Weem Forest Walk, Weem
| Distance | Approximate Time | Height Gain | OS Map |
| 1.5 kms | 00:45 (hrs:mins) | 180 metres |
Description
Weem Wood lies on a steep craggy slope above the village of Weem just to the north-west of Aberfeldy. This ancient woodland is home to many legends of dragons and demons that haunted the cliffs and caves.
Begin at a small Forestry Commission car park off the B846, 2.5km from Aberfeldy. From here the circular walk is waymarked and rises steeply culminating in a fine view at St David's Well, a hermit's retreat used by St Cuthbert in the early days of Christianity. St David, the laird's son from nearby Castle Menzies, occupied it later when he took on an austere religious life in the fifteenth century.
The wood contains many fine specimen trees planted by the Menzies family in the nineteenth century to provide a spectacular backdrop to the castle and gardens. At this time Perthshire was at the forefront of the renaissance of Scottish forestry with many newly discovered species being introduced from abroad. Two local men were pre-eminent in plant collecting- David Douglas from Scone and Archibald Menzies from near Aberfeldy. Menzies worked in the adjacent walled garden, at Castle Menzies, as a lad before becoming a notable botanist and plant collector in the Americas. Castle Menzies is a fine example of a Clan Chief's 16th century fortified tower house and is open to visitors from April to October.
Weem Wood is part of the Tay Forest Park.
Access Info
At Weem, 2.5km north-west of Aberfeldy off the B846. Well - signposted Forestry Commission car park at the start of the route.
Additional Info
Weem Wood is part of the Tay Forest Park www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland A Tay Forest Park guide, with clear maps of all routes, is available from all Perthshire Tourist Information Centres. Refreshments are available in Weem village.
Other attractions in the Aberfeldy area include Dewar's World of Whisky, The Scottish Crannog Centre, Cluny Gardens, Bolfracks Gardens, The Fortingall Yew, Birks of Aberfeldy and the Aberfeldy Watermill Bookshop.
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
