River Earn walk - Crieff to Muthill

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A lovely linear walk along the banks of the River Earn and through beautiful woodland. The walk gives the chance to explore the town of Crieff and the pretty village of Muthill from where a bus can be caught back to Crieff.

Terrain

Clear paths, can be muddy at times and overgrown in summer

Public Transport

Crieff is served by local and long-distance bus services; link bus back from Muthill.

Start

Crieff centre. Open start point in Google Maps for directions.

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Currently 3.40/55

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Walk Description

Stage 1

Start from James Square in the centre of Crieff. Follow the main street to the west (towards Comrie), keeping straight ahead (Lodge Street, signed for Stirling) when the Comrie road goes off to the right. An attractive square is then reached at a cross-roads; again go straight ahead onto Drumawhandie Road. When this ends at a t-junction, go straight across onto a path down a flight of steps. Turn right on Sauchie Road but when it bends to the right, go straight ahead onto path signed as a 'Footpath to Ford Road'. Follow the woodland path, crossing a minor road at one point. It eventually runs around the edge of a cemetary before reaching a minor road. Turn right here (River Earn walk waymarker post) and follow the track past several houses and a church. Go straight ahead onto Earnbank Road and follow it until it joins the busy main road to Stirling. Turn right onto this.

Stage 2

After crossing the river take the second lane on the right, Alichmore Lane, which also has a footpath sign. Follow the lane round the houses and slightly uphill. At the corner turn left onto a path signed for Crosshead. At a kissing gate head uphill keeping the wood on your left. This gate features the first of six hands waving at the river - wooden sculptures telling a story about the historical importance of the river and water to Crieff. At the top of the hill turn left into Thomas' Wood. Follow the path through the trees until an arrow marks a sharp turn to the left to head downhill to the road opposite the Stuart Crystal visitor centre.

Stage 3

Cross the road and head for the far corner of Stuart Crystal car park where a gate on the right leads to the riverside path. The river Earn is popular as a salmon fishing river, in a short while head through a gate on the left to follow the path closer to the river. The route passes through another gate which shows how Romans used fresh water mussels to purify water from the river. The path meanders through vegetation, passes over a bridge and then heads along grazing land beside the river. Keep following the clear path, which moves away from the river bank after a while to follow a small embankment built to protect farmland from flooding in the 1990's.

Stage 4

The path then keeps between a fence on the right and a stream on the left a little way away from the river. It then passes through a gate and along the edge of a field before returning over a small bridge to the riverside. Keep following the line of the river until the derelict piers of a former railway line are reached. Here turn right and follow the line of the railway along a fence and through two gates before heading under a bridge and along an, often boggy, section of path.

Stage 5

Keep following the signed path for Strageath. When the railway line is left at a metal gate turn left to go under the old railway and head towards Strageath Hall. Keep to the right of the buildings and follow the driveway to the road. At the road turn right and then very soon left, into Sallyardoch Wood. Where the track forks early on, keep right on the main track. Very soon a path leads off to the right, look for the yellow arrow marker. This heads through the woods with marker posts at regular intervals.

Stage 6

When the path emerges at a minor road turn left to follow it into Muthill. The village has a very pretty centre with an old church, museum and hotel. Muthill was founded by Culdee Monks in the 700's and has a rich history, including having to be almost totally rebuilt after most of the buildings were destroyed by retreating Jacobites in 1716. When you reach the main road, the bus stop is just to the right on the far side and has a regular service to Crieff.

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