This long but easy waymarked circuit heads through a mixture of woodland, forestry and open moorland. It also gives an opportunity to see the Falls of Bruar.
Bog Factor
Good tracks throughout, waymarked.
Old Bridge of Tilt car park.
None to Old Bridge of Tilt; Blair Atholl buses and trains only a kilometre away.
NN874662
Park at the well-signed car park near the Old Bridge of Tilt. The walk is waymarked with orange arrows and begins by leaving the car park via the entrance and turning left along the road. Soon it forks; take the right hand branch which slopes gently uphill. Soon it reaches a cross-roads of routes - turn left here to enter the picturesque little hamlet of Old Blair. When the road swings right you can detour ahead to visit the ruins of St Bride's Church, overlooked by the fine manse.
Continue by following the road to the right, passing underneath a footbridge. Soon the road crosses a bridge over the Banvie Burn; just beyond, turn right up a waymarked track. This is lined by a fine avenue of trees as it leads towards a house. Pass to the right of the house and keep right at the fork beyond it to head into the attractive Banvie woods. Look out for red squirrels, which are frequently seen hereabouts. The burn flows through a small ravine on the right.
Ignore a track off left beside a partly subterranean shed and continue through the woods. The next track off to the left is signed for 'The Whim'. This is a folly built by one of the Dukes of Atholl and is well worth the short diversion needed to see it. It consists of a stone built monument with three gothic arches, with a seperate pair of towers in front, and it commands a fine view over the estate, with the impressive white Blair Castle prominent.
Return to the main track up the glen keep straight ahead until you reach the large gate onto the open moorland, take the side gate and continue up the track. The track now passes through some of the empty moorland of upper Glen Banvie - quite a contrast from nearby and verdant Glen Tilt. There is still forestry just over to the left but the route has open views up the glen - another track is visible across the other side which is the usual route to the Munro of Beinn Dearg.
After almost three kilometres of this section the track passes into a plantation of fine Scots pines. Continue through the pines - gaps between them permitting views into upper Glen Bruar. Ignore the path to the right up the glen and follow the track as it curves round to the left. When the track passes through a gate (with a stile) the pines are left behind and the route heads through a felled area, with views to Schiehallion to liven up the walk. Eventually the route begins to slowly descend - ignore several branches off to the left. There's also one track goes off to the right - this leads to the Falls of Bruar and if you have never visited these falls it is worth making a half kilometre detour along this track to reach a viewpoint for them. Otherwise, continue ahead on the track, which eventually curves to the left.
After passing another locked gate by passing through a smaller gate alongside, another junction is reached. Turn sharp right here (waymarked) to continue down through the woods and reach a broader track. Turn left along this. The route leads through fine mature parkland, part of the castle estate. At one point it passes a pond, and just beyond there are views to the castle over to the right. When a cross-roads is reached, turn left (waymarked) and follow a track that leads back to Old Blair. Retrace your steps back to the start from here, turning right at the junction to head back to the car park.
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