EK News Article by Eric Kent:  

The walks were located in Perthshire. The main walk was from Hermitage to Bee Cottage a distance of 8.52miles and the alternate walk was Hermitage and the River Tay a distance of 8.31 miles. The day started dull and humid and in the second half of the day turned to torrential rain nearer the ends of the walks. Both walking groups started their walks together at the Hermitage car park just off the A9 road a mile or so north of the Dunkeld road junction. Leaving the car park we entered into the Craigvinean forest area and followed path which runs along close to the River Braan up to the bridge which looks down on to Black Linn Falls which were spectacular due to the heavy rain we which has been falling in July. Located a few yards from the Falls is Ossian's Hall of Mirrors a Georgian folly built by the Dukes of Atholl in the 18th century to honour the blind bard Ossian. A short distance further up river we reached a further part of the  folly which is the Ossian’s Hermit Cave was built around 1760 for the third Earl of Breadalbane, who unsuccessfully advertised for a permanent hermit. We then left the forest area and headed towards Rumbling Bridge which passes over the River Braan at point where it passes through a narrow gorge with a 70ft waterfall right below the bridge. Due to the July rain we had a very spectacular view of the water crashing and rumbling through the gorge. From Rumbling Bridge the two groups headed up Glen Garr for around a mile where the walk groups split up. The main group heading further up the glen into the Obney Hills and then on eastward into the far edges of the Birnam wood and Bee Cottage on the B867 road. The alternate walkers travelled eastward by Tomgarrow cottage into the Birnam woods through the forest paths by Ladywell skirting the edge of Little Dunkeld to reach the River Tay bank opposite Dunkeld Cathedral. The Cathedral stands on the north bank of the River Tay in Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Built in square-stone style of predominantly gray sandstone, the cathedral proper was begun in 1260 and completed in 1501. It stands on the site of the former Culdee Monastery of Dunkeld, stones from which can be seen as an irregular reddish streak in the eastern gable. Because of the long construction period, the cathedral shows mixed architecture. Gothic and Norman elements are intermingled throughout the structure. Relics of Saint Columba, including his bones, were said to have been kept at Dunkeld until the Reformation, at which time they were removed to Ireland. This part of the walk along the banks of the Tay is extremely scenic due to the combination of the river views and the wonderful collection of mature trees along the river bank. The River Tay (Gaelic: Tatha) is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui (approx 19miles from Oban) , then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochart, Loch Lubhair and Loch Tay, then continues through Strathtay down to Perth, where it becomes tidal. It is the largest river in the UK by volume of discharge which can be massive at times due to its huge catchment area. A flow of 2269 m³/s was recorded on 17 January 1993 which is higher than the average flow from the River Rhine which averages 2200 m³/s. We followed the banks of the Tay for around three miles admiring the patience of the anglers standing in the salmon pools hoping they get a strike. The river scenery and trees continued to be superb and we enjoyed looking over at  the Kings Seat which was the site of an ancient fort  and the Craig-y-barns outcrops which are well used by rock climbers over on the east side of the river. We left the river at the point where the main A9 road crosses in a northerly direction then we under the main railway line from Perth to Inverness and the north and were soon back into the Craigvinean forest area just as the rain started. We had some work to do climbing up into the forest area but this soon passed and the rain then became torrential and we completed the last few miles of the walk getting wetter and wetter and we were all glad when we passed by the impressive groups of Douglas-fir trees near the Hermitage which are close to 200ft in height as we then knew that the Coach and the car park were close by. Shortly after this we picked up the main walking group who were waiting patiently in the rain at Bee Cottage and we were all glad to get into dry clothes and enjoy our social hour in Dunkeld.