Blairgowrie & East Perthshire
Walking Festival
3rd October - 9th October 2008
Home Acknowledgments Walk Booking Walks Walk Numbers Walk Grading Accommodation Registration Parking Meals Liability Vulnerable People Smoking Dogs Payment Buses Cancellations/Refunds Equipment Medical Maps Contact The Organisers Equipment List
The organisers are grateful for the volunteers who have helped put this event together, the organisations who have provided sponsorship or other support, the Mountain Leaders, the Countryside Ranger service, the land owners, first aiders, and other guides and drivers, and not least you the participants.
Organisations and people sponsoring or supporting the event:
Blairgowrie and District Next Steps
with the added support and sponsorship of:
Raffle and competition prize donors
Blairgowrie Library
Blairgowrie and District Hillwalking Club
Blairgowrie and East Perthshire Tourist Association
Blairgowrie Tourist Information Office
East Perthshire Access Network
JJ Howe and Son (Blairgowrie)
Perth and Kinross Council Ranger Service
Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust
Strathmore and the Glens Rural Partnership
Competitions and raffle prizes have been donated by many supporters, listed here.
Walk bookings can be made by using the booking form, or print it out and send to:
Blairgowrie Walking Festival
NSC Design Ltd
Balmacron Farmhouse
Meigle
Perthshire
PH12 8TD
Tel: 01828 640763
Your booking and allocation will be confirmed by return and payment by cheque (made payable to "Blairgowrie Walking Festival") should be made as soon as possible, but no later than 31st August 2008. Bookings after this date must be accompanied by your payment. Bookings can continue to be made up to the start of any walk but to guarantee a place, payment should be sent with the booking request. Alternatively payment may be made by Credit Card, for which a PayPal email payment request will be returned with confirmation of your bookings, a PayPal account is not necessary. However, please note that users of free email services such as those provided by yahoo, aol, msn, etc may find that their service providers prevent receipt of these messages. Payment confirms your place as priority for places will be given to those who have paid. It is possible (subject to space being available) to change your bookings. Contact the organisers for up to date information. If you wish to speak to the organisers please call the above number and ask for Nick or Sue. If necessary (and we may be out in the hills) please leave a message on the answering machine. If you have a query you may email us using the contact form but please ensure that your contact details are correct. Refunds for cancelled bookings may be made at the organisers discretion depending on the planning commitments as on most events the bus seats, leaders and any equipment needed are pre-allocated (see below).
These are planned and recce'd in advance. For reasons outwith the organiser's control or other such as a slower or faster than expected group pace, severe weather, or delay due to injury it may be necessary to alter the route either in advance or during the day. Such changes are not made lightly but will be subject to the professional judgment of the leaders. Your safety is in their hands.
Walk Numbers
For reasons of
safety and logistics there are limited places on most walks. It is
essential, therefore, that you pre-book your walks to avoid
disappointment! Please remember that on popular walks places
not taken up may prevent someone else from participating and also impacts on bus
and leader allocations.
It should be noted that all strenuous routes will require a good pace to be averaged of around 4km/h.
The distances and difficulty are for guidance only, if you have any queries about the walks or indeed any other matter please contact the organisers. We have tried to grade the walks to give you a good guide to the conditions and hence level of effort required for each walk. They have been based on Naismith's rule, but are not definitive.
Easy indicates a short distance and little ascending/descending on good ground for up to 2 or 3 hours, or distances up to 10km/6 miles on relatively level ground.
Moderate indicates distances up to 13km/8miles ascending a total of approx 400m or 1200ft across good ground or tracks, with a duration of between 2 to 5 hours.
Strenuous indicates distances up to 16km/10miles, ascending approx 400m/1200ft across varied ground, with a duration of approx 5 to 6 hours.
Very Strenuous indicates distances over 16km/10miles and/or ascending to 900m above sea level and higher across rough ground, with a duration of over 6 hours.
Extremely Strenuous indicates distances over 20km/12miles and/or ascending in excess of 1000m across rough ground, with a duration of over 7 hours, and will expect a pace of at least 4 km/h to be maintained for a long duration by the group and ascending at around 45 secs for every 10m.
Varied ground may include some heather, peat hags, bogs, boulder fields, scree and/or river crossing (though not necessarily all). Rough ground may include significant distances in these conditions.
The Royal Hotel will be offering a reduced bed and breakfast rate for this year's festival at £27.50 (single occupancy is unfortunately an extra £7.50). If you are staying in the Royal for 7 days then a ticket for the Cateran BBQ is provided free. Evening meals and packed lunches also available so you don’t need to go far. Non-resident participants can also take advantage of this and arrange breakfast, but they must be pre-booked with the Hotel staff. Royal Hotel bookings must be done through the event organisers. If you wish to arrange your own accommodation or if all the package spaces have been taken then please contact the Tourist Information Centre:
Tourist Information Centre
26 Wellmeadow
Blairgowrie
Perthshire
PH10 6AS
Tel: 01250 872960
Fax: 01250 873701
e-mail: blairgowrie@visitscotland.com
In addition to pre-booking your walks, you (and each member of your group) will need to register before each one. This must be done prior to boarding the bus. Registration is vitally important so that we have a record of who is on which walk, and so that the Walk Leader has a checklist to make sure no one is left behind. Registration will take place in the Royal Hotel from half an hour before the walks are scheduled to leave. Registration for the walk closes just before the bus leaves.
This year with the change in host venue we have also been able to provide parking facilities. These are located in the playground of Hill Primary School app 100m up the hill from the Royal Hotel, and is available from the evening of Friday 28th September onwards. If staying in the vicinity of the Royal Hotel and/or for several days please park at the rear of this area. Parking space at the Royal Hotel is limited and will be used for emergency vehicles and bus turning only. Alternative parking is available at various locations around the town particlularly in the Welton Road area.
Packed lunches are available from the Royal Hotel if pre-booked the night before, or alternatively can be bought or made up from the numerous eating establishments and shops in Blairgowrie. There are no special arrangements for meals during the walks, but most end at a hotel or similar. The Royal Hotel also offers bar suppers, which if booked in the morning will be available following your return to minimise waiting. In addition if booked in advance the Royal Hotel can arrange breakfasts for non-residents. The night time walks will not have a specific meal stop but snacks and a hot drink are advised. On some of the longer walks two meal stops may be made so please ensure you have sufficient with you. The sedentary daily guideline of 1800 calories for women and 2000 for men is not sufficient for physical activities! So if you are participating in several days of walking you need to ensure that you have sufficient to eat throughout your stay with us.
Those taking part in
the Blairgowrie & East Perthshire Walking Festival do so at their own risk.
The organisers and sponsors of the event shall not be liable for any accident or
injury, however caused. You are advised to check your own personal accident
cover, before taking part.
Vulnerable Adults or Young People
The nature of hillwalking potentially involves leaders or other participants in providing close assistance to others. For everybody's protection those people classified as 'vulnerable adults' or young people under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an appropriate carer or responsible adult. If you have any specific concerns in this area please contact the organisers. No special arrangements are available to provide independent supervision of vulnerable people.
Please
do not smoke when on any of the walks – out of consideration for others taking
part, and to avoid undue risk of fire.
Much as we like them, obedient and friendly though they can be, we have to point out that dogs are not allowed on Festival walks out of consideration for others. This does not apply to guide dogs accompanying registered blind or deaf walkers, though please be aware that many of the walks involve negotiating gates, walls, fences or stiles and will often involve potential trip hazards.
Payment
The walk fees include return transport from the Festival Office at the
Royal Hotel in Blairgowrie where appropriate. Please ensure that your payment for
bookings is sent to
the organisers before 1st September, as after this date any unconfirmed places
will be offered to those on the reserve lists. Bookings after this date
must be accompanied by payment.
Prices for the various entertainments vary and are listed on the booking form or the entertainment page.
Please note: parking places are very limited at the starting point of most walks. Not only that but many do not start and end at the same place and may be subject to unforeseen change! So to avoid congestion or other logistical problems on and just off quiet rural roads we have provided buses.
We recognise that under normal circumstances we may provide a refund for cancellations. Unfortunately after August 1st this will not be possible as the various venues, transport bookings, leader allocations, and other planning matters will have been made. We apologise for any inconvenience or distress this may cause. Participants may request a transfer to another walk or ticketed event subject to space, and may also exchange a booking with someone else, as all of our bookings are transferable. But please contact the organisers in advance and we will do our best to provide you with an alternative.
Please note that for High Level or Very/Extremely Strenuous walks full hill walking gear is mandatory, click here for a suggested kit-list. All walks will require appropriate clothing for the anticipated weather conditions and a minimum of 3-season boots are strongly recommended. No personal use equipment is available from the organisers unless otherwise stated. For the night walks a lightweight head torch is mandatory (thus leaving the hands free). Please bring along a spare set of batteries. Please also avoid shining your torch at the heads of your colleagues as this affects their night vision.
Any medical conditions should be advised to the organisers and leaders before each walk as many will be going into remote areas where assistance is not necessarily immediately forthcoming. Any information provided will be kept in strictest confidence. All walks will have qualified first aiders in support but they are not a substitute for paramedic or A&E practitioners. If you are in any doubt about your standard of fitness please consult your GP. Medical services in East Perthshire are sparse. There is a small cottage hospital in Blairgowrie, but the nearest A&E services are in Dundee and Perth.
The following Ordnance Survey maps cover walks in the Festival programme:
Explorer 1:25,000 scale
379 - Dunkeld, Aberfeldy & Glen Almond
380 - Dundee & Sidlaw Hills
381 - Blairgowrie, Kirriemuir and Glamis
386 - Blair Atholl & Pitlochry
387 - Glen Shee & Braemar
388 - Lochnagar, Glen Muick & Glen Clova
(378 - Ben Lawers & Glen Lyon - walk 13 only)
Landranger 1:50,000
43 - Braemar to Blair Atholl
44 - Ballater, Glen Clova & surrounding area
53 - Blairgowrie & Forest of Alyth
(51 - Loch Tay & surrounding area - walk 13 only)
(52 - Pitlochry to Crieff - walk 32 only)
(54 - Dundee to Montrose - walk 21 only)
