TGO Challenge 19/05/26

Day 13, Glenisla to Kirriemuir 

Very heavy rain overnight and still raining hard in the morning. The forecast was for rain all day and the clouds were low on the hills.

Tartan wrapped Reliant at the Glenisla Hotel

I decided not to go over my last hill, Cat Law, in the pouring rain with no visibility and just walked the road to Kirriemuir.

A wet morning 

I was happy with the decision even though the rain eased and stopped altogether by lunch time. The cloud was still very low and the visibility would have been terrible on the top.

Thank you very much for the coffee and conversation Ian.

I walked past a house and said hello to someone in the garden and he stopped me, asked if I was doing the TGO and invited me in for a coffee. Great hospitality.

Carpenter Oak

He was a retired blacksmith and had worked for the last twenty years at Carpenter Oak, a company specialising in oak frame buildings, based a bit further down the road. An interesting man.

Sky clearing

It was a pleasant road with little traffic and I soon reached Kirriemuir, just in time before the café closed.

Highland cows and oilseed rape

Kirriemuir is the birthplace of J M Barrie the creator of Peter Pan. There is a Peter Pan statue in the square which has some good, old buildings but I couldn't find anything else very interesting.

Acres of peas just coming through 

There is a traditional music session in the 'Three Bellies' pub tonight which will be worth checking out.

Peter Pan

The Airlie Arms Hotel had a nice big room with a comfy bed.

Session in the 3 Bellies

The session was excellent, only about four people in the bar other than the nine musicians! And we all got spiced coriander and carrot soup🤤

TGO Challenge 18/05/26

Day 12, Lair to Glenisla.

It was a cold night and the morning was mostly overcast with some low cloud but this lifted and there were some sunny intervals. Again I didn't get wet although there were some rain showers about.

Good thing that I wasn't going that way

Today was slightly odd in that I walked a long way and climbed a lot but didn't actually go very far.

Path up Mount Blair 

There were three hills that I wanted to climb here so it was a good chance to do them all. 

Communication tower on Mount Blair 

Mount Blair was just a short road walk and then a steep path up to the radio/telephone aerials at the top returning to the road by the same path. Why didn't I leave my pack at the bottom?

Looking back to Mount Blair along the wall from Duchray Hill

Across the road then for a rather mor convoluted route up to Duchray Hill. There is a lot of new forestry planting here but I found a way up starting on a new track and ending by climbing a deer fence onto the upper hill.

Too big, heavy and awkward to carry ☹️

There is a big drystone wall all along the ridge here which I followed to the top of the hill and then descended by a different ridge to Forter.

Castle at Forter with ancient roadsign

I found a gorgeous antler and was very tempted to bring it home but after carrying it for a short distance I decided that it was just too heavy and awkward, shame, it was good one.

Looking back to Mount Blair from the track up Badandun Hill

There was a short track that went down to Forter where there's an old 'castle'. The castle is really a fortified house, this one appeared to be a private house and I have never seen a better maintained one.

Windy on the top

But a great view

The last hill was a long walk but relatively easy as there was a track all the way to the top and another one to take be down the other side.

On the way down 

Hill loop completed

Looking back

A couple of hours walk down to Glenisla with it's little unstaffed hotel.

TGO Challenge 17/05/26

Day 11, Pitlochry to Lair.

Another fairly bright day with showers although, once again, I hardly got any. The wind was lighter as well, so a very pleasant day.

Pitlochry in the morning 

The Tay

Pitlochry was nice in the morning with nobody about as I walked out of town before turning onto a little road that climbed up to the forest edge before turning into a track 

Open forest track

The track went for nearly five miles through the forest in wide spaces between the trees making a very pleasant walk.

A deer fence to climb (at least there was some help on this one)

Coming down from the top

I had to climb a deer fence to get out of the forest onto a steep climb with deep heather. Unpleasant to get through but I reached the ridge and it was easier walking then round to the top.

Good track down through the forest

A steep heathery descent then and another deer fence to climb but in the end I reached the end of a track that continued all the way to Kirkmichael.

"Hut" blending into the hillside 

There is an interesting community of timber "huts" above Kirkmichael. Not what I would call huts but high quality Scandinavian log cabins all blended into the landscape, very nice.

Kirkmichael 

Kirkmichael Hotel

There is a community shop and café at Kirkmichael but unfortunately it was shut however the hotel was able to supply coffee and biscuits.

Over the hill

There is a path from here to Lair that is labeled as a mini Cateran trail track. The first part was straightforward to the track past Ashintully Castle but after that it becomes confusing, heathery and wet. I went the wrong way several times.

Where's the path?

I was beginning to despair of finding somewhere to camp before reaching the road but just before I got there I found a level bit beside the path. Perfect.

Sanctuary 

TGO Challenge 16/05/26

Day 10, Aberfeldy to Pitlochry.

It was a beautiful morning, sunshine, light wind and while not warm was very pleasant.

Dewars distillery Aberfeldy 

If you're wondering why I'm walking to the same place two days in a row you need to read yesterday's post!

River Tay outside Aberfeldy 

As I walked out of Aberfeldy I noticed a sign outside a hotel that said breakfast. I needed no more encouragement.

John and Sue on the riverside path

The route soon left the road and became a nice little path by the river where I met John and Sue, fellow TGO vetters.

Bluebells 

We walked on together to Grandtully where we stopped for coffee at the hotel. John and Sue were heading for Balinluig and beyond so our routes diverged.

A selection of chocolates

There is a chocolate shop in Grandtully that advertises that it produces the best chocolate truffle in the world so I went in and bought one. Maybe my palate is jaded but I thought a Snickers bar was tastier and better priced.

River Tay at  Grandtully 

The path up from Grandtully 

I followed the Rob Roy Way over the hill to Pitlochry and there were some lovely views back to the Tay and beyond.

Looking back from the hill

Down to Pitlochry 

I was soon descending to the A9 and Pitlochry which as usual was full of Tourists. I can understand people coming to this area as it is beautiful but why they just hang around the town is less understandable.

A9

I couldn't get into the backpackers until 17.00 so I had some time to look at the 'attractions', mostly retail therapy designed to empty your wallet.

River at Pitlochry 

Pitlochry again

At least there is a good co-op where I was able to purchase enough food for the rest of my walk.