The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Jewel of Strathmore
Coupar Angus Loop, Perth and Kinross
Take a hike on the Coupar Angus Loop in Perth and Kinross, and be rewarded by beauty and history.
The folk of Coupar Angus proudly proclaim their town to be the “jewel of Strathmore” and, setting off from the market cross in the heart of the community, I was keen to unearth some local treasures for myself.
Roads radiate out from what is now a modern stone cross and I opted to take Athole Street, a lane leading past the Athole Arms on to Causewayend. Originally one of the main routes from The Cross down to the river, this slender thoroughfare weaves between rows of traditional cottages and houses.
Caddam Road took me past newer dwellings to the edge of town where I branched on to a farm track descending towards the River Isla. Rounding a bend, I spotted the ribbon of sapphire blue meandering through the arable plains.
Meeting the flow at one of its great sweeping bends, I witnessed a mature river on the final stage of its 74km journey. Rising in the mountains of Angus, it would, a few miles to the west, end in convergence with the Tay.
Heading upstream, I passed through a tunnel below the trackbed of the former branch railway that, until 1965, linked Coupar Angus with Blairgowrie, before joining the riverside path by the main road that solely serves this role now.
A grassy path sticks close to the water, forking left at a pair of old oaks before progressing to a wooden gate. Ahead of me, the way was rather overgrown so I climbed on to the parallel levy, topped with a slender path.
Ducks on the water below me, I spotted evidence of beaver activity, willow trees on the bank displaying the tell-tale teeth marks of these gnawing herbivores. Dozens of unofficial colonies are thought to exist on the Tay and its tributaries, the Isla among them. My time by the river ended near Bendochy Parish Church, a place of worship dating from the 17th Century, almost hidden by a veil of trees across the water.
Turning inland, a track guided me around the edge of a field of harvested broccoli before climbing to Princeland Farm, occasional marker posts confirming I was on the right course.
The farm sits on the eastern edge of Coupar Angus and, passing Larghan Victory Park, a popular recreational ground that opened shortly after the Second World War, I too remained on the fringes of urbanity.
While there is evidence of Pictish settlement and Roman activity in the area, it was the establishment of an abbey in the 13th Century that had the biggest impact on the early history and development of Coupar Angus.
Approaching the site of the Cistercian monastery, I joined Thorn Alley, a path following the line of what some believe was the eastern boundary of the abbey precinct. Others think it delineates the rampart of a Roman camp.
Partially destroyed in 1559 during the Reformation, it was another 50 years before the last of the monks left and all that now remains of what was once one of the wealthiest abbeys in the country is the crumbling stump of a gatehouse.
The salvaged stone found new life in other buildings, including the parish church which now occupies the abbey grounds, and Tolbooth Steeple, a striking 18th Century tower that heralded my return to the heart of Strathmore’s jewel. ROUTE
1. Left of Tower Bakery, join Athole Street and follow it then Causewayend (B948) to junction with Caddam Road.
2. Cross and progress along Caddam Road to speed derestriction signs. Go right, descending track (signed Buttery Bank) to junction by Kemphill Farm. 3. Turn right and follow track to A923. 4. Cross A923 then stile and follow riverside path 1.2km to next signed junction.
5. Cross fence and turn right (signed Townhead), descending through metal gate, and follow field track to cottage.
6. Ascend track, bearing right at Princeland Farm, to meet Townhead.
7. Descend left on Princeland Road to A94. Cross and continue 350m ahead on minor road.
8. Turn right through Meadowside Farm and go right on path through wooded strip then around perimeter of maltings.
9. Below power line, go left over stream then left again on Thorn Alley to Dundee Road. Turn right and follow Dundee R oad, crossing A94, to return to The Cross.