Picnics Areas

Birnam Arts Centre

A fantastic multi-purpose venue, there's always something going on! - Live music, theatre & comedy from world class performers. The Foyer Cafeserves delicious cakes, coffees and ice creams as well as a varied lunch menu made using fresh local produce. Purchase a unique gift for a loved one at Potter's Junction Gift Shop and entertain the kids in the Beatrix Potter Exhibition whilst learning about the famous author's links to the area.

The centre is also widely used by Dunkeld & Birnam's many community groups, regularly hosts conferences of up to 150 delegates, serves as an ideal wedding venue for couples seeking a unique wedding experience.

Look out for arts and crafts workshops over the holiday period for kids and adults alike.

South Side Loch Tummel

The quieter south side of Loch Tummel (along to road to Foss) has a good number of places to stop and admire the pleasing vistas and listen to the woodland birds singing.

Loch Tummel offers a breathtakingly beautiful wooded landscape with a shinning loch in the centre. Along the way you will come across some loch-side farms, a few small settlements and an attractive church within an ancient graveyard at Foss. The rich woodlands surrounding Loch Tummel are constantly changing colour throughout the seasons so whenever you go you won't be disappointed with beautiful, peaceful Loch Tummel. Lapping waves along the shores of the loch, songbirds in woods and the wind whirling through the trees all add to the magic.

Loch Tummel has been designated a National Scenic Area (NSA), as it has an unrivalled range of habitats and species. View the native flora and fauna of Highland Perthshire at it's best, there are plenty of resident animals and birds here to discover!

Here's a small selection of what you may see on your journey... Red Squirrels, Deer, Salmon, Trout, Wild Geese, Swans, Birds of Prey (such as Osprey, Buzzards, Eagles are high above), and Wood Warblers (tweeting in the trees).

The Cuilc

The Cuilc is a charming small pond, situated on the edge of the Golf Course with a backdrop of Craigower & Ben Vrackie Moutain.

A great place for seeing & feeding the ducks with the kids, seeing the Squirrels playing in the tree tops above, maybe see a stray Roe Deer running about in the grasslands surrounding the pond. Swans are once again nesting around The Cuilc, these elegant birds have returned to the area after being absent for a number of years, remember they can be feisty! Oystercatchers can be seen and heard around The Cuilc, they can be very noisy and full of character, a beautiful sight.

Birks of Aberfeldy

Follow in the footsteps of our national bard, Robert Burns

Over the centuries, thousands of visitors have been inspired by the natural beauty of the gorge. The Birks of Aberfeldy is a popular circular walk through wonderful mixed woodland on the outskirts of Aberfeldy. The Falls of Moness tumble through the gorge and provide a dramatic centrepiece, especially impressive after heavy rainfall. Robert Burns visited in 1787 and was so inspired that he wrote the poem 'The Birks of Aberfeldie'.

A quote from one of the verses sums up the splendid scene:
"The braes ascend like lofty wa's,
The foaming stream deep-roarin' fa's
O'erhung wi' fragrant spreading shaws
The birks of Aberfeldy"

A narrow, well defined path is overhung by mature trees and rises to a height of 150 metres at a bridge directly above the Falls of Moness. From here there are splendid views of the roaring white water beneath and, in winter, fine views over the top of the woodland to the valley of Strathtay. This 4km circular walk is accessible from the centre of Aberfeldy or from the Birks Car Park off the A826. There are seats and viewpoints along the way. For those not so mobile, there is a picnic area at the car park which gives a good flavour of the walk. There is also a short tree trail identifying a large number of species. The gorge is a place of immense natural power and beauty in any season but perhaps most photogenic in the cooler days of late autumn.

The Birks (Scots for birch trees) still cloak the steep slopes of the Moness gorge, along with oak, ash, elm and willow. Remnants of the ancient Caledonian Forest can be found in steep, inaccessible parts and it is likely that, in places, there has been continuous woodland cover for around 5000 years. More recent tree planting took place in the area in the late 1780's.

Many woodland plants flower in the spring and early summer before the leaves of the trees fully unfold. A stroll through the Birks in May or June will reveal wildflowers such as red campion, yellow pimpernel, bugle and sweet woodruff. The aromatic smell of wild wood garlic or ramsons is another lovely spring feature - look out for clusters of starry, white flowers on the woodland floor.

Much of the gorge is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its rich plant and animal life. The cool, damp climate is perfect for mosses and it is possible to see at least ten different kinds, in a small area, on the bank near Burns' Seat. In Japan, mosses are highly valued and moss gardens are popular for their tranquillity.

Birds seen and heard most frequently are those of the woodland and waterside. The variety of habitats provides shelter, nest sites and a variety of ready meals. Warblers, Flycatchers and Woodpeckers are among many species that make their home in the trees. Pied and Grey Wagtails flit busily across the water, wagging their tails up and down. Dippers are recognisable by their strange dipping motion and striking white bib. They also have an amazing ability to walk along stream beds, underwater and against the current, as they search for grubs and insects amongst the stones.

Loch Dunmore

This is a wonderfully idyllic loch, with its boat house and picturesque timber footbridge, set within Faskally Forest close to a car park and picnic site. The circular walk around the loch shore is approximately 0.75 miles long, follow the path around the loch keeping a sharp lookout for Heron fishing in the reeds and maybe a Kingfisher quickly skimming over the water, but remember to watch where you walk because the frogs don't know the highway code! Red Squirrels can often be seen dancing in the trees.

These tranquil shores are accessible for wheelchair users and pushchairs. Ample car parking is available, visitor toilets are situated wihtin the wooded car park.

This attractive lily covered loch holds carp, tench, roach, perch, pike, eels and rudd. Solitude in guaranteed for coarse anglers not wishing to be rod tip to rod tip with other anglers. There are seven fishing platforms for wheelchair users on the waters edge.

Permits are available from Faskally Boating Station from 9.00am (telephone 01796 472919), permits are charged at £6.00 per day ticket, limited to 6 rods only (Maximum 14 rods at venue).

Notes: Fishing is not permitted at night. 2 rods maximum per angler. No keep-nets. All fish to be returned.