The Birks of Aberfeldy

Inland Water
Walk Leader
Robin Millar
Capacity
10
Upper Fall - Birks of Aberfeldy

“The braes ascend like lofty wa's,
The foamy stream deep-roaring fa's,
O'er-hung wi' fragrant spreading shaws,
The birks of Aberfeldy.”
[Robert Burns – the Birks of Aberfeldy]

Immortalised [and perfectly described] by Burns, this walk follows a circular path through the gorge carrying the Moness Burn down in to the town of Aberfeldy.

The burn runs though the gorge which is thickly wooded with deciduous trees, mainly birch. [of course!], beech and oak. With a bit of luck we may well get some of the last of the autumn colour.

The lower part of the walk is relatively flat on well made and maintained paths and offers several places where the burn can be photographed. Depending on the height of the water it is possible to get close to the edge if care is taken on the loose boulders.

After the first few hundred metres the path becomes much steeper and includes several sets of steps which are uneven, rising past several small burns on the side which also make for interesting subjects.

After an ascent of about 190m, the path comes out above the Falls of Moness with a 150m main fall shown in the photograph.

This is a moderately strenuous walk and not suitable for those with restricted mobility.

Good walking shoes or boots are strongly recommended, and a trekking pole may be of assistance especially if you want to leave the path to get closer to the water if conditions allow. The circular walk, in total is about 3km.

The gorge is north facing so at this time of year it will be quite dark, even assuming full sunshine and a tripod would be sensible.

FACILITIES

There are no public toilets at the Birks but there are a number in the town centre.

There are several cafes, restaurants and pubs in the town for lunch.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Bus transport is available from Perth city centre taking about 1hr 20 minutes each way. See the timetable.

It is about a 15-minute walk from the bus-stop to the Birks.

Walk Location

The Birks of Aberfeldy

Walk Directions

Aberfeldy is about 1 hour North of Perth.

From Perth take the A9 northbound towards Inverness [note there are average speed cameras on single carriageway section of the road]. Follow the A9 north for about 22 miles. Just where the road widens to dual carriageway, take the junction signposted for Ballinluig Aberfeldy.

At the top of the slip road take the second exit towards Logierait, Grandtully and Aberfeldy [the A827]. After about 4 miles, at the T junction turn right and follow the road into Aberfeldy.

At traffic lights just past the main square turn left up the hill [it should be signposted for the Birks]. After a few hundred yards there is another set of traffic lights at the entrance to the car park which is on the right. There is no charge for car parking.

Unless you have a very tall vehicle, pass through the height restriction gate and continue to the upper car park [note this road is very potholed so please drive slowly]. The meeting point will be by the picnic tables.

Directions can be found on both Apple and Google Maps.

What 3 Words -  ///bunkers.crumb.solo

Accessibility

The walk is on rough pathways with steeps sections and steps. it is not suitable for those with restricted mobility or wheelchair users - see details of the route above.

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