HIGHLAND SAFARI

There’s cracking wildlife and spectacular scenery to behold when you explore Perthshire’s beauty

The Highland Safari is something I have wanted to do for years as it seemed like a great way to explore the Perthshire countryside.

In the tiny Highland Perthshire hamlet of Dull, near Aberfeldy, around an hour’s drive from Perth, Highland Safaris have been running for the past 25 years.

Run by husband and wife team Donald and Julie, they offer mountain, forest and biking safaris on the hilltops around Dull. And they also have a red deer centre, barn owl experience and gold panning on site next to their cafe and gift shop.

Most recently, the business has also expanded to include safaris on nearby Loch Tay, allowing visitors to explore the waters of Perthshire as well as the hilltops.

I went on a mountain safari. The drivers can take different routes each day – my trip took me up Foss Mine, a barite mine that is still in use today.

My safari was run by George Macdonald, a former gamekeeper and definitely an expert about everything on the mountains, from the history to the landscape.

Our journey on the 4x4 Land Rover took just over two hours from the top and back down again, with many stop-offs along the way to look at different animals and viewpoints.

One spectacular viewpoint was around halfway up the mine, where you could look to the west and see Schiehallion in all its glory, or to the west to see Ben-y-vrackie and the other mountains overlooking Pitlochry.

Although it was not particularly cold down at ground level in Aberfeldy on the day I went on the safari, at this viewpoint the wind was exceptionally strong and the wind -chill really set in.

By the time we had taken in the views, my face was sore from the wind blowing at me.

However, despite it being freezing cold, I was more than prepared for the cold weather on the mountain with walking boots, fluffy socks and lots and lots of layers to wear.

Thankfully it was also a very clear day, meaning from the very top of Foss Mine I was able to see right across Glencoe, the Cairngorms and the Lomond Hills to the south, making this the perfect place to get a birds-eye view of (almost) the whole of Scotland.

Once at the top of the mine, Highland Safaris has a purpose-built bothy to stop off in, and although most of the inside was frozen when we arrived, a gas stove heated the place up nicely and everyone on the tour enjoyed a cup of tea, some shortbread and a dram of Dewars whisky, which is made in nearby Aberfeldy. The distillery can be passed when driving from the A9 to the Highland Safaris base.

After returning to Dull, I spoke to George Macdonald about his work on the safari.

He said:“We have a mountain safari, forest safari, treks which can take up to four hours, and people can buy a picnic as well.

“On the cycle trips, we take them up to Glenlyon and everyone cycles back down to Dull, and we do gold panning as well.

“We also have Loch Tay safaris now where we go out on the loch.

“And we do private charters were it is one-on-one for your own party.

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