Comrie to Aberfeldy

[Alba Bhoy]

Invergeldie to Aberfeldy, Saturday 20th July 2013 OS Landranger 52 Start 0845, finish 1730; total 8 hours 45 minutes. 25 miles approximately
With doing the 4 miles from Invergeldie to Comrie yesterday that reduced today’s walk from around 30 miles to a mere 25 miles or so!
Good night’s sleep in the Comrie Hotel, followed by one of their breakfasts, meant I was fit and ready to get going by 0830. Breakfast was at 0800 so I’d wandered into Comrie and found the Bakers and the Convenience stores open. They had been open since 0700 which was handy. Got a couple of filled rolls from the baker and stocked up on water from one of the general stores then wandered back to the Hotel for breakfast. Another warm day forecast so 5 litres of water in the backpack plus a can of coke.
Same taxi – Comrie Cabs, 07565 954147 – that took me to Invergeldie yesterday arrived as requested to the Comrie Hotel at 0830. He got me to the car park at Invergeldie for 0845.
The signpost at the Invergeldie car park said it was 10 miles to Ardtalnaig. Morning was very misty, the haar didn’t lift until 1020, but that meant it was nice and cool.
Path runs uphill to the right of the cottages at Invergeldie. Followed the path – good 4 wheel drive track – up the hill, through the haar.

Misty start to the day

Passed through a gate about 0905, 20 minutes in, and shortly after this the track splits.
The path to the right drops down to the Invergeldie Burn and is the route you take if climbing Ben Chonzie.
I took the path that went up to the left. That’s the path marked by the single broken line on the OS map.
Almost instantly on joing this path (left hand path) it crosses a stream. Although this track is shown on the OS map it quickly disappeared.

The 'track' disappears

A couple of walkers came towards me through the mist and advised that the path had gone! They had followed this path but said it disappeared in the heather. I pointed them back down the path and advised them to take the 4wd track over the Invergeldie burn if they were planning on climbing Ben Chonzie.
I ploughed on. That was a mistake. The path did disappear and I had to use my compass to guide me through the mist to where the 2 paths converged again on the East side of the Invergeldie burn, between Creag na h-iolaire and Coire Riabhach. It wasn’t pleasant trampling through the heather and skirting round boggy areas of ground in the thick haar. And in a pair of shorts! Not a good start to what was obviously going to be a long day. Ho hum.
If I was doing this again, and even if the visibility was good, I think I would take the good 4wd track that drops down to the right and goes over the Invergeldie burn, follow that for the short distance it appears to go NE then East on the OS map then follow the branch that heads of North to rejoin the single track. Might be slighly longer but would probably be easier to follow and thus quicker.
By 0935 I had got back onto the good 4wd track somewhere just to the north of where these 2 tracks meet around grid reference 753295. Haar was still enveloping everything but this was a good track which continued uphill slightly to the west of the Invergeldie burn.
As the haar began to disappear Ben Chonzie came into view behind me.

Ben Chonzie loooms out the mist

This good 4wd track eventually disappeared and I was back onto a faint path - again marked by the single broken line on the OS map – which took me up to the the bealach between Carn Buidhe and the 644m contour point shown on the OS map. By this time – 1020 – the haar had gone, the sky was blue and visibility was, once again, excellent.
Great views from the bealach looking down towards the River Almond. Straight ahead, on the north side of the Almond, was a conifer plantation. To the left (West) of that was a dry stane wall that headed North up the hill on the north side of the River Almond.

View down to Glen Almond from the Bealach

The path, as marked on the OS map, headed down to the River Almond in a NNW direction and seemed to cross the River just to the east of the old cottage at Dunan. Just a shame the path was impossible to follow!
I was able to follow this path from the end of the 4wd track to the bealach but on the bealach, even in the by now good visibility, it seemed to disappear. The conifer plantation and the dry stane dyke gave a good target to aim at so I plunged down the hill, through the heather, skirting the boggy bits, and climbing down and then back up the various ‘ravines’ created by the streams running of the hill.
On the way down I noticed on my right (East) what looked like a good 4wd hill track. With hindsight I should have contoured over to it as it would have made the descent easier. I assume that’s the track shown on the OS map at Dundornie (grid reference 758327) beside the 639m contour point.
Whatever, I got down to the River Almond, between the conifer plantation and the dry stane dyke, about 1050. Given the long spell of dry weather it was easy to cross, no problem keeping my feet dry. If it has been wet then there is a ‘bridge’ across the River. The ‘bridge’ – looked like wooden boards? - is situated between the dry stane dyke and the conifer plantation.
Once on the north side of the Almond you are on the Rob Roy Way (RRW)

Rob Roy Way on north side of River Almond heading towards Dunan

The RRW was easy to follow from here to the lonely cottage at Dunan.

Cottage at Dunan

I arrived at Dunan at 1110. From Dunan the RRW turns into a good, easy to follow 4wd track that initially heads North from Dunan.

Looking back over the cottage at Dunan to the hills I've crossed from Invergeldie

Headed briskly along the RRW from Dunan towards Ardtalnaig, glad, given I had shorts on, that there would be no more heather to plough through.
Arrived at Ardtalnaig at 1230. In all that way over from Invergeldie the only people I had seen were the 2 ‘lost’ walkers i met 20 minutes out of Invergeldie. Lonely countryside, not a good place to injure yourself if you are walking alone.
No shops in Ardtalnaig but I sat by the road for 10 minutes, drank more water – it was getting hot now – and ate one of the filled rolls bought at the Comrie bakers that morning, and an excellent roll it was! Some lovely views across Loch Tay to the Ben Lawers hills.

Looking west along Loch Tay

Interestingly the Scottish Rights of Way signpost at Ardtalnaig said it was 11 miles to Invergeldie. I wonder which is correct; the 10 miles signposted at Invergeldie or the 11 miles signposted at Ardtalnaig?
From Ardtalnaig it’s a trek along the single track road that runs the length of the southern side of Loch Tay. Swings and roundabouts, tarmac is not so nice on the feet but it is easy to follow!
It’s still 15 miles from Ardtalnaig to Aberfeldy but the first 5 miles along the road to Acharn is nice and easy. The trees overhanging the road offered some welcome shade from the sun. Despite the presence of the road there’s no shops – or none that i could see – where you could get water or snacks. If you walk Invergeldie to Aberfeldy, come prepared!
I got to Acharn at 2pm. From here the RRW turns right and heads up the hill as it starts the last 10 miles to Aberfeldy. It’s quite a steep climb but after 10 minutes or so you’ll see the Hermit’s Cave on your left.

Entrance to The Hermit's Cave

Keep following the obvious, easy to follow track up the hill. The RRW is well signposted. If there’s no RRW markings stay on the main track. Any junctions that may cause problems there’s a RRW sign pointing you in the right direction.

RRW signs keep you right

You’ll soon be high up on what’s known as the Queen’s Drive. This gives excellent views back along Loch Tay and offers a fine vantage point for looking down on Kenmore.

Loch Tay from Queen's Drive

Eventaully you come to a tarmac road. A sign here says, Kenmore 1, Aberfeldy 7. If you turn left the road will lead you down to Kenmore. If you’re in need you can get food, snacks etc at Kenmore.

Looking down on Kenmore and Loch Tay

I turned right and headed up the road towards Tombuie Cottage which is marked on the OS map.
I arrived at Tombuie Cottage at 1515. At Tombuie Cottage there’s a sign marked, ‘Aberfeldy 6.5 miles’ which points you in the direction of the path that goes from here to Aberfeldy. Again, this is an easy to follow path and as you progress along it you get fine views of Taymouth Castle and Strath Tay. At some points the path turns into forestry track but as said above the RRW is well signposted and is relatively easy to follow from Tombuie Cottage towards Aberfeldy.
Eventually I could see Aberfeldy . After a full day’s walking it looked a very desirable destination!

After almost 25 miles it's nice to see Aberfeldy :)

One last stretch to navigate. I took the route into Aberfeldy that leads you through the Birks of Aberfeldy as described in the poem by Rabbie Burns.

The Birks of Aberfeldy

And here's Rabbie Burns, who wrote the famous words, gazing out over the Birks of Aberfeldy.

Rabbie Burns looks out over the Birks of Aberfeldy

I’m not sure my knees appreciated the descent into the gorge but it was a lovely way to finish what had been a long day.
At 1730 I walked into town keen to A) find my bed and breakfast and B to enjoy a cold beer!
This was a great day’s walk, albeit in good weather once the early morning haar lifted, that might offer an alternative route for those who, while keen to do the Scottish National Trail, don’t walk to take 2 days to go from Comrie via Loch Freuchie to Aberfeldy with a night’s camping at Loch Freuchie thrown in for good measure.
Each to their own, but I prefer a nice shower, a good night’s sleep in a comfy bed, some food in a bar or restaurant and a couple of cold beers.
I was lucky today, the weather was excellent. However, if the weather is wet the first stretch of this walk from Invergeldie to the River Almond could be boggy in places, especially when you come off the 4wd track. There is also no place to get food or provisions en route unless you detour of to Kenmore. Come prepared.

[ballarat]

well detailed report

you obviously enjoyed the walk and the beer and the bed

[Maxonian]

Splendidly detailed and helpful report.

[alfredo]

Well Done.