Our blogger Sarah Colston shares some of the highlights of a
rural retreat to Aberfeldy.
The picturesque town of Aberfeldy in Perthshire is the
perfect country escape for a short break away.
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| Birks of Aberfeldy entrance. |
It is a beautiful destination to explore, situated along the
River Tay, with ample countryside footpaths and scenic views.
There are many highly rated Scottish visitor attractions in
the area, as well as plenty cafes, restaurants, bars and independent shops.
Walks
The town is home to ‘The Birks of Aberfeldy’ – a two-mile
circular walk through woodland that begins in the centre. It overlooks the
Falls of Moness and lines the slopes of the Moness gorge.
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| Waterfall on The Birks of Aberfeldy walk. |
It was made popular by the Robert Burns 1787 poem, who best
described its appeal:
“Bonie lassie, will ye go,
Will ye go, will ye go,
Bonie lassie, will ye go
To the birks of Aberfeldy!
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| Man points out water feature to girlfriend at The Birks of Aberfeldy. |
Now Simmer blinks on flowery braes,
And o'er the crystal streamlets plays;
Come let us spend the lightsome days,
In the birks of Aberfeldy!”
 |
| Boy crosses water on The Birks of Aberfeldy walk. |
For details about the walk visit: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/birks-of-aberfeldy.shtml.
An alternative is the 3-mile Kenmore Hill walk in nearby
Kenmore. It has a waymarked circuit around the hill with views of Loch Tay and
the mountains beyond. For route information visit: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/kenmore-hill.shtml.
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| View of Kenmore. |
Another option is the Loch Rannoch Forest Walk which
combines forest tracks and clear paths with pretty views over Loch Rannoch. See
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/loch-rannoch.shtml.
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| Thistles on Loch Rannoch walk. |
For further options visit: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/loch-tay.shtml.
Things to do
The town is home to Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery, built in
1898 by the Dewar family. The popular attraction offers tours of the distillery
where visitors can learn more about John Dewar & Sons and about how the
whisky is produced. There is also an interactive exhibition, cafe and whisky
lounge where guests can enjoy whisky tasting experiences. Visit their website
at https://www.dewars.com/gl/en/aberfeldydistillery/.
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| Outside Dewar's Aberfeldy Distillery. |
The Watermill is an award-winning bookshop, cafe and art
gallery in the centre. It covers three floors of a converted oatmeal mill and
was opened by Michael Palin in 2005. Go to http://www.aberfeldywatermill.com/.
Visitors are spoiled for choice when it comes to adventure
activities. One provider ‘Beyond Adventure’ specialise in water activities as
well as offering rock climbing, gorge walking and biking. Visit their website
at http://www.beyondadventure.co.uk/.
‘Splash’ offers much the same – rafting, canyoning, quad biking, abseiling,
etc. Go to https://rafting.co.uk/.
For younger children who enjoy adventure activities such as forest play and
climbing try ‘Wee Adventures’ at https://www.weeadventures.com/.
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| Resident dog and his ball at Splash. |
Try a safari – Highland Safaris offers Loch Tay Safaris by
boat, Helicopter Safaris as well as Mountain or Forest Safaris. There is also
biking and walking activities and 4x4 off road driving. The activity centre is
also the location of their Red Deer Centre, cafe and shop. Visit: https://www.highlandsafaris.net/.
Visit the Birks Cinema and cafe-bar in the centre - https://www.birkscinema.co.uk/.
This award-winning single screen cinema has a 100-seat auditorium and shows the
latest film releases.
Fitness activities are available at the Breadalbane
Community Campus. The leisure facility offers public swimming sessions and
fitness classes. There are also sports activities including squash courts and a
sports hall. Find out more about the venue at https://www.liveactive.co.uk/Venues/breadalbane-community-campus.
Take your little ones to Victoria Park a small children’s
play park with picnic benches close to the town centre.
The Highland Chocolatier has a chocolate lounge and cafe,
chocolate exhibition and shop. It is located at Grandtully between Aberfeldy
and Pitlochry. For details visit: https://www.highlandchocolatier.com/.
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| Hot Chocolates at The Highland Chocolatier cafe. |
There are plenty of options for golf in the area, such as Aberfeldy
Golf Course, The Mains of Taymouth Golf Course, Pitlochry Golf Course and
Driving Range or Strathtay Golf Club. There is also the Aberfeldy Community
Putting Green.
Visit Castle Menzies - a sixteenth century Scottish castle
in Weem, close to Aberfeldy, and open seasonally as a visitor attraction and
museum. It was restored during the twentieth century by the Menzies Clan
Society. Visit https://www.castlemenzies.org/.
For cycling choose from lots of options. Two main national
cycle routes pass through Highland Perthshire. The Sustrans Routes 7 and 77
both pass here. On option is to follow the cycle route 7 from Aberfeldy to
Grandtully, a 6-mile route. Crossing the bridge towards Weem, turn right and
continue through Edradynate onto Strathtay and turn right, downhill into
Grandtully (or continue beyond to Pitlochry and Blair Atholl).
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| A portion of the Route 7 cycle path. |
Cluny House Gardens in Aberfeldy are a secluded, unique
woodland garden overlooking the Strathtay valley. This 2.4-hectare
Himalayan/North American woodland garden was planted and developed by the late
Bobby and Betty Masterton from 1950. A feature of Cluny House Gardens is the
natural appearance, with many woodland plants regenerating and expanding
freely. For details go to: http://www.clunyhousegardens.com/.
For spa treatments and facilities in Aberfeldy visit the
Moness Resort Spa and Hair Salon. There are treatment rooms offering various
beauty treatments and massage options. The spa also has a pool, sauna and
jacuzzi. Visit https://www.moness.com/spa-treatments.
Try horse riding at the Mains of Taymouth Stables which
offers trekking for all levels and ages of rider. Visit https://www.taymouth.co.uk/on-site-facilities/stables.htm.
The beach at Kenmore is at the very eastern end of Loch Tay
and has both sand and shingle. In the summer it is popular for bathing and the
water warms up as it is trapped by the prevailing winds with mountains
dominating its northern and southern shores.
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| Kenmore by the water of Loch Tay. |
Cafes and Restaurants
There is a selection of cafes in the town centre. Habitat
Cafe is central at The Square and is also dog-friendly. Other cafes and coffee
shops include Glenlyon Tea Room, Breadalbane Bakery, Three Lemons, The Tay, Karelia House. Coffee and Cones in The Square
offers great ice creams and desserts.
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| Ice Cream parlour at The Square. |
Restaurants cater for various tastes. For lovers of Indian
food, try Chillies, or Checheks for Mediterranean food. KB’s Italian Kitchen and The Three Lemons offers a variety of meal
options. Try the Schiehallion Hotel’s restaurant or The Upstairs Restaurant at
The Townhouse for Scottish food. For a pub meal try The Black Watch Inn and
Croft Restaurant.
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| A starter at The Black Watch Inn and Croft Restaurant. |
The Plaice in The Square offers takeaway food, as does many
of the restaurants – including Chillies Indian.
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| A singer at The Fountain pub. |
Bars
In the centre The Fountain Bar and Restaurant is often busy
and offers live music nights. The Black Watch Inn is dog-friendly, and has pool
and darts available, and shows football. There is also a bar at the
Schiehallion Hotel.
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| A dog picks a good spot for a nap at the Blackford Watch Inn. |
Slightly further afield in Kenmore The Courtyard Bar and
Restaurant is worth a visit. It has a courtyard outside and is dog-friendly.
It’s located within The Mains of Taymouth Country Estate. For details visit: https://www.taymouth.co.uk/restaurant/.
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| A meal outside at The Courtyard Bar and Restaurant in Kenmore. |
Festivals and Events
Some upcoming events include:
The Highland Perthshire Marathon and Half Marathon (1,
September) http://www.highlandperthshiremarathon.co.uk/.
October TayFest (13-21, October. http://www.octobertayfest.co.uk/
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| The Square in the town centre. |
Monthly Farmers Markets at The Square, Sunday 2, September
and Sunday, 7 October. Information available at https://www.facebook.com/AberfeldyFarmersMarket?fref=ts.
Aberfeldy’s monthly Arts and Craft Markets at The Birks
Cinema, Sunday 2, September and Sunday, 7 October. See https://www.facebook.com/AberfeldyArtsandCrafts/?fref=ts.
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| Road blocked by sheep crossing on the road to Aberfeldy. |
Other activities that have passed for 2018 included the
Aberfeldy Show and Games and the Kenmore Highland Games and
Regular activities are organised at:
The Birks Cinema, including their weekly Celtic Acoustic
Music Sessions on Thursday evenings from 7pm, https://www.birkscinema.co.uk/.
Where to stay
The Moness Resort consists of 106 cottages and a 4-star
hotel in a well kept 35 acres grounds. There are also leisure facilities,
including a pool, sauna, steam room and hot tub, as well as sport activities.
See details at https://www.moness.com/accommodation.
Aberfeldy Caravan Park and Campsite is an idyllic site on
the banks of the River Tay, very close to the centre for exploring the area. It
has well kept showering facilities, a play park and great access to walks for
dogs. Visit https://www.aberfeldycaravanpark.co.uk/.
The Townhouse offer bed and breakfast accommodation in a
contemporary style with most of the rooms benefiting from views of the
surrounding hills and scenery. Visit http://www.townhouseaberfeldy.co.uk/.
They also have The Upstairs restaurant which opened in 2015 and offers informal
dining.
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| Aberfeldy Footbridge, built in 1992. The world's first all plastic footbridge. Details at: http://happypontist.blogspot.com/2012/07/scottish-bridges-23-aberfeldy.html. |
The Schiehallion Hotel is an ideal base for exploring the
Aberfeldy area in the centre of town. It also has a lively bar and bistro and
offers cooked breakfasts. Go to https://www.schiehallionhotel.co.uk/.
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