DAY OUT: Blair Atholl, Perthshire
Falling for Bruar
Laying low amid Scotland’s marauding Grampian Mountains is a small village of great renown, a refuge once visited and admired by Robert Burns and William Wordsworth, says Fergal MacErlean
On a plain by the confluence of the rivers Tilt and Garry is the pretty village of Blair Atholl. In autumn, the larches are a highlight, with their golden hues contrasting with the fading purple of the heather.
Atholl Estate, and its magnificent, turreted gleaming-white Blair Castle, is a star attraction. This historic home of the Earls and Dukes of Atholl dates from 1269 and has a rich history with fine 18th-century interiors.
Close by, a magical trail leads around the Falls of Bruar, which are lined with impressive larch, evergreen pines and beech trees. The rewards for the effort involved in the generally steep, outward leg are soon apparent as you come to breathtaking viewpoints of the three-tiered falls and pools.
Though short (1.25 miles), this gem of a walk has attracted admirers such as Robert Burns and William Wordsworth. Burns visited in September 1787 and in his poem, The Humble Petition of Bruar Water, he entreated the Duke of Atholl to plant the then-bare slopes of the gorge. The poet’s request was carried out posthumously by the Duke.
WATERY WALK
From the House of Bruar’s shopping-complex car park, follow signs for the walk. Soon you will come to a bridge with views of the lower and middle falls. It’s a romantic spot, with spray in the air and the crashing of water above and beneath you. Steeper ground leads above the middle falls, where the river cuts deep into the moss-lined rock. The upper falls are the biggest and most spectacular and can be appreciated from a viewpoint on the eastern bank. Keep straight on the narrow descending path to meet the hairpin bend of a forest track. Brown ceps thrive here among the undergrowth. Further on, cross the lower bridge to retrace your outward route.
Afterwards, you can unwind at the Atholl Arms Hotel, a Scots-Jacobean design built in 1832. The hotel’s welcoming and wood-beamed Bothy Bar serves wholesome Highland fare by a roaring open log fire set in the centre.
Fergal MacErlean is an outdoors writer who loves exploring Scotland on foot and by bike.