Walk & cycle
There are many splendid woods and forests for walking and cycling in Perthshire Big Tree Country. In the places listed below, you’ll find waymarked walk or mountain bike routes starting from convenient car parks.
Paths around towns and villages
Leaflets for these paths can be viewed on the Perth & Kinross Council website and are available at local Tourist Information Centres.
1. Pitlochry – six circular routes from 3 to 11.5 miles around the settlements of Pitlochry, Moulin and Killiecrankie, including routes through Faskally Wood and Blackspout Woods.
2. Dunkeld & Birnam – eight circular routes from 3 to 7 miles, including a wide variety of woodland walks beside the rivers Tay and Braan and around the surrounding hills.
3. Crieff – eight circular routes from 0.5 to 8 miles, including a short climb up The Knock, all abilities routes at Lady Mary's Walk and Bennybeg Nature Trail, and a woodland circuit from Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre. For those wishing to find out more about all-abilities trails, visit Walking on Wheels for their guide for wheelchair & electric scooter users.
4. Comrie – six circular routes from 2 to 6 miles. The Glen Lednock circular walk climbs through a wooded gorge with waterfalls, while other routes take in lovely countryside around the village.
5. Blairgowrie – opened in 2006, with five circular routes from 2 to 8 miles, including: a stroll in a Bluebell Wood and a circuit of Drimmie Woods with great views.
6. Birks of Aberfeldy – a 1.5-mile walk through mainly birch woodland made famous by Robert Burns; it circuits the gorge of the Moness Burn and its waterfalls.
7. Den of Alyth – paths, including a fully accessible circuit, run through the 1.5 mile long wooded valley of the Alyth Burn.
8. Falls of Acharn – a 1-mile circular walk from the small village of Acharn on the south shore of Loch Tay, visiting a hermit’s cave with a balcony overlooking the waterfall.
9. Falls of Bruar – a 1-mile circular walk with lovely views of the Bruar Burn cascading through a deep, wooded gorge.
10. Kinnoull Hill Woodland Park – just above Perth, the park has three walks from under a mile to 2.5 miles, with spectacular views over the city and the Tay Estuary.
Routes in Tay Forest Park
These sites are described on the Forestry Commission Scotland website and in the Tay Forest Park leaflet, available at Queen’s View visitor centre or Perthshire Tourist Information Centres.
11. Rannoch Forest – three walks of 0.75 to 5 miles from Carie car park and picnic site on the south shore of Loch Rannoch.
12. Craigvinean Forest – a 1.6-mile walk and mountain bike routes from a car park that shares an entrance with the Hermitage.
13. Allean Forest – two walks from 2 to 3 miles visiting historic and archaeological sites with views over Loch Tummel; it is also possible to cycle through the forest to Bridge of Tummel. The entrance is close to Queen's View, the Tay Forest Park visitor centre.
14. Faskally Wood – two walks from 0.75 to 1.5 miles, including an all abilities route around attractive Loch Dunmore.
15. Drummond Hill – two walks of 2.5 and 3 miles, plus – from a second car park – waymarked cycle trails; routes visit the spectacular Black Rock viewpoint.
16. Weem Wood – a steep, 1-mile walk around wooded crags and St David’s Well, once a hermit’s retreat.
Other scenic routes
Leaflets are available for most of these routes from local Tourist Information Centres.
17. Blair Atholl – leaflets available from Atholl Estates Information Centre detail several walking and cycling routes around Blair Castle and in Glen Tilt and Glen Banvie. There are also routes at Logierait Wood and from the Cally car park, north of Dunkeld, with details from Atholl Estates Ranger Service.
18. Killiecrankie – a splendid walk beside the wooded River Garry from the National Trust for Scotland visitor centre.
19. Griffin Forest – a huge forest between Aberfeldy and Dunkeld with excellent mountain bike routes or shorter walks. Cycling map from Aberfeldy TIC and map board in car park at grid reference NN885451.
20. The Hermitage – a lovely walk by the waterfalls, rapids and still pools of the River Braan, passing follies and one of Britain’s tallest trees.
21. <<92>> – on the outskirts of Perth has wheelchair accessible paths circuiting a wooded valley, which ends at Scone by the churchyard with the David Douglas memorial.
22. Moncreiffe Hill Woods – three circular walks through mixed woodland with views from two Iron Age hill forts.
23. Cateran Trail – tackle the long distance, circular walk through three glens or sample sections as day walks.