirton of Arblair managed by Forestry Commission Scotland, and climb to the summit of the Knockie. walkers. Part of the Gallabank path Terrain: The route mainly follows a mixture is suitable for wheelchairs. The of good level paths but there are One of the two viewing platforms next to the river route from Myreside Farm to Ardblair some uneven sections through Ericht looks down to the famous ‘Cargill’s Leap’. Wood is suitable for horseriders and Bluebell Wood with gentle gradients. Born in 1610 in nearby Hatton, mountain bikers. Due to mixed ground conditions the SCOTTISH OUTDOOR Perth & Council and several private path is only suitable for walkers. landowners own and manage the Blairgowrie became a minister of the Barony Kirk in . The Ardblair Trail is a short route, passing castles, ACCESS CODE Path Network. Perth and Blairgowrie is one of He refused to acknowledge the laws passed by and goes through mixed countryside and ancient Follow Perth Road and take the Ardblair Trail Explore the six cluster areas included in the Charles II to establish bishops in Scotland and woodland. The route leaves the town along through Ardblair Wood. Muirton of Ardblair was Know the Code before you go... Big Tree Country Heritage and Access project, was outlawed with a price on his head. the Gallabank, aptly named as this is where once a weavers’ village said to be the last place Blairgowrie celebrating the amazing woodland heritage in executions used to take place (‘Galla’ is Scots for in Scotland where strip farming took place. Sadly Everyone has the right to be on most land and the area, and co-ordinated by In one infamous adventure he escaped a party of gallows). Nearby is Newton Castle, an ancient the majority of the cottages have long gone inland water providing they act responsibly. Your Countryside Trust. Path dragoons by jumping the narrow gorge. He was fortified farmhouse, once the stronghold of the but the area still retains its charm. The path access rights and responsibilities are explained finally executed in 1681. Access to Cargill’s Leap Drummond Clan but now the home of Sir William takes you into the ‘Darroch Wood’ (Gaelic for fully in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. is also possible from the Keathbank car park by oak wood). Spectacular from the beginning of Big Tree Country sites in Network Macpherson, Chief of the . Whether you’re in the outdoors or managing the Balmoral Road, and the bridge across the Ericht. April the woodland floor is a carpet of bluebells. this cluster area: At Myreside Farm you will find an interesting outdoors, the key things are to: From here the Old Mill Road runs alonside the collection of 19th century farm buildings. Bluebells are susceptible to trampling so please • Meikleour Beech Hedge Ericht. Most of the mills here turned flax into stick to the path. Follow the path at White • take responsibility for your own actions; linen, employing nearly 2,000 people at their The path leads to a track known as the ‘Weasel Loch - a popular place for both anglers and bird • Den o’ Alyth peak. It is now the route of a wildlife sculpture Roadie’. Not far from this point is Ardblair Castle, watchers - you may see osprey fishing the loch • respect the interests of other people; • Kinnoull Hill Woodland Park trail. for trout. Enter ‘Druidsmere Wood’, a remnant belonging to the Blair-Oliphant family, which • care for the environment. • Aitken Arboretum dates back to 1115. Legend has it that in the of a much larger woodland. Some of the trees The Cateran Trail follows a farm track past the appear to have been pollarded, a sustainable • David Douglas Memorial, Scone Old 16th century two Drummond men, father and Find out more by visiting Church Knockie, leading to views of the Lornty Valley son from Newton Castle, were ambushed and process of harvesting tree limbs to be used for www.outdooraccess-scotland.com and the hills beyond. The Knockie is actually the murdered by the Blairs. This did not bode well firewood, making into charcoal or for building • Moncreiffe Hill Wood last (or first!) foothill of the Grampians. Stop for for Lady Jean Drummond who was in love with materials. For information about other paths visit • Quarrymill Woodland Park a rest to view the Sidlaws, before heading back a Blair. Heartbroken, Lady Jean wandered out www.pkc.gov.uk/paths • Scone Palace downhill. You can pick up the Ardblair Trail or The path comes out opposite the Dalmore Inn on into the marshes... and never returned. Her For ideas on what else to do in Perthshire visit continue down to Blairgowrie via Newton Street. the main Perth Road, from here turn left back to ghost, dressed in green silk, now divides her time www.perthshire.co.uk between the two castles. the start where you have the option of following www.perthshirebigtreecountry.co.uk the Ardblair Trail back to the town centre. For public transport information contact Traveline Scotland Tel 0871 00 22 33 www.travelinescotland.com If you have a To check the weather forecast visit smartphone, scan the QR code below www.bbc.co.uk to link directly to our web pages. If you or someone you know would like a copy of this document in another language or format, (on occasion, only a summary of the document will be provided in translation), this can be arranged by © Crown contacting Customer Service Centre on 01738 475000. Copyright and Database All Council Services can offer a telephone translation facility rights 2014. Ordnance www.pkc.gov.uk Survey. (PKC Design Team - 2013835) 100016971 Bridge, River Ericht Kitty Swanson’s P RATTRAY Other Popular Paths Davie Park The majority of the paths shown in grey are through open farmland so please adhere to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. A93 o Bridge of Cally R i v e r E r ci h t BLAIRGOWRIE Den OAlyth Alyth Burn

A923

Rosemount Drimmie Kitty Sw anson’s Bridge Wood Path Alyth Broad Moss

River Ericht Path Ne Alyth A926 Distance: 8 miles/13 km River Crossing - Kitty Swanson operated a o Kirriemuir Approx time: 4-4½ hours ferry crossing here for many years in the late Start/finish: The Wellmeadow, Blairgowrie 1800s and lived in a cottage nearby. From Terrain: The start and finish of the route Kitty Swanson’s bridge on the south side of is on minor roads so please take the river, the route is more open. To the south Blairgowrie Further care. The off-road sections follow A93 east you can get excellent views of the Sidlaws. Cairns of Information a field edge and flood banks with Kinpurney Tower, above , was built as an Aberbothrie gentle gradients; stout footware is observatory in 1774. The route back takes you Situated on the south facing slopes recommended. Due to soft ground of the last foothills of the Grampians, conditions the route is only suitable past several old mills. the separate towns of Blairgowrie and for walkers. Ashgrove Road leads back towards Rattray. Rattray were joined in 1928 by an Act Welton Road - Blairgowrie Railway Station stood Then onto Davie Park, gifted to the people of of Parliament. by local business man Cateranl near here. Many local people remember the rai William Davie and his sister Mrs Nicoll in 1892. They are separated by the River Ericht, ‘raspberry specials’ from the 1950s, bearing their which has its sources in two of the sweet cargoes all the way to ’s Covent A926 loveliest glens in Scotland, both being Garden. The way-marked trail takes you through natural passes to the north from a mixed landscape with huge barley, wheat and The Knockie Strathmore - Strathardle and Glenshee, strawberry fields. Path the Glen of the Fairies. th Rattray By the end of the 18 century the BLAIRGOWRIE Blairgowrie area was a huge centre for the growing of flax. Initially the linen Stormont Loch weaving industry was home-based but the first industrial mill was erected Terrain: Even ground with good tracks Kinloch A923 suitable for walking, mountain West Grange of in 1798. Others followed in the 19th biking and horse riding. R i chE ti r Aberbothrie century. In 1855 the railway arrived as Rae e r a branch line from . Stormont Loch is well worth a visit, there are Loch good tracks around the loch and through the B947 Making the most adjacent woodland. The loch is a very important Loch of Ardblair Drumellie of your visit area for over wintering wildfowl. Tufted ducks Trail Rosemount River Ericht and great crested grebes nest here. Even in summer the weather can Path Kitty anson s o D unkeld change quickly, so always take Bridge appropriate clothing. The paths can be muddy in places so sensible shoes or walking boots are recommended. Bluebell Take a snack or drink along with you Wood Path - it’s always a good excuse to stop and enjoy the view. The Blairgowrie Fingask White Loch Path Network has been set up with Loch Black Loch the support of local landowners and

A923 farmers. Please remember that they Monk make their living from the land so Myre Carsie please don’t damage crops, disturb Lunan Burn Meikleour livestock and do adhere to the Scottish Wood Stormon t Loch Outdoor Access Code. The ‘Knockie’

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