East Perthshire Walking Festival
2nd October - 4th October 2010
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East Perthshire Walking Festival
2nd October - 4th October 2010
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Strathmore & The Glens Rural Partnership
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Caenlochan Glen with Glas Maol (l) and Cairn of Claise (c) from Monega Hill (walk 6 on the 2009 Festival) Site updated 24th January 2010 The draft schedule for 2010 is available here with 6 new walks and running from Saturday 2nd through to Monday 4th October. Please note that this is subject to amendment while being planned. First snow
of the season for the 2009 event
Another
successful year has passed. While
done on a rather smaller scale than previously it was entirely stand alone and
sustainable. The
weekend's event comprised of 6 walks, and on offer were a range of easy
to very strenuous routes. A lot of
the participants had been before and with the many first time visitors everyone
involved thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The
event provided a good demonstration of what is available to see and do in the
area, showing off the best of our outdoor autumn.
Carn an Tuirc and the Cairngorms (walk 6) The
Saturday illustrated talk by Chris Townsend of the Mountaineering Council of
Scotland was very well attended with close to standing room only in the Royal
Hotel. Everyone had a quick run
through all the Munros and beyond. The
presentation was as before open to local folk and all who came along had an
entertaining and informative evening. Saturday
morning’s easy walk had to be re-routed at the last minute due to farming
activity, but the Ericht Walk to Kitty Swanson’s Bridge was a great
alternative even if the only exotic birds were herons rather than the
occasionally seen kingfishers. The
Enochdu Cateran Trail to the Spittal was very popular and such were the
participants that they finished rather quicker than was estimated.
Perhaps it was the promise of a beer with the wind pushing them along!
The really challenging walk on Saturday was Jock’s Road and a diversion
to take in an adjacent Munro – Tolmount.
The promised 100mph gales didn’t appear but it was still impossible to
stand up straight on the top without poles.
With the wind in their faces the intrepid group watched in awe as the
waterfalls at the head of Glen Callater were blown upwards, while rutting stags
were heard between the fierce gusts of wind. Sunday’s
easy walk from Newtyle to Coupar Angus, following the line of the old railway
was fully subscribed and this year’s variation included for the first time
recently cleared parts of the Newtyle Path Network, and finished at the Red
House Hotel for refreshments. The
challenge for Sunday was the Monega Path, a not often walked right of way from
upper Glen Clunie through
to Glen Isla, but also
taking in 3 Munros and two subsidiary tops.
This 12 mile route saw the first snow of the season with excellent
visibility to the Cairngorm plateau and in the other direction to beyond the
Forth estuary with the Lammermuir Hills just visible in the distant haze. Many
thanks have to be given to Iain McLean of the Royal Hotel for hosting the event,
the volunteers and leaders from Blairgowrie and District Next Steps who
accompanied the walk groups, Simon McGowan of Blairgowrie Library for sponsoring
Saturday’s talk, Rowanbank Community Learning for assisting with reserve
transport, and the land owners where the walks took place.
The Riverside Foot Clinic, Davidson’s Chemists, Tesco, Abbey Tablet of
Coupar Angus, and Ordnance Survey are also thanked for helping to make up the
contents of the walker’s ‘goodie bags’.
Most thanks must go to the participants who came from near and far and
making the event what it was, with many promises to return.
The Walking Festival is a plank in the economic regeneration strategy of
Perth and Kinross Council and the community voluntary contribution is essential
in making it work. Planning now
starts for the 2010 event, and if anyone would like to be involved especially
from the entertainment and accommodation interests please contact Nick or Sue
Cole on 01828 640763. If you have missed an opportunity this year similar walks are available throughout the year by visiting Outdoor Adventures.
The festival is organised on a voluntary basis by Blairgowrie and District Next Steps, supported by NSC Design Ltd Outdoor Adventures and Strathmore and The Glens Rural Partnership.
Thanks go to the landowners, farmers and estates whose land we will visit, and not least all the various volunteers, leaders and expert guides who will accompany you, and also Iain McLean of the Royal Hotel.
Accommodation in the area can be found through the Blairgowrie and East Perthshire Tourist Association Website or the Tourist Information Centre.
Other walking sites that may be of interest are:
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