The Braes o' Killiecrankie.

Start. Killiecrankie Visitors Centre.

Route. Killiecrankie Visitors Centre - Trooper's Den - Soldiers Leap - General Wades Military Road - Garry Foot-Bridge - Garry Road Bridge - Linn of Tummel - Coronation Bridge - Clunie - Priests Stone - Clunie Bridge - Dunmore Hill - Dunmore Loch - Faskally - Garry Road Bridge - General Wades Military Road - Trooper's Den - Killiecrankie Visitors Centre.

Notes. A wonderful deep cut sylvan river gorge playing host to two main roads, railway and one of George Wades military highways, all these transport arteries do nothing to detract the intrepid visitor from the beauty of the place. The Pass of Killiecrankie was at one time one of the most dangerous and difficult passes in Scotland. Today it forms a riverside walk through a deep gorge with predominantly oak, beech and birch woodland and abundant wildlife. We've been here before, a walk cut short due to storm damage three years ago, fingers crossed the bridges and foot-paths will be open. On this walk we not only explore the magnificence of The Pass of Killiecrankie and the unspoiled wild River Tummel we enjoy peacefull Loch Fiskally where the Tummel has been tamed by a hydro electric scheme, on our return route we visit picturesque quite beautiful Loch Dunmore.

We left the Killiecrankie Visitors Centre descending through a steep wooded gorge, a foot-bridge guided us over the waterfall at Trooper's Den before a short diversion lead to Soldier's Leap. Donald MacBean a soldier in the defeated government army, escaped his Jacobite pursuers by leaping across this18.5ft rocky chasm, fact or fiction who am I to question Scottish legends.

We continued descending to the railway viaduct where we stepped onto one of George Wades military roads, with what looked and felt like the original surface under foot we continued, after around a mile a foot-bridge was reached, we crossed, two tiny insignificant figures marveling at the grandeur of this deep wooded gorge. Continuing down stream we passed under the impressive Garry Road Bridge, I called this the vertigo creator three years ago when we stood on the parapet looking down, that also applies to looking up.

We strolled on downstream to reach the confluence of the Rivers Garry and Tummel, here a small obelisk marks the time Queen Victoria visited this small but dramatic corner of Scotland, the Linn of Tummel a thrilling set of rapids on an untamed wild river. We continued the River Tummel for company,. After a short walk up stream a grey foot-bridge allowed access to the far bank, we crossed stepping onto a quiet tarmac lane, this was the boring bit just over two miles of road walking.

Just over two miles of road walking carried us passed the power station at Clunie with it's impressive memorial arch, passed a standing stone christened the Priest's Stone, with a cross engraved on one side it's debatable if this is actually celtic or pictish. After what seemed ages we reached a foot-bridge spanning Loch Faskally, man has tamed the river here by the construction of a dam and power station at Pitlochry, we crossed entering Dunmore.

Dunmore felt like a civilised place, woodland walking deposited us at a stunning fishing loch, we sat around enjoying the exquisite atmosphere of the place before leaving. Our route continued firstly along the shore of Loch Faskally then the banks of the River Garry, we soon passed back under Garry Bridge to step back onto George Wade's military road, all that remained to re-trace our steps of earlier.

view route map.

home.

Sue crosses the waterfall at Trooper's Den.

The Pass of Killiecrankie where the River Garry carves it's passage through Highland Perthshire.

Striding out over the surface of one of George Wades Military highways...

....into a smoke filled morning.

This is the culprit, a charcoal burner, the gorge is home to a wealth of flora and fauna, semi-natural woodland being strangled by non-native invasive species such as beech, the beech are felled turned into charcoal and sold as BBQ charcoal at the visitors centre.

It all adds to the atmosphere, even if a bit smelly.

Then we have this, Balfour Stone, here Brigadier Barthold Balfour of the Dutch Brigade, who commanded the left wing of General Mckay's Redcoat army was killed by one of the Jacobite Atholl men, the stone is reputed to mark Balfour's grave.

Views from the foot-bridge spanning the River Garry.

The Garry Road Bridge carries the B8119 66ft above the River Garry, the basket is used for Bungy Jumping, fancy it!

Riverside wandering, I took this photo because of the Lichens covering the trees across the field.

We may be walking through woodland above a Highland river, but the walking is fabulous, and this time of year with no leaves on the trees the views aren't bad ether.

Memorial marking a visit by Queen Victoria to the Linn of Tummel in 1844, I'm sure our visit will go un-recorded.

The Linn of Tummel a spectacular and noisy set of rapids marking the point the Tummel spills into the River Garry.

Coronation Bridge over the River Tummel.

River Tummel reflections.

Near Clunie enjoying this view over the Braes of Killiecrankie.

The entrance to Clunie Power Station is marked by this fine memorial arch, in memory of workers who died in an accident during the construction of the Clunie tunnel.

The Priest's Stone with views to Craigower and the Tay Forest Park.

Clunie Bridge over Loch Faskally, this replaced an original stone structure lost when the valley was flooded to create Loch Fiskally in the early 1950s.

The River Tummel has been tamed here by the building of a dam and power station at Pitlochry, creating Loch Fiskally.

After crossing the footbridge in the shot above we leisurely strolled through the woodland at Dunmore....

....then sat for sometime enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of Loch Dunmore.

Loch Fiskally with views to Creag Torr Fionn above Clunie.

The arches of the Killiecrankie Viaduct, built in 1863, for the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway (The Highland Railway Company from 1865), ten masonry arches span a total of 510ft, each arch being 35ft wide and 54ft high.

Looking towards the Soldier's Leap from beneath the viaduct.

back to list