Cycling the salmon run
As salmon undertake epic autumn spawning journeys up the River Tay from the sea, Sheila Sim attempts to follow their progress – on her bike
Waiting my turn to step on to the viewing platform at Ossian’s Hall, I can feel the rumble of water vibrating through my feet. I’m at Black Linn Falls. Sheltered within an autumnal cathedral of beech, fir and larch, this is one of Scotland’s most magnificent viewpoints. As two tripod-laden photographers make way for me, I step forward and gasp at the sight of the rushing water below.
Ossian’s Hall is a romantic folly dating back to 1783; it is part of a designed landscape known as the Hermitage, now under the stewardship of the National Trust for Scotland. The Black Linn Falls are its main attraction; situated on the River Braan (a tributary of the River Tay), they are renowned as one of the best places to see salmon leaping, and autumn is traditionally the best time to witness this iconic sight. Alas, not today; not for me. I have lingered for as long as possible hoping for a glimpse of this heroic fish, but the queue of people behind me is growing, so I move aside.
TWO-WHEELED TOURING
I’m cycling National Route 77, known as the Salmon Run. This 54-mile route loosely follows the course of the River Tay from its estuary at Dundee, upstream to Perth and then Dunkeld, before diverting to the River Tummel and finishing in Pitlochry. It is named in honour of the salmon – the ‘King of Fish’ – that migrate back to their spawning grounds along this route every year. This amazing creature (its name deriving from the Latin salire, ‘to leap’) is woven into Scottish myth and culture. The Celts associated the salmon with wisdom, and it features in Glasgow’s coat of arms.
I’m new to cycling, and I should be candid about the effort involved in this trip. Bradley Wiggins could enjoy a lazy breakfast in Dundee and make it to the end of the route in Pitlochry in good time for lunch; an experienced touring cyclist would do it in a day. But what’s the rush, when there is so much to see and enjoy along the way? I am making a three-day break of it, to make sure I don’t miss anything.
The route begins at the Dundee waterfront, where the famous Tay Rail Bridge crosses the estuary to Fife. Leaving the city behind in drizzly rain, a country road takes me through the fertile fields of the Carse of Gowrie. In Victorian times, this area was famous for its apples, pears and plums, which used to be shipped down to London on boats out of nearby Port Allen on the banks of the Tay.
“Recent years have seen a decline in salmon catches on many Scottish rivers, including the Tay”
The Tay originates high in western Scotland and flows south and east to Perth (where it becomes tidal) then on to Dundee, where it flows out of the estuary into the North Sea: a total length of 120 miles. It’s Scotland’s longest river, and the largest in the UK by flow. I can barely see the river through the low cloud but, as I ride, I’m thinking of the fish that might be heading upstream parallel to my route. Big runs of salmon, having swum out into the North Sea as youngsters then fattened up by feeding voraciously in the ocean, return to the Tay in the late summer and autumn. Most are ‘grilse’ (returning after a single winter at sea), weighing around 2.5–4.5kg; others are mature salmon of about 7–9kg.
It is said that wild salmon fishing supports 4,300 jobs and makes an important contribution to the Scottish economy. But recent decades have seen a decline in salmon catches on many Scottish rivers, including the Tay. These declines appear to be caused by a range of factors, including increased mortality due to disease and predation during the marine phase of the salmon life cycle. Not only are fewer salmon returning to rivers like this, but those that do come back are smaller than they were in the 1970s. A 10.8kg salmon was the largest reported catch on the Tay during the 2021 season, but this was unusual .
My thoughts return to earthly matters; the narrow road has taken a sharp bend, presenting the worrying sight of Kinnoull Hill looming ahead. A roadside sign warns of an uphill gradient of 20%. If I had the heart of a salmon, I would not be daunted by this trifling obstacle, but I’m a weak human unused to travelling on two wheels and it is completely beyond me. The only way I will get my bike up the hill is by pushing it.
I soon find it’s worth the effort to see the summit viewpoint with its panoramic view over the Tay. My reward is the emergence of sunshine and the opportunity to freewheel down a hair-raisingly steep slope into Perth, where I’m spending the night.
Dunkeld’s pretty white houses overlook the River Tay; 
designed by Thomas Telford and opened in 1809, the seven-arch Dunkeld Bridge links the two towns of Birnam and Dunkeld; 
at least 600 years old, the Birnam Oak is said to be one of the last survivors of the great Birnam Wood that once covered the banks of the Tay
IN SEARCH OF ACORNS
The next morning my focus shifts from the water to the woods. Perthshire is known as ‘Big Tree Country’, as there are more champion trees here than anywhere else in the UK. This is partly thanks to the great seed collector David Douglas, who was born near here and travelled the world in the 1800s, finding new tree species to introduce to Scotland, including his namesake, the Douglas fir. The best places to appreciate the Big Trees are the twin villages of Dunkeld and Birnam, linked by a Telford bridge across the Tay. I follow the local trail towards the famous Birnam Oak, believed to be the only survivor of the Birnam Wood mentioned in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Along with other visitors, I look for acorns under its branches, but this year’s conditions have produced very few. It’s at this point that I detour to Black Linn Falls.
Tonight I will stay at Dunkeld House Hotel on the banks of the Tay. Once the country estate of the ‘Planting Dukes’ of Atholl, the hotel grounds are open to the public so everyone can admire its Tree Trail. Here you will find the Parent Larch, with a girth of 5.6m – one of five European larches planted by the third Duke in 1738.
Logierait Bridge is the only former railway bridge in Scotland now owned and run by the local community; 
in the grounds of Dunkeld Cathedral, the ‘parent larch’ is one of the largest European larches in the UK; 
over 250,000 salmon have crossed the salmon ladder at Pitlochry Dam since it was built in 1952
The next morning dawns, with skeins of geese overhead and lingering wisps of mist rising from the river. The Tay here is quiet, dark and peaty, and it’s easy to imagine the silvery fish resting in their inky pools while they gather their strength to continue upstream. Over the years, anglers have given the Tay’s salmon pools evocative names, such as Skellies, Long Shot, Pot Shot, The Slap, Horsey and Rumbling Stone. I won’t see any anglers on this trip though, as fishing is prohibited on the Tay during the spawning season from mid-October.
Approaching the small village of Dalguise are signs alerting me to the presence of red squirrels. Apart from the call of a pheasant, it’s exceptionally quiet; I stop briefly to enjoy the peace. From here, the road rolls gently through fields and beech forest. Usually Perthshire can rival Vermont in the USA for spectacular autumn foliage, but this year there hasn’t yet been a cold snap to trigger a dramatic change in colour; instead of vibrant crimson and copper, the prevailing tones are a subtler spectrum of bronze and butterscotch.
“Anglers have given the Tay’s salmon pools evocative names: Long Shot, Horsey, The Slap”
SAVING OUR SALMON
Crossing ex-railway Logierait Bridge, I say farewell to the River Tay; here Route 77 diverges to follow one of its tributaries, the Tummel. After a short, sharp hill, I surprise a buzzard sitting on a fencepost just metres away. Now I’m on the final leg into the famous Victorian tourist town of Pitlochry at my journey’s end.
This part of Perthshire became one of the first regions in Scotland to be developed for hydroelectricity. Pitlochry Dam and Power Station started generating in 1950. Salmon use the famous fish ladder at Pitlochry Dam – aseries of 34 stepped chambers – to make their way to spawning grounds upstream. The modern, airy visitor centre is the ideal place to enjoy a coffee and learn more about the salmon run. I chat with centre manager Debbie, who confirms that annual numbers passing through their fish counter are lower than they used to be. What can be done? An affiliation of organisations called the Missing Salmon Alliance is fighting to reverse the collapse in the UK’s wild Atlantic salmon populations. Meanwhile, an official ‘catch and release’ policy is followed on the Tay, so all fish have the chance to spawn.
Just as I’m leaving, Debbie shows me a photo of Black Linn Falls on the local Facebook page. It was taken the previous day, just minutes before I arrived at the Falls; I can only chuckle ruefully at my timing. Outlined against the white frothy torrent of water, its powerful body twisting with the effort required to challenge gravity, is a gleaming, leaping salmon.
Sheila Sim is a writer and photographer who is passionate about gardens and horticulture, food and travel, culture and the arts. Also a keen walker, Sheila lives in Dunbar, Scotland.
SALMON: KING OF FISH
The life cycle of the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) starts in the late autumn when the adult salmon spawn. Hen salmon deposit their eggs, fertilised by the male, in gravelbed depressions known as ‘redds’. In spring, the tiny emerging fish (known as alevins) take safety in the riverbed; they grow into fry, then parr, and after one or more years they are big enough, as smolts, to leave their native river system and start the marine phase of their life cycle. This may last one or more years until, as grilse or mature salmon, they return from the sea to their native river system with amazing accuracy.
The largest salmon ever caught in the Tay was taken by a young woman, Georgina Ballantine, in October 1922. It weighed 64 pounds (29kg) – a record that is unlikely to be beaten. It’s said that Georgina’s battle to land the salmon lasted two hours.
NOW CYCLE THE SALMON RUN
Where to stay, visit, eat and drink by Sheila Sim
BIKE HIRE
If you are cycling the Salmon Run from the start of the route, you can hire a bike (by the day or the week) from Spokes Cycles Hire in Dundee. Locks and helmets are free of charge, if required. 01382 666644; spokescycles.net
READ
• For inspirational reading en route, try Richard Shelton’s fascinating and witty To Sea and Back: the Heroic Life of the Atlantic Salmon (Atlantic Books).
• Highland River (Canongate) by the great Scottish novelist Neil M Gunn is a lyrical metaphor about the river and a boy’s hunt for the elusive “salmon of wisdom”.
STAY
AFFORDABLE
Travelodge Perth Central
Clean, comfortable, cheap and just a stone’s throw from the River Tay (ask for a river view). It’s a five-minute walk into the city, across the river, for restaurants and cultural attractions. Double rooms from £35. 08715 591838; travelodge.co.uk
MID-RANGE
The Anglers’ Inn, near Perth
Near Cargill Fishponds and Meikleour fishing beats. There are River Tay fishing beat-inspired rooms and packed lunches are available for keen anglers. Double rooms from £70. 01821 640254; theanglersinn.co.uk
TREAT
Dunkeld House Hotel
Four-star luxury country house hotel on the banks of the River Tay, situated in peaceful woodland with its own historic tree trail. Perfect for a romantic break – or salmon fishing. Double rooms from £180. 01350 727771; dunkeldhousehotel.co.uk
VISIT
V&A Dundee
The new V&A is Scotland’s first design museum (above left), located right at the start of the Salmon Run on Dundee’s waterfront. 01382 411611, vam.ac.uk/dundee
Cairn O’Mhor Winery, Carse of Gowrie
Owners Ron and Judith Gillies produce delicious wines and ciders using locally sourced ingredients. Tours and tastings are available. 01821 642781, cairnomohr.com
Dunkeld Smoked Salmon, Dunkeld
This small family-run artisan smokehouse has won awards, and its salmon was served to our late Queen. 01350 727639, dunkeldsmokedsalmon.com
Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve, Dunkeld
Here you can see ospreys, red squirrels and beavers. 01350 727337, scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/reserve/loch-of-the-lowes
Perth Museum & Art Gallery, Perth
Among other treasures here (top right), you will find a modern fibreglass replica of Georgina Ballantine’s legendary salmon. culturepk.org.uk/museums-andgalleries/perth-museum-and-art-gallery
Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre, Pitlochry
Learn more about salmon, hydroelectricity and more (above right). 01796 484111, pitlochrydam.com
EAT
Birnam Arts Centre, Birnam
Combining café, arts centre, Beatrix Potter exhibition, cinema and conference centre, it’s the perfect place for lunch. All food is made in-house using locally sourced produce where possible. 01350 727674, birnamarts.com
Taste Perthshire Visitor Centre, Bankfoot
Don’t be put off by the slightly utilitarian exterior; this family-run business serves delicious homemade food, and you won’t find a friendlier welcome. 01738 787696, tasteperthshire.co.uk
The Scottish Deli, Dunkeld
Transforms from popular grocery by day (specialising in Scottish cheeses) into candlelit tapas restaurant by night. Highly recommended. 01350 728028, scottish-deli.com
THREE GREAT WALKS
Deuchny Wood Circular, Kinnoull Hill
3.5 miles, allow 2.5 hours
Enjoy a wonderful circuit of the deciduous wooded slopes of Kinnoull Hill, with magnificent views from the summit over Perth and the Tay Valley. The gravel surface has some uneven, narrow and grassy sections. There is one long, fairly steep slope and it includes three wide gates.
The Hermitage and Braan Walk, Dunkeld
4 miles, allow 2 hours
This varied walk is a real Perthshire classic. It begins through the beautiful wooded glen of the Hermitage, complete with follies and attractive waterfalls. The route then continues to visit the dramatic Rumbling Bridge before a return through more open countryside with pretty views.
Black Spout and Edradour, Pitlochry
3 miles, allow 1.5–2 hours
Starting from the town centre, this route passes through woodland on the way to view Black Spout waterfall and Edradour Distillery, the smallest traditional whisky distillery in Scotland. From the higher section of the walk, good views over the River Tummel and surrounding hills can be seen.