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- Looking west from Crieff
We had the good part of a day free before a late shift at work, but where to go? Wind and snow showers forecast for the Highlands, so we set our sights a little lower, heading up to Crieff for a wander along the River Earn. We weren't sure what to expect snow-wise, but it turned out there wasn't really any at all, apart from a little on the higher parts of the A822 on the way to Crieff.
As usual for our linear walks, we parked at the finish (Muthill) and took the hourly bus to the start - surprisingly cheap at £2-something for two people. Crieff was looking better than when we'd seen it last, with a few new shops and a Christmassy feel in the air. After giving into the temptation of cheese straws from one of the deli shops, we headed west out of town. There was a nice view of Ben Chonzie with a dusting of snow (see above).
The first section to the Stuart Crystal visitor centre is pretty indirect - the path winds around fields, woodland etc. - but we were in no hurry.
- Hungry visitors
- View north / upstream from Crieff Bridge
- Several of these signs on gates giving background to the walk
- Across the fields
- Through the woods
Eventually we arrived at the Crystal visitor centre, and popped in to have a look around and warm up. It felt like we were the first under 60's to set foot in there for 20 years, however, so we didn't stay for long. The couples in the coffee shop watched us suspiciously as we headed round the back of the visitor centre and onto the riverside path beyond. The next couple of miles was the best part of the walk, following the river, full of ducks, fairly closely.
- Geese coming to feed on surrounding fields
- Goosander
At one point we watched a heron engaged in an almighty battle with a large fish. For a while the heron pinned the fish with its beak, before picking it up and attempting to swallow it whole, drop it with a big splash, then pick it up again and struggle to hold on to it. Very entertaining.
A little further on we came across this grisly sight, right on the path!
The Highlands still looked stunning in the distance:
Somewhere along this section, the main path heads away from the river a little to follow the top of a shallow embankment. We stuck to the riverbank on a narrower path to get better views, but this eventually resulted in a problem when we came across a water-filled, deep channel: a straightened stream entering the river. The proper path was just beyond, but the stream was wide, with a slippery bank on the far side and unreliably-frozen mud on the near side. Going around would have involved a long detour though, and someone had left a long stick on the ground. Pole vault? Right foot first, I took a run up, and...
The frozen mud held. The stick bent alarmingly but didn't snap. My right foot made it to to the opposite bank and didn't slip. Success! Except... I'd forgotten that humans have two legs, and my left foot came splashing down into the stream - which was deeper than the top of my boots. Cue a wet foot for the rest of the walk!
My partner decided to make a running jump instead of pole vaulting the stream, which turned out to be more successful. Anyway, there were no more complications as we continued along the river. One high section of riverbank has been eroded next to the path - it's OK for now, but might not be after the next flood or two:
At the pillars of an old railway bridge, we turned right (signpost missing?), following the railway bed inland towards Muthill. The last couple of miles are on a mixture of paths, tracks and minor roads - two short sections are a bit muddy / boggy - though mostly frozen today.
- Bog in the woods
On the approach to Muthill there was a nice, final view back to Crieff across farmland. Back in Muthill, I changed out of my wet boots and socks (thankfully, I had two socks on each foot so was able to discard the two wet ones!) before splashing out on a wonderful lunch at Barley Bree - a great end to an enjoyable morning.
- Muthill Old Church