Highland Perthshire Walking & Cycling: Great Views

Highland Perthshire Enduro

An amazing day around Dunkeld and Birnam!

Beinn a'Ghlo

Beinn a'Ghlo is in fact a series of three munros - Carn Liath, Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain, Carn nan Gabhar.

These represent serious hillwalking, so please make sure you kniow what you are doing and have the correct equipment!

See full details at WalkHighlands:

Edradynate Loop, by Farragon Hill

This route initially follows the Core Path/Rob Roy Way south out of Pitlochry through Cluniemore (on the Mast Route-see EveryTrail) and over to Strathtay. Lock out your suspension, turn right along the main road and head west on the north side of the Tay for almost two miles. Cross the Edradynate Burn and then turn right at the next cottage on your right to head up the tarmac road. You'll be climbing for some time but the views are worth it. Generally, bear left at main junctions, You leave the leafy farmland behind and then, eventually, burst out of the forest and onto the moor. Now the real climbing starts! To gain the ridge, the best views of the southern Cairngorms in Perthshire and the second major downhill of the day, you have to climb a series of sections that vary from very steep to sadistic. It's all rideable. Pace yourself and catch your breath/eat Haribos at the top of each one. Switching on your rear suspension may give you more traction. The earthworkings that you puff past are associated with the early days of the Barytes mine development nearby. Probably best not to drink or swim in the blue pools. After invoking your Mother, Googling the nearest defibrillator site and sucking your Camelback reservoir into an object infinitely small and now with the same physical properties as a black hole, you will find that you have done it and that view with that downhill lie in front of you. Savour the location, you're over 2000' up and the panorama is reckoned to be the best in Highland Perthshire. Now check brakes, close zips, tighten straps, check that your forks and shock are at full travel and let gravity take you the three and a half miles down to Loch Tummel! Steep, loose, fast, occasional ruts, the odd puddle, patches of bedrock and sharp corners: then you are spat out at the site of the former house at Netherton opposite Ailean House on Loch Tummel. You'll have that grin and those near miss stories to provide enough adrenaline for powering you back to Pitlochry past Clunie Dam (unhelpfully, no access across) along the Foss road (turn right and head east when you hit the road at Loch Tummel). A singletrack return to Pitlochry is available from the Coronation Bridge over the River Tummel through NTS Linn of Tummel via the River Garry and Loch Faskally. Otherwise, stay on the south bank, cycle past that bridge, down the beautiful River Tummel, passing Clunie Power Station, look across to Faskally House and cross Loch Faskally on the metal bridge upstream of the A9 bridge. Turn right to the Boating Station and head up to the main street in Pitlochry. You'll still have a grin on your face!
Tips:
OS Explorer 386 Pitlochry & Loch Tummel shows the whole route.
It can be started on the Pitlochry side or the Strathtay side. Do it clockwise.
Food shops in Pitlochry and Strathtay.
The banter-rich and service-high Escape Route in Pitlochry's main street, across from the Tourist info building, is the local bike shop/coffee stop. http://www.escape-route.co.uk/index.html
At any time of the year: take plenty of nourishment, water and appropriate clothing for Scottish mountains.
There's a good O2 mobile signal virtually all the way round.

Loch Oiseanneach by Loch Ordie

Start from the Cally Car Park (signposted off the Blairgowrie/Loch of the Lowes road just outside of Dunkeld). Take the main fire road uphill, you achieve height quickly and easily. Continue up past Mill Dam and another two lochs, head through a gate and kept dogs on a leash as there are ducks and wildfowl, at Loch Ordie continue straight keeping the loch on your right. As you pass Loch Ordie continue on the main fire road as it bends left, right then bears left again. Either return by the same way or continue round the head of the loch taking second left then right to bring you round in a bigger loop back to Loch Ordie, this path may be boggy in places.
Tips:
OS Landranger (1:50 000) 52 Pitlochry and Crieff
Less than 30 minutes north of Perth.
Facilities in Dunkeld, five minutes from car park.

Allt Sheicheachan Bothy Circuit

Probably best to get the pronunciation out of the way first! Sheicheachan is pronounced 'ee igh an'! It takes a comfortable two to two and a half hours in the dry with stops. Expect to get wet feet.
The route starts with a steady climb from Blair Atholl, up lower Glen Tilt, past the shooting range, out on to grouse moor alongside the Slanaidh Burn (a few water crossings but none is dodgy), before cresting the watershed (Haribo stop) and flying down to the Allt Sheicheachan (where the footpath to the Munro, Beinn Dearg, heads off). The route continues downhill to the burn crossing (usually best walked over (just ask Iain!)) at the bothy. It's Mountain Bothies Association sponsored and provides important and sometimes essential respite. MBA's a voluntary group and a donation towards the upkeep would be much appreciated: http://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/ .
A path heads north off over to Glen Bruar from here but you stay on the track and head uphill, initially, to cross more grouse moor. The track will eventually join the Banvie Burn and lead you back to Blair Atholl.

Tips:
Maps- OS Explorer 394 Atholl 1:25000 or OS Landranger Braemar and Blair Atholl 43 1:50000
Sheicheachan is pronounced 'ee igh an'!
It's amongst mountains: bring appropriate gear for Scottish hills i.e. everything!
It's virtually all on land rover track with no singletrack and crosses several small burns.
This route starts and stops at the gates to Blair Castle, a genuinely great place to visit. Parking is across the road or up at the Glen Tilt car park (NN874662), which the route passes. Blair Atholl has pubs, hotels and shops plus a fab Mill where you can sip coffee and eat Rami's wonderful bread, bagels, carrot cake etc made from freshly milled flour.
The nearest bike shop is the incomparable Escape Route, ten mins away by car in Pitlochry, on the main street near the tourist information centre. http://www.escape-route.co.uk/
Do the route anticlockwise for the best downhills.
There's a huge range of routes in this area. Check out others on EveryTrail or just browse a map!