Date/Time
Date(s) - 04/07/201012:00 am
Walk Details
Pub Stop?: No O/S Map Sheet No.: 43 Grid Ref. Start: Grid Ref. Finish Walk (Miles): 22 Walk Hours: Bus Time to Walk: Bus Time from Walk: Departure time from walk:Walk Notes
This long glen stretches from the valley of the River Dee, west of Braemar, to Blair Atholl in the heart of Perthshire. The walk follows the line of a geological fault in the earth’s crust.
Our walk today commences at the car park near the Linn o’ Dee (NGR 063 898). From the car park, our route takes us along the road westwards towards the Linn o’ Dee bridge, through a gate (by a sign post for Glen Feshie and Lairig Ghru) and follows an estate road westwards on the north side of the River Dee to eventually arrive at White Bridge. This bridge is crossed and the path swings southwestwards alongside a plantation of trees, past the derelict cottages of Ruigh nan Clach and Lower Geldie. At this point, (NGR 005 868), the Geldie Burn has to be forded – take care if the stream is in spate. Continue southwards to the Bynack Burn and the ruins of Bynack Lodge. Here, given clear weather, the main group of the Cairngorms will be seen to the North for the last time. The path continues southwards across the peaty watershed with the source of the River Tilt, i.e. Loch Tilt – passed out of sight behind a small hill to the right as we cross the boundary of Aberdeeenshire and Perthshire. Keep on the west side of the Allt Garbh Buidhe as we continue through the narrow defile to eventually arrive at, and cross the Tarff Water, at the Bedford Memorial Bridge below the Falls of Tarff. This memorial bridge was erected in 1866 after a drowning accident at this point. The route curves round and follows a rough path southwestwards below Dun Beag to soon join an estate road along the west side of the River Tilt. The whole length of the Glen can now be seen stretching ahead in a straight line between the steep slopes of Carn a’ Chlamain (to the right) and Beinn a’ Ghlo (to the left). Continue through this glen to eventually reach the clump of trees around Forest Lodge. Members may recall that this was the setting for a BBC Television series a few years ago about the life of the head keeper of the estate who lived here. Continue southwestwards past Clachghlas and cross the bridge over the River Tilt to its south bank just before Marble Lodge. The estate road meanders alongside the east bank of the river, past Auchgobhal and Gilbert’s Bridge, to arrive at a junction near Croftmore. Keep right on the estate road and cross the River Tilt to its west bank by the bridge in the Blairuachdar Wood. Continue southwards to reach, and cross, the river at Old Bridge of Tilt. Follow the road southwards to the main road at Bridge of Tilt. The bus will be parked opposite the hotel at Bridge of Tilt (NGR 877 654)