has its röstigrabe, east of which one eats pan-fried potatoes and speaks German. Perthshire has its heatherline, east of which one struggles in knee-scratching shrubbery and speaks Anglo-Saxon swearwords. The green ridge of Beinn Dearg is all the more enjoyable when you look across Allt Glas to the brown twigs of Ben Halton on the other side of the divide.
The green ridgeline fringed with its small crags is a delight, but the approach is across damp moorland. And the last half-kilometre of the descent shows that grass too can induce swear words, when you meet it thigh-high in July or August.
Start back along the Glen Artney road for 400 metres, then bear down left on a farm track marked ‘Dogs on Leads’. Pass below the buildings at Dalchruin, then follow the riverside to a bridge.
Beinn Dearg from Glen Artney
Cross over and follow the track uphill. Where it bends left, turn off right, but at once turn up left on a smaller track. After 200 metres, as it bends left towards the hut Dalclathick, keep ahead, through rough pastureland. Pass right of two ruins to a gateway above the stream junction of Allt Coire a’ Choire. The Stream of the Corrie of the Corrie; the next valley west is Srath a’ Ghlinne, the Valley of the Glen.
A faint green track descends to ford the stream, then bends to right of a steep rise onto moorland. Ahead, it passes between two isolated iron gateposts. Keep following it north, as it provides a slightly more comfortable line. At a tall fence, a gate 50 metres to the left gives an easier place to wriggle between the wires.
The old track rises briefly northwest, then turns north again to Allt Glas. Keep to left of the stream, to the tailings of a slate quarry. Go up to right of this, onto the southeastern spurline of Beinn Dearg. Keep to the fairly sharp and mildly rocky crest, close to drops on the right, for an enjoyable ascent to Beinn Dearg. The northernmost knoll has the small cairn.
The knolly ridgeline continues around the head of a corrie overlooking Glen Artney. After an unnamed second summit (705m, only 1m lower than the main top) the ridge descends south for a col to a wide, grassy top at 618m (Sron na Maoile). Cross this, avoiding one or two peat hags. From its end, descend southeast, to left of dense peat hags. Once below them, work downhill and to the right, to descend southwards towards Glen Artney. Aim for the tree-lined Water of Ruchill opposite, above Auchinner.
The slope levels at moraines at 300m level, and becomes heavy with rushes, tall grass and bracken. Descend to a track above the river, and turn right to a high gate with a stalking notice on the back. The track crosses a field to a bridge over Allt Srath a’ Ghlinne. Head upstream to right of Water of Ruchill, to a stile onto the driveway below Auchinner.
Cross the bridge onto the start of the public road down the glen. It leads to the car park; or else, immediately after the bridge, turn left through a gate. This is the start of a fisherman’s path through meadows by the river (see Route 1) that can be followed back to the car park.
ROUTE 3
Water of Ruchill
| Start/finish | The Linn car park, Water of Ruchill near Comrie NN763200 |
| Distance | 14km/9 miles |
| Ascent | 350m/1100ft |
| Approx time | 4hr |
| Max altitude | Slopes of Ben Halton 320m |
| Terrain | Tracks, and a grassy meadow |
A walk of parkland, moorland, and woods and fields above Glen Artney. There’s a rough pasture to descend between the two tracks, and a small swamp in Ruchillside Wood. It’s worth walking around this as feet will stay dry on the rest of the route.
Start back down the tarmac lane towards Comrie for 1.2km, first beside Water of Ruchill then between fields. At a right bend, turn back sharp left along a gravel driveway, signed to Aberuchill.
Oakwoods on the right-of-way track above Glen Artney
Before the grand house turn left through a white gate. The track runs uphill, slanting across a field, then up again through woods and past Tomanour onto open hill. Here a track turns off right; follow it for 100 metres to a sculptural grouse butt imitating the artist Andy Goldsworthy. Follow the main track uphill through a gate, usually locked – climb it at the hinge end.
The track runs gently uphill around the base of Ben Halton. After 2km it passes through another gate, now above Glen Artney and below Dun Dubh. A deer fence is just above. After 400 metres, just before a small quarry on the right, the wall below the track has a break where it becomes a railed fence. This is a convenient place to cross it. If you reach a gate through the high deer fence, you’ve gone too far.
Head south down rough pasture. When you see Dalclathick hut below, head directly towards it. However, the Allt Glas prevents you from reaching it. With a streamside plantation on your right, bear left to fenced sheep handling pens. From their back left corner, a green track runs down to a smooth gravel track at the valley floor.
Follow the track left, down-valley, gradually rising through woods. After 2km, it bends uphill towards Blairmore, but here fork right, slightly downhill, on a green track. After a gate it crosses an open field into a wood. Here it dips to cross a stream, then slants slightly uphill, becoming swampy and invisible under rushes. Recapture it beyond the swamp, where it emerges from the wood at a gate.
The track is clearer, and becomes a firm stony one. It slants gently down the valley side to Dalrannoch farm. Here it becomes a tarmac driveway, descending to pass The Linn car park.
ROUTE 4
Comrie: Deil’s Caldron
| Start/finish | Field of Refuge car park, at south end of Comrie’s bridge over Water of Ruchill NN773218 (or other car parks in Comrie) |
| Distance | 6km/3.5 miles |
| Ascent | 250m/800ft |
| Approx time | 2hr |
| Max altitude | Lord Melville’s Monument 250m |
| Terrain | Well-used paths |
Various Perthshire villages have marked and maintained paths offering gentle walks in beautiful surroundings. This is one of the best, with wooden walkways above the Deil’s Caldron waterfall, and a viewpoint monument to a dodgy politician. There’s also a healing spring, a quiet riverbank, and the pretty village itself.
Start across the river, turning left on the main street past the white church (now community centre). The street bends right, past another car park (School Lane). At the next bend, keep ahead into Monument Road, and in 100 metres turn right at a footpath signpost for Deil’s Caldron.
The wide earth path runs around the foot of woods, then above River Lednock. Look out for a side path down right to Little Caldron, rejoining the main path above. As the wood steepens, the path runs just below the Glen Lednock
