This circular walk around Strathyre and the nearby hillside combines parts of the Forestry Commission's red and yellow waymarked routes. Part way up the hillside it crosses the Tighanes Burn and higher up there are good views. A good walk for spotting wildlife, especially deer and red squirrels and forest birds.
Summary
Paths and forest tracks, short climbs.
Terrain
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1. Park in the Forestry Commission car park at the southern end of Strathyre. There is an information board here giving details of three routes. This route combines parts of the red and yellow routes to provide an exploration of Strathyre with a short hill climb to get good views. Start by climbing up the ramp from the car park onto the pathway. Turn right and cross a small bridge before passing along the back of a row of houses. After the small play park turn right at the road junction and walk to the main road opposite the Hotel. Cross the main road and go straight ahead until a gateway with a sign for Strathyre Recreation Ground. Go through the gateway and keeping right climb up behind the metal railings to pass behind the converted church and to reach the memorial cairn for locals who died in the first world war. The cairn provides a good viewpoint over the village.
2. From the cairn continue along the path which bears left and returns down to the back of the tennis court in the recreation ground. Turn right here to pass a covered shelter and cross a wooden bridge. Follow the meandering path through the woods until a fork with a bin. Keep right here passing an open area with a picnic table before heading up steps through the trees and then over a bridge and up through an area of pine trees. This is a good area to look out for red squirrels.
3. Keep following the path which climbs gently. Looking across the valley, the small crag of An Sidhean is visible - this south summit of Beinn an t-Sidhean is a popular walk with good views of the nearby lochs and mountains. When the path emerges onto a forest track turn right and follow the track. In this area it is common to see deer, particularly in the early morning. Birds of prey can sometimes be seen overhead and jays can be heard shrieking as they move through the trees.
4. At a junction turn left to follow the yellow marker posts uphill through an area of forestry. When the track levels off, a sign is reached for the Coille MacCaskill path, named after Don MacCaskill who worked as a forester for 40 years and was a keen naturalist and introduced many changes to forestry to manage woodlands in a more environmentally sustainable way. You could extend the walk here by continuing up the track before turning right to cross the Tighanes Burn and follow a path back down the far side. Otherwise, turn right down the MacCaskill path which meanders through the open forest near to the Tighanes Burn on the left. Just before the path reaches a track you can detour to the left to visit the standing stones erected by Don MacCaskill's family and friends as a memorial to him. The cup marked stone is similar to those found at Dalriada in Argyll, the area where Don MacCaskill grew up. At the track turn left.
5. Cross the Tighanes Burn on a bridge and take the path to the right immediately after. The path follows the burn through the trees until it bears left. Just before a building is reached, and within sight of the main road, turn right down a marked path to join a track where you turn right for a short while before reaching the main road. Cross the road and follow the driveway on the opposite side back to the parking area. Here there is a reconstructed cross-section of an iron-age broch, a fortified house which would have sheltered people and livestock when under threat from raiders.
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