Distance: 16km
The braes ascend like lofty wa's
The foaming stream deep-roaring fa's
O'erhung w' fragrant spreading shaws
- The Birks of Aberfeldy, Robert Burns 1787
This ruin. I am so grateful to it. Perfectly flat bed. Quiet. Great sleep. Winner.
Off I trot this morning feeling good. The plan has worked. My feet…almost healed. Mental fortitude…good. Quicky hop, skip and jump into town. Hotel and shower and all things good. Time to get a move on.
I finish off the incline pretty quickly. Total height is 523m, but it is a lovely gradient to climb. On the top, the views are sweeping. What I’ve come to learn is typical moor land. Heather, in it’s mauve and white colours, dominates the landscape. It is easy to imagine how spectacular this place would look under a dusting of white snow. Lonely and beautiful.
I’m moving quickly along easy trails, passing a reservoir, creeks and bridges. I hone in on a place described on the map as the “Green Bothy”, the first of many I will come across on my walk. Maintained to perfection, these bothies are, primarily, ancient shacks that provide shelter to wanderers of all sorts.
I go inside and am immediately impressed by how clean it is. Multiple long benches to sit at. Fire wood stacked tightly, ready for the cold. Left over freebies set out for newcomers to enjoy. I spot some Scottish Scotch. Perfect. It’ll go great with my chips. I sit outside and enjoy the sunshine, liquor and snacks. If this is bothy life, it is great.
Onwards, and I’m soon enveloped in a sea of green. This is the largest, and nicest woodland area I’ve seen yet. The “Birks of Aberfeldy”, named after the famous poet, Robert Burns. It is a place worthy of prose. The dominant waterfall thunders through the ravine, with multiple smaller ripples adding to the flow. A series of paths, stone and wooden steps adds to the intrigue of the birks.
I had to look it up. Birks refers to the Birch tree, of which there are many. Signage tells me that this is an area where multiple exotic species were planted to add to the mystic of the native forest. It is a delight to walk through.
I love the town of Aberfeldy. It has a feeling that suits me. Casual and relaxed, but rowdy at times. I had opted for a single room in a “Room Only” hotel (the Station Hotel), in an attempt to save some cash. What a place! Usually, single rooms make me feel a bit…ordinary. This room makes is cool to be single. And the shower is the best I’ve had since getting into Scotland.
A shower, rest and I hit the town. Time to enjoy this rather rowdy Scottish crowd!
This article was originally published on The Trek which can be found here