Craigower, Pass of Killiecrankie and Linn of Tummel, May 2001

The day after the Ben Vrackie climb was predominantly sunny. I wanted to attempt the climb of Schiehallion but as it was a bank holiday the buses to Tummel Bridge weren't running. Instead I planned a circular low-level route of around 12 miles taking in the Craigower viewpoint, the pass of Killiecrankie, and the Linn of Tummel
 
The first part of the route was the same as that of the Ben Vrackie climb the previous day, and as the sun was shining strongly this morning I took the opportunity to take some snaps of Moulin, about three quarters of a mile north of Pitlochry. Lots of late daffodils out near the footbridge.
A rural scene on the road approaching Moulin.
Moulin, with Ben Vrackie behind.
Pastures lie to the west of Moulin; I walked a few yards along a dirt track to stand on a footbridge over the Moulin burn to get this shot.
The Moulin burn.
Village scenes in Moulin, with a cluster of daffodils...
...a stream, and an old red phone box.
Ben Vrackie stands above Moulin house. 
The track to the northwest approaches the golf course.
Pitlochry and its environs seen from the track behind the golf course.
The track heads for the Craigower forest plantation.
A series of forest rides comes out onto this wooded knoll, where there's a viewpoint indicator.
The view from Craigower: westwards along Loch Tummel, with Schiehallion to the left.
A steeper descent to the main forest ride, and now the route lays along this logging track running above and parallel to the A9 trunk road.
I climbed up a bank to get this shot of the forest environs and to have my morning refreshment break.
From the forest track, looking across Glen Garry to the west.
A view across to the Linn of Tummel.
The forest track is heading northwest and converging with the A9 trunk road. The pass of Killiecrankie is up ahead, and beyond it is Blair Atholl.
The pedestrian route dives under the concrete viaduct of the main road and descends down the bank to the original road. The Killiecrankie visitor centre lies a few hundred yards to the north. Killiecrankie was the scene of an 18th century battle.

From the visitor centre a series of forest paths, seen here, lead to the gorge proper.
Paths through the woods at Killiecrankie
Killiecrankie gorge. This spot is known as "soldier's leap". A Jacobite trooper supposedly leapt 18 ft across the gorge to escape the redcoats. Believe it if you like, but I'm not convinced. It's far too rough for a decent run-up and the other side is higher! 
Killiecrankie gorge below the falls.
The falls in the narrowest part of the gorge..
The cascade immediately below soldier's leap.
Another shot of the falls at Killiecrankie gorge.
The railway viaduct overlooks part of the gorge and I've always made a point of peering out of the window as we sped by, never realising that one day I would stand at this spot.
Killiecrankie gorge.
The railway viaduct about 100 meters to the east.
The path runs past the foot of the viaduct to head southwards along the banks of the Garry.
Had lunch here on a bench seat.
The path back through Glen Garry.
The lively River Garry on the right. Quite a few fishermen about.
A view down the wooded bank to the Garry.
A wider, shallower section as the river approaches its confluence with the Tummel.
A meagre path down the bank gave access to this rocky perch. 
A footbridge just north of the river confluence crosses to the west bank. The view upstream.
The woods on the west side of the Garry, just above the Tummel road bridge.
This bridge carries the B8019 road to Tummel Bridge and Kinloch Rannoch.
Almost right underneath the bridge...
...and just past.
The track just south of the bridge.
The Linn of Tummel, where the Garry flows into the Tummel just north of Loch Faskally. 
The path now climbs the bank and swings right to run along the north bank of the Tummel.
The Tummel is an even livelier river than the Garry hereabouts and the woodland paths along its banks are a delight.
The gorge of the River Tummel.
Rapids, cascades and falls...
...grace the river for around a mile west of the Linn of Tummel.
The Coronation Footbridge carries the path across to the south bank, where it joins the unclassified road from Pitlochry to Foss.
Back at the Linn of Tummel, looking northwest along Glen Garry once more. In the foreground is the Clunie hydroelectric power station, which is fed by a tunnel from the Clunie dam at the foot of Loch Tummel. 
At the entrance to the power station access road is this arch, built in the form of a cross-section of the power station's feeder tunnel, and which commemorates the men who died during its construction.
The road, which was largely traffic free, runs high above Loch Faskally.
A brief view back along the Tummel to the north.
The road runs through tree cover as it approaches the environs of Pitlochry.
This bridge carries the A9 Pitlochry bypass across a narrow part of the loch. An accompanying footbridge connects the paths on either bank which gives an easy and enjoyable short circular walk from the town.
Loch Faskally not far above the dam.
The last shot before I ran out of film: this short roadside path is filtered off by a cycle track that in turn gives access to a path down by the west bank of the loch a couple of hundred yards short of the dam. A pedestrian path across the dam, which allows views into the turbine hall of Pitlochry power station and the dam's salmon ladder, emerges into Pitlochry town centre half a mile to the east.

Back to Highland Perthshire index page


This page last updated 27th April 2003