THE summer holidays are well and truly under way and the annual struggle to find things to fill the empty hours is here again. Getting out into the countryside can be wonderful for grown-ups but it's often a difficult one to sell to children.
One solution is to find somewhere that offers a variety of things to do. The Den o' Alyth, on the eastern edge of rural Perthshire, not only sounds a little exciting, it also has a play park and playing field – perfect for picnics and keeping youngst
ers occupied. If they want to, they can explore the paths by the Alyth Burn. Remember, though, that children should be supervised on this walk as the paths can be muddy and in a few places the gorge drops down sharply above the burn. Good footwear is essential.
At the car park, you can pick up a free council leaflet that shows some of the many ways to follow the burn on a network of paths. The route described here tries to encompass as much of the Den as possible and follows good paths all the way. It can easily be shortened.
Once you have left the playing field behind, the gorge narrows as you cross the burn by a wooden bridge. There is then a little huffing and puffing as you climb a steep bank to look down on the water before you walk along fairly level ground for about three-quarters of a mile.
Dropping down, you reach a stone bridge and then follow the other side of the burn to the far end of the walk. Coming back, you cross meadows before you reach the gorge and then the playing field or car park.
Distance 31/4 miles.
Height climbed 100ft.
Time 11/2 to 2 hours.
Map OS Landranger 53.
Park From the centre of Alyth, which is just off the A926, five miles east of Blairgowrie, keep going past the main parking area to the right and drive uphill. Just past a metal gate indicating the Den o' Alyth, outside the village, there is a council car park situated on the left.
In summary From the car park, take a footpath on the opposite side from the entrance, down through some trees. The path bears left and reaches a playing field with a play park at the far end. Walk past this and on to a path.
As it starts to rise, take a narrower path going off sharply to the right. (If you reach the road, you have gone too far.) Keep going down by the side of the burn and cross it when you reach a wooden bridge.
Follow the path on the other side for a few yards then turn left and walk up a steep bank. The path swings round to the right and goes past a green metal bench. Continue for about three-quarters of a mile, ignoring paths going down to the right, then drop down and follow the path round to the right.
On reaching another path, go left to reach a stone bridge. Cross this and turn left along a path by the burn.
At a bench, the path forks and you should go right. Then, further on, as another path joins from the right, drop down and round to the left to follow the burn all the way back to the stone bridge. Don't cross it this time but follow a path on the other side of the road to the first (wooden) bridge you crossed. Just after this path forks, go left to follow a small incline back to the car park.
Refreshments There is nothing at the start of the walk but there are plenty of options in Alyth.
While you are in the area Glamis Castle, the childhood home of the Queen Mother, is not far away – on the A928 south of Kirriemuir (01307 840393,
www.glamis-castle.co.uk).
Head down the A93 to the Meikleour beech hedge, pictured above, four miles south of Blairgowrie. It is 100ft high and a third of a mile long, so you can't miss it. It was planted in 1745, reputedly as a memorial to Robert Murray Nairne, who died at the battle of Culloden. For further details, see
www.perthshirebigtreecountry.co.uk.
The full article contains 725 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
