Glen Tilt & Gilberts Bridge
This is a lovely walk from Blair Atholl which takes in both sides of Glen Tilt, using Gilbert’s Bridge to cross over the River Tilt. The route can also be started at the Glen Tilt car park. If you include the diversion to Old Blair and the Balvenie Pillar, the walk is 14.3 km long with an overall ascent of 360m. It should take about 5 hours.
Blair Atholl is an attractive village that dates from the early 1800s, though the old mill – which is still working and includes a very good café – dates back to the 1590s. If you’re starting from Blair Atholl, the best place to park is at the Atholl Country Life Museum and visitor information centre. Walk over the bridge across the River Tilt and just beyond, on the north side, a small path takes you alongside the river through a wood.
Shortly after, you reach the Old Bridge of Tilt. Turn left, and you soon come to a gate house on the right. The track for Glen Tilt heads off at this point on the right.
You can make a detour by continuing along the tarmac road and visiting St Brides Kirk in Old Blair. The ruins of St Bride’s Kirk have their ancient origins in Celtic times. What you see dates from the 16th Century. After the nearby Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689, the Kirk became the resting place for the remains of Bonnie Dundee (the leader of the Jacobites). The Balvenie Pillar was built to recognise the last public hanging in the area, which took place in 1630.
The track up Glen Tilt is a good one. The old route is one of the great historical rights of way in Scotland. In 1847, a party of University of Edinburgh botany students led by John Hutton Balfour had an acrimonious encounter with the Duke of Athole and his ghillies, which became known as the Battle of Glen Tilt. This resulted in a lengthy legal battle between what is now the Scottish Rights of Way Society and the Duke to establish the route’s status, a dispute which ultimately went to the House of Lords and which vindicated the route as a right of way. It is likely that this case did more than any other to raise public awareness of rights of way; and it established that the Society could represent the public’s interest.
After approximately 1.6km from the lodge house, follow a smaller track off to the left, which climbs steadily to a higher track near the rifle range. Very occasionally, the range is in use and you won’t be able to follow the route at this point. The views open out and include Beinn a’ Ghlo and other hills. The track goes gently down hill to reach Gilberts Bridge, which is a good place for a rest and a bite to eat.
From the bridge, follow the track to the right. At the first bend, look out for a small sign and cairn and follow the path through the wood to another track. Turn right and follow this route southwards to Fenderbridge. The views are excellent.
From above Fenderbridge, you can see Blair Castle. This has been the home of the Stewarts and Murrays of Atholl for over 700 years. The earliest known part of the present castle dates from 1269 and is known as Comyn’s Tower. The Atholl estate is one of the largest in Scotland and is now run by the Blair Charitable Trust. The castle is the home of the Atholl Highlanders, which is under the command of the Duke of Atholl and not the British Army. From here you have two choices to walk back to Blair Atholl. You can turn left and walk up the hill and turn right into Lude Estate. Follow the track down the hill. Remember to visit the lovely Kilmaveonaig Church before you reach Blair Atholl. Or you can turn right at Fenderbridge and follow the minor road back to the woodland path you started out on. Either route is a great way to finish the walk.
Walk Perthshire 