Comrie to Auchnafree

[revalation]

This was the first leg of two along the 50k to Aberfeldy with a planned wild camp at Auchnafree. I had already walked over 30k the previous day so fuelled up with evening meal and hearty breakfast at Comrie Hotel. It was a reasonable night's sleep at the West Lodge campsite about a mile away from the start of this leg. A fairly sunny start to the day.

The walk follows the River Lednock via a pleasant gorge with two waterfalls Little Cauldron and Deils Cauldron. Both waterfalls can be viewed from purpose built platforms. Photo of Deil's Cauldron wasn't very good so omitted from this post.

Little Cauldron

Shortly after the waterfalls, path returns to the road at the top of gorge.

Back on road after Deil's Cauldron

After about a kilometre, path leaves road, crosses over the river then follows it for a few hundred metres. After this, soon realised I was following river too far where it bends to the right. Alas there is a path leaving the river - it was a well worn path, but covered with 2 metre tall bracken. So after wading through bracken for a hundred metres, came out on farm track on East side of river near Balmuick. Path now is a steady walk for about a kilometre up the track.

Looking back down valley to Comrie

Path leaves track with fine view up Glen Lednock. Some maintenance of path here with evidence of bracken strimming.

View just before path leaves track near Creag Bhalg

Heading back towards road at Ballindalloch

Path drops down to river and is fairly flat as it goes through green pastures back to the road. After just over a kilometre on the road, the last inhabited cottages at Coishavachan are passed and the climbing starts up the Invergeldie Burn.

View back towards Comrie from Invergeldie Burn

Track crosses the burn near a small dam then follows a couple of hairpins up the hillside.

Invergeldie Burn

Track leaves the Burn for about a kilometre. The main track heads up to Ben Chonzie. I missed the track off to the left which added about half a kilometre to my journey before realising something was wrong, but got back on route and followed the Burn to head of valley. Weather was coming in now with some heavy showers. At the top of the valley, track comes to dead end and there seems to be various boggy routes through, but I tended to keep left following the slightly drier slopes of Carn Buidhe. Sun was coming out again just in time to reveal the upper reaches of Glen Almond - there is a real feeling of isolation here but despite seeing no defined path I could at least see where I needed to head for in the Glen (the rectangle of trees to the right of the picture).

Glen Almond looking towards Ciste Buide a Claidheimh

Although there is no real defined path and there are a few ravines to cross, the terrain is not too bad and is a steady downhill. There is a rough quadbike track I could have used, but that would have been a shortcut and being a bit of a purist, wanted to stick as close as possible to the the trail map. Once in the Glen, the trail becomes part of the Rob Roy Way again. The path though boggy at times steadily improves as progress is made down the valley.

Reached Rob Roy Way. View down Glen Almond towards Dundornie Hill

A small dam is reached after a kilometre

Dam/bridge below Dundornie

Sunshine and showers are moving across the Glen providing numerous rainbows as the path goes past a ruin and WW1 memorial.

Rainbow in the Glen

Ruined cottage

WW1 Memorial

Track continues to improve as we get near the Auchnafree Estate.

Glen Almond Track near Auchnafree

By this time the wind was getting up and just over and not far away from dusk. I reached Auchnafree and knocked on a nearby farmhouse who gave kind permission to camp in a chestnut wood behind outbuilding which gave that extra protection from the gale force winds that night. My first real experience of wild camping.

Next Stage: Auchnafree to Aberfeldy: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=76680

[Stefan1]

Some nice snaps, especially the ruined cottage!