There is a guesthouse at Glenmarkie (www.glenmarkie.co.uk) and various self-catering lets in the glen. There are no shops or campsites in Isla. Public toilets are located at the Backwater Dam.
Prosen has a bunkhouse (www.prosenhostel.co.uk) in Glenprosen Village and there are various self-catering lets in the glen. There are no shops, campsites or public toilets in Prosen.
Glen Clova has a hotel and bunkhouse (www.clovahotel.com) in the hamlet of Clova. While older maps show a youth hostel and campsite near Acharn in Glen Doll, both have been closed for a number of years. There are three designated short-stay wild camping sites in Glen Doll – one on Jock’s Road (NO 252 766), one in a former quarry above Acharn (NO 280 764) and one by the River South Esk to the south of Moulzie (NO 285 768). Elsewhere in the glen, there is a scattering of self-catering cottages. There are no shops or formal campsites in Clova. Public toilets can be found in the car park at Milton of Clova and at Glen Doll Ranger Base.
Lethnot has no accommodation or services.
Esk has a formal campsite (www.gleneskcaravanpark.co.uk) at the southern end of the glen and an informal camping field at Tarfside with public toilets in the adjacent car park. There are a number of self-catering holiday cottages in the glen and refreshments can be found during the summer season at The Retreat, near Tarfside (www.glenesk.dreamhosters.com).
As there are no fuel stations in the glens, motorists should ensure tanks are filled in one of the main towns before setting off.
See Appendix B for more information to help you plan your trip.
Public transport
The Goal from Craigs of Lethnot on the elevated Airlie Ridge (Walk 8)
The main gateways to the glens – Forfar, Kirriemuir and Brechin – are well served by buses. Stagecoach Strathtay (www.stagecoachbus.com) operates local services and there are regular links to Dundee, while Scottish Citylink’s Dundee to Aberdeen coach service (www.citylink.co.uk) stops in Forfar.
By contrast, the glens themselves are not easily accessed by public transport (www.angus.gov.uk/transport). Careful planning is required along with an acceptance that a good number of the routes in this guidebook are currently outwith the scope of the bus network. What services there are tend to revolve around school runs – term-time only – and Demand Responsive Services where travellers request a timetabled journey in advance otherwise it will not operate.
With this in mind, it is possible to travel from Kirriemuir to Clova and Braedowie, in Glen Doll; from Kirriemuir to Dykehead, at the junction of Clova and Prosen; from Brechin to Invermark in Glen Esk; from Brechin to Tillybardine, in Glen Lethnot; and from Kirriemuir or Blairgowrie to Kirkton of Glenisla and on to Auchavan in Glen Isla.
Rail services (www.scotrail.co.uk) in Angus are confined to the coast and walkers arriving in the county by train are advised to alight in Dundee for the best selection of onward bus services or car rental opportunities. Dundee also has an airport (www.hial.co.uk/dundee-airport) with flights to and from London City.
See Appendix B for further information.
Access: Rights and responsibilities
A perfect pitch – wild camping by the Firmounth above Glen Esk (Walk 29)
Walkers in Scotland have long enjoyed the right to roam on just about any land, with no requirements to stay on defined paths or rights of way. This position was ratified with the implementation of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 which gives everyone the right to be on most land provided they act responsibly. To help people enjoy Scotland’s outdoors responsibly, the Scottish Outdoor Access Code was drawn up as part of the bill. The main points of the code relevant to hillwalkers are summarised below.
Take responsibility for your own actions.
Respect people’s privacy and peace of mind.
Help land managers and others to work safely and effectively.
Care for your environment.
Keep your dog under proper control.
The freedom to roam does have some restrictions. In common with many rural parts of Scotland, Angus has a good many sporting estates where animals and birds such as red deer and grouse are shot, whether for sport or conservation. These estates derive a significant amount of their income from shooting and it is an important part of the rural economy.
Deer management takes place at various times of the year but the most sensitive period is the stag-stalking season which runs from 1 July to 20 October. The grouse-shooting season runs from 12 August to 10 December. Most of this activity takes place on open hillside and tends to be away from popular walking routes. That said, a number of routes in the guide do cross land where both deer stalking and grouse shooting take place.
During the shooting seasons it is recommended that walkers do their best to seek permission from the relevant landowner before setting off. Generally the estates in Angus try to be as accommodating as possible and will often give useful advice on areas to avoid or alternative routes. As part of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, Scottish Natural Heritage operates an online service called Heading for the Scottish Hills (www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/hftsh) that provides deer-stalking information for various estates, including a number in Angus (see Appendix B for further contact details). Stalking and shooting do not generally take place on a Sunday.
During the shooting seasons, walkers can assist landowners by heeding the following points.
Follow reasonable advice given including Heading for the Scottish Hills messages, deer management group leaflets, notices at parking places or by estate staff encountered.
Take reasonable steps to find out where stalking and shooting is taking place and take account of advice on alternative routes.
Use paths where available.
Consult estates about plans if organising a large group walk.
Avoid wild camping in corries.
Keep voices to reasonable levels as sound carries in the hills.
Keep dogs on a short lead or under close control.
Avoid cutting down through corries, and if this is not possible follow the main watercourse through the corrie.
Follow mountain ridges where possible.
The following are also useful tips for
