{"id":20246,"date":"2022-10-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-12T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=20246"},"modified":"2022-10-27T15:45:03","modified_gmt":"2022-10-27T13:45:03","slug":"cycling-the-salmon-run","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/2022\/10\/13\/cycling-the-salmon-run\/","title":{"rendered":"Cycling the salmon run"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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An early morning mist weaves among trees draped in their autumn finery of russet, green and gold on the banks of the River Tay near Dunkeld <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Cycling the salmon run<\/h2>\n\n

As salmon undertake epic autumn spawning journeys up the River Tay from the sea, Sheila Sim <\/strong>attempts to follow their progress \u2013 on her bike <\/p>\n\n

Photos: Sheila Sim<\/p>\n\n

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Early mornings and evenings in October and November are the best times to see leaping salmon; built as a retreat for the Duke of Atholl in 1783, Ossian\u2019s Hall was luxuriously decorated with plasterwork, mirrors and paintings; Sheila leaves Dunkeld on the Salmon Run path<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Waiting<\/strong> my turn to step on to the viewing platform at Ossian\u2019s Hall, I can feel the rumble of water vibrating through my feet. I\u2019m at Black Linn Falls. Sheltered within an autumnal cathedral of beech, fir and larch, this is one of Scotland\u2019s 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. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Ossian\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

TWO-WHEELED TOURING <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

I\u2019m 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 \u2013 the \u2018King of Fish\u2019 \u2013 that migrate back to their spawning grounds along this route every year. This amazing creature (its name deriving from the Latin salire, <\/em>\u2018to leap\u2019) is woven into Scottish myth and culture. The Celts associated the salmon with wisdom, and it features in Glasgow\u2019s coat of arms. <\/p>\n\n

I\u2019m 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\u2019s 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\u2019t miss anything. <\/p>\n\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Walk to Ossian\u2019s Hall for this mesmerising view of the tumbling Black Linn Falls on the River Braan <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
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The crenellated folly of Kinnoull Tower commands a stunning view of the River Tay. The tower was built in the 18th century by the 9th Earl of Kinnoull to resemble castles he had admired beside the Rhine during his grand tour of Europe <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

\u201cRecent years have seen a decline in salmon catches on many Scottish rivers, including the Tay\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

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\u2019s Scotland\u2019s 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\u2019m 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 \u2018grilse\u2019 (returning after a single winter at sea), weighing around 2.5\u20134.5kg; others are mature salmon of about 7\u20139kg. <\/p>\n\n

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 . <\/p>\n\n

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\u2019m 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. <\/p>\n\n

I soon find it\u2019s 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\u2019m spending the night.<\/span><\/p>\n\n