Larch Walk, Dunkeld

Description

For those with little time or unable to undertake the longer walks in the Dunkeld area this delightful ramble offers in miniature many of the sights to be enjoyed on a larger scale elsewhere. There is a hill top viewpoint at King's Seat, riverside and woodland paths, beautiful trees and many different animals and plants. The walk begins at the North car park in Dunkeld and is waymarked - the signs suggest the most pleasant direction to take but the choice is yours.

Take time en route to stop and admire the Dunkeld Larches. Here you'll find the remaining Parent Larch. This tree is the sole survivor from a group of larches, collected from the Tyrol mountains, and planted here as seedlings over 250 years ago. These trees became famous as the seed source for the large scale plantings carried out by the Dukes of Atholl on the hillsides around Dunkeld. The path meanders through the grounds of Dunkeld House Estate and on towards the viewpoint at King's Seat. In 1897 the 7th Duke of Atholl built Dunkeld House on the banks of the River Tay - now a hotel, this is an excellent place to stop for refreshments or a bar lunch.

Dunkeld Cathedral is another highlight of this walk and can be visited throughout the year. Part ruin, part parish church, the medieval cathedral holds the tomb of the Alexander Stewart, the notorious Wolf of Badenoch. The Wolf was one of the most evil characters in Scotland's history and, in 1390, burned Elgin Cathedral to the ground. After a spell in prison he mended his ways and today you can see his black marble monument within the cathedral.

In early summer there are carpets of bluebells under the trees and banks of flowering rhododendrons along the riverbank.

Access Info

By foot from the centre of Dunkeld. The walk can be started from the North car park or from the Tourist Information Centre at The Cross. Dunkeld is well served by local buses and coaches on the Perth - Inverness route.

Additional Info

The Larch Walk is part of the Dunkeld & Birnam Waymarked Walks network. Excellent leaflet with outline maps available from local tourist information centres in Perthshire. The leaflet details 8 different waymarked walks in the Dunkeld and Birnam area covering a total distance of 36 miles/57km.

Free Big Tree Country Guide also available from any Perthshire Tourist Information Centre. Packed with information on walking, cycling and wildlife watching at over 65 woodland and countryside sites, this is the ideal companion to help you explore Perthshire's great outdoors. See also www.perthshirebigtreecountry.co.uk

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