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Walk 5

Sunday 4th October

Spittal of Glenshee - Kirkton of Glenisla (Cateran Trail section 3)

Distance: 23km/14miles. 520m ascent.
Start:  Bus leaves 08:00.
Finish: Kirkton of Glenisla Hotel at 17:00 for refreshments, bus leaves for Blairgowrie at 18:00.
Spaces: Maximum 12, minimum 8
Notes: Very Strenuous (see Walk Grading). Hillwalking gear required. Packed lunch required.

Maps: Landranger 43 & 44, Explorer 381, 387 & 388

About the walk:

Spittal is an old Scots word meaning a refuge for travellers. Somewhere they could find hospitality before or after they crossed the mountains. However, on this third stage of the Cateran Trail we will be leaving without sampling the hospitality. You will have to do stage two for that!

Glen Shee was a main route for Cateran raiding parties taking their herds of stolen cattle back into the more remote highland areas.  It was also, in those days, more heavily populated. The trail passes through the remains of many ferm touns (communal farming settlements) as it winds along the north-east of the glen before climbing over into Glen Beanie and from there to Glen Isla. What else? Three lochs, a castle, the ‘tomb’ of  a great Fingalian warrior, most likely some red deer and hospitality at the small village of Kirkton of  Glenisla.