Way back in November, we had a week in Perthshire. We were #hashtagblessed with the kind of dry and crisp autumnal weather which enabled us to spend a lot of our ways walking and enjoying the scenery of Crieff, Aberfeldy, Dunkeld and Strathyre!
We had a fab apartment on the Crieff Hydro estate, about a mile from the main hotel. I enjoyed some beautiful morning walks to the pool.
The rising sun was beautiful, and the carpet of fallen leaves – glorious!
There were still a fair amount of leaves on the trees, which stood us in good stead during the rest of our week in Perthshire.
The Birks of Aberfeldy has a a beautiful woodland walk, taking in some steepish climbs past waterfalls.
Scottish poet Robert Burns was inspired to write his song ‘The Birks of Aberfeldy‘ and it’s not hard to feel inspired as you walk past thrashing waterfalls.
As you finish climbing the highest point of the walk and start the downhill return leg, the hills beyond come into view.
I can give a shout out to the awesome Highland Safaris Cafe, which serves up awesome food and drink. We plonked ourselves right in front of the wood burner to warm up…
… and it’s a place to bring your pups too also – Bartie was in labrador heaven with four other pooches in tow with their owners!
One walk that I have wanted to do for ages is the Hermitage. It’s right on the A9 just before the Dunkeld turning and we never seemed to be passing it at a time when we could stop and enjoy. We didn’t do all the walk as I was really going for the photos of the water and forest but it’s another reason to pop back!
The temperature had really dropped on the day we went, so there was a wintery edge to the woodland.
Some of the tallest trees in Scotland are here, and I was really pleased to capture the different tones of the leaves against the blue sky.
The falls were thundering and if you time your visit to avoid walking with a coachload of tourists, it’s an amazing spot to have to yourself for a few minutes. There’s good takeaway coffee on site but no public toilets (these are in nearby Dunkeld)
I only captured one photo on a walk around Strathyre. The weather was proper driech, but even on a grey day (the only we had during the week), there’s proof that Perthshire is stunning, and worth visiting in autumn!
Finally, no walking was involved at a birthday trip for me to the Hotbox Spa at Taymouth Marina. There’s an outdoor pool, plus sauna and steam room to enjoy (with cold water options including cold water dunk buckets and showers), all overlooking Loch Tay.
I took the natural option of a very quick dip in the loch. The water temperature was a cool 10 degrees, so I was in and out pretty sharpish!
Where are your favourite spots for cold weather walks in Perthshire?
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