August 21, 2013: Aberfeldy to Pitlochry

In Strathtay I celebrate my mile 4900.

The skies had brightened considerably as Gavan and I made preparations for our last day on the Rob Roy Way. In celebration we both chose the porridge this morning, a wonderful creamy concoction with a dash of Dewar’s whisky in it – the only time on this trip, come to think of it, that either of us had experienced a taste of whisky. I followed my porridge with pancakes and maple syrup. Our bags were brought down for their last transfer and at 8:55, our earliest start, we were off.

I was a bit worried about today’s stage. First I remembered that it was thirteen miles long (and the crossroads sign made it fifteen miles to Pitlochry) – though a closer look at my version of the guidebook made it only eleven miles to go and Gavan’s newer edition had it down to nine and a half! This made me feel much better – though Gavan was about to have a disappointment. He had spotted a walking stick in an Aberfeldy outfitter’s window but the shop showed no signs of opening.

It didn’t take me too long to discover why mileage totals might have been altered since publication of my guidebook. The latter spoke of an almost five mile-long slog along the A827, without benefit of pavement, but as the buildings of Aberfeldy receded behind us and we had accomplished close to a mile on a very satisfactory pavement, it soon became clear, as we passed Dewar’s World of Whisky across the road, that a major diversion had been instituted. This was a path down to the River Tay, one which would keep us away from traffic (though not its sounds) on a much more straightforward easterly trek.

I was delighted by this change in plans, though the rich foliage of the river valley often prevented any contact with the river itself. The path was mostly level, not too muddy and the vegetation rich and varied. I was often out in front but no one could get lost on this stretch – Gavan, incidentally, had been supplied with a fourth OS map for today since we were now using sheet 386 (Pitlochry and Loch Tummel). It wasn’t always easy to tell how far we had come, for there were few landmarks, but we made excellent time.

We were rejoined by the highway near Little Ballinluig and soon thereafter, at Grandtully, we went through an underpass, through a parking lot and out to a roadway which headed north across the Tay. There was a lot more activity here than I expected, shops and places to eat and a school for novice kayakers, many of whom we could see battling the rapids below us. The road led us up toward the village of Strathtay and here, at the war memorial, I called a halt.

I had made some calculations well before the start of this expedition, determining that Gavan would start with 824 miles to his credit on UK and Irish footpaths and that, by another curious coincidence, I would start with 4824. Thus, by reaching Starthtay he had reached his mile 900 and I had reached 4900! These totals were memorialized in some photographs and we prepared ourselves for what we knew would be the last sustained ascent of our trip.

There was some ambiguity about the right path to take above a golf course but we were soon climbing up to a path along the Tullypowrie Burn. I was keeping a close eye on every feature of the OS map, trying to measure my progress, and this meant looking for some houses and a mast on our left and, still later, signs of derelict church. Having reached the latter Gavan announced that we had covered one third of our ascent – I don’t know how he was able to figure such things out.

High above Aberfeldy

In more open country we were able to continue our climb, utilizing footpaths to pass through fences, across fields and up against a line of fir trees. Behind us there were wonderful views of the Tay Valley. I told Gavan that every time I experienced a sky full of fluffy white clouds against a blue background that one of the great melodies in Western music swelled in my imagination. “Dvorak?” he asked.” “No,” I replied, “The Simp-sons!” On this note we sat down on a little raised bank at the trailside and ate our last packed lunch. I ate an apple that I had been carrying around for days.

We were almost at the summit of our efforts and soon we had reached the top and entered on a series of forestry roads – indeed a giant logging truck took up most of the roadway. Off on our left was a stone circle. The signage was pretty good up here and it needed to be since there were so many rival tracks.

Gavan at the end of the walk, Pitlochry

We now began our last major descent – though forestry really prevented any views of distant Pitlochry, our final destination. Eventually we escaped the trees and walked steeply down to several farmsteads including Netherton and Middleton. Nesting birds in the barn of the latter were flying in and out of a shuttered window. We had to wait for a gap in the busy A9 before rushing across and continuing through parklike surroundings, over a river, up through another woodland and finally into a flowery garden (where residents were complaining about wasps). This was the end of the Rob Roy Way.

It was shortly after 3:00 and we now wandered along the A924 in search of a likely place for a celebratory pint. After just a few blocks on the high street we spotted the Scotland Hotel and here, in McNab’s Bar, we sat down. The wi-fi was off and the place was empty but it still felt good to relax after our adventures.

When it was time to find our b&b Gavan relied on the OS map to guide us through a series of suburban streets as we rose to find the cul-de-sac on which Ashbank House was located. Workmen were hammering away outside as we rounded the house and were welcomed to our last night’s accommodation. Almost immediately we learned that the workmen were still hammering because there has been a torrential downpour here and they had downed tools. We had enjoyed dry weather throughout this day.

We had a nice rest and as Gavan went to the lounge to use his phone I listened to “the greatest hits of rock and roll” on my iPod. We were a long way away from any place to eat but our landlady recommended the Moulin Inn, about a ten-minute walk up to the A924. In fact this seemed closer to twenty minutes on our tired legs – I was glad I was still using my stick – and when we reached the Moulin (which offered ale from its own adjacent brewery) the place was so full up that we had to sit outside. Still, this was a pretty pleasant meal, in spite of a few raindrops plopping down on our umbrella, one that was concluded with a very nice raspberry crumble and custard.

We made our way back to our b&b – with sheep on our left still munching away (and the nearby Jack Russell having gone inside) and on our right we were treated to the unmistakable skirl of bagpipe practice in Pitlochry High School.

After a good night’s sleep and our last b&b breakfast we made preparations for our departure. I had long before this concluded that we needed a taxi to get our heavy luggage back to the train station but our kind hosts offered to give us a ride and at about 8:45 we left. We had plenty of time at the station – where Gavan asked another traveller to take a picture of the two of us, the only one with both of us in it taken on this trip. We were both utilizing the 9:23 King’s Cross train but Gavan, whom I had to say goodbye to on the platform, was getting off in Perth, changing to a Glasgow train, and flying, later that day, to Iceland.

I took my reserved first class seat and began the boring six and half hour journey south – by the time he had reached Perth Gavan had already sent me a copy of the photo just taken as an email attachment. It was nice to be home and to get my dog back but my life is much more settled than that of my peripatetic friend. Within a week of his departure from Scotland and his return, via Iceland, to the States, he was back in Europe – ready to undertake the pilgrimage walk to Santiago de Compostela.

Footpath Index:

Ireland: The Dingle Way | The Wicklow Way

Scotland: The Great Glen Way | The Rob Roy Way | The Speyside Way | The West Highland Way

Wales: Glyndwr’s Way | Offa’s Dyke Path

Channel Islands: The Guernsey Coastal Walk | The Jersey Coastal Walk

A Walker's Journal

by Anthony Linick

The Rob Roy Way Day 8

August 21, 2013: Aberfeldy to Pitlochry