Ascent
across the moors to Pitlochry. Craggy little peaks, empty glens, peaceful plantations, cascading streams and waterfalls, and hidden bothies combine to make it one of my favourite spots for a stravaig.
The quick up-and-back route begins at a small car park opposite the mobile phone mast at the entrance to Brerachan Wood, but I opted to start further down the glen, by Thomas Telford’s now bypassed 19th Century single-arch stone bridge spanning the Brerachan Water at Dalnavaid.
After a swift, leg-loosening trek up the road, past a solitary war memorial, to Dalnacarn Farm, I branched left, clambering over a gate and climbing a rough track that levels off higher up the hillside, leading to a wooden stalkers’ hut (usually locked).
Here the track ends but a distinct enough line of all-terrain vehicle tracks continues south-east across the moor, leaving me with just a short stint of heather-bashing to reach the boundary fence of Kindrogan Wood. The posts and wire climb directly to the higher of Blath Bhalg’s two tops.
At 641 metres, the summit, marked by a small cairn, may not be particularly lofty, but it gives a marvellous panorama, with the Beinn a’ Ghlo group to the north-west, Schiehallion to the west and, closer to home, Loch Broom below.
A fence-line and path run west, over the lower top, and down the shoulder before curving north onto Dalnacarn Craig, a rough line of all-terrain vehicle tracks descending to the roadside parking area by the mast. Across the asphalt, I entered
Brerachan Wood, the track skirting above slopes felled and replanted in 2019, creating a wonderfully open outlook over Glen Brerachan and the Brerachan Water. About 1.5km into the forest, a broad, gated clearing cuts a swathe through the plantation, a rough and ready route dipping through the gap to the river, spanned by a rickety old wooden bridge.
Below the bridge, the water dances exuberantly over exposed slabs of flat rock before crashing headlong through the Falls of Brerachan, the languid pool below the white water a spectacular yet sheltered spot, ideal for a quick dip on a hot, sunny day.
Refreshed, all that remains is the walk out, the trail crossing fields of pasture and meadows of wildflowers as it follows the river downstream to Telford’s bridge.
Thomas Telford’s bridge over Brerachan Water; Glen Brerachan; Lowest of the Brerachan Falls
Further information
Maps: OS 1:50,000 Landranger sheet 43 (Braemar & Blair Atholl), or OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheets OL49 (Pitlochry & Loch Tummel) and OL52 (Glen Shee & Braemar)
Transport:
1
Start/Finish
Car park S side of A82, half mile west of Altnafeadh GR: NN212559
From a green signpost, the good
path heads SW up the valley to the
head of Lairig Gartain.
The path descends for
300m, rather rough, then
slants out down the steep slope
above the stream, to reach the
southern spur of Stob Dubh.
A gate through a deer fence is just
below, but continue contouring
above the fence, on a rough path,
to cross Allt Lairig Eilde. (Note that
both streams from Lairig Eilde,
southwards and northwards,
have this same name.)
Beyond the stream a good
path runs uphill, to head N
through the saddle above. It drops
to cross the N-flowing Allt Lairig
Eilde, and runs beside it. At the
valley’s exit it recrosses the
stream and runs down to a car
park on the A82.
Cross the road and the
stream below it, to a well
made track, the Old Glencoe
Road. Turn R, to rejoin the A82.
Take a rough path L of road for
300m to another car park. The
soggy green track of the Old Road
continues L of the road, to arrive
opposite the walk start.