A wet day along the Tay

14 June

47 miles

Climbing 807m

Cumulative 866 miles

We had originally planned a rest day today but the forecast was reasonable before heavy rainj tomorrow so we decided to press on to Pitlochry and have a rest day there before a very long day over the Cairngorms to Aviemore.

In the morning it was bright sunlight at 5.30 am , noticeably longer days now that we are getting further north. Our neighbours doing Lands End to John o’Groats were up and away early leaving a neat pile of tent and luggage for their support party to collect and convey to the next campsite. We were a bit slower but were on the road for 9am and set off on the first leg to Perth-  a couple of steepish hills but fairly short and then downhill through cold driving rain- we stopped to don extra fleeces , getting the temperature right when cycling can be hard- you can overheat going uphill but feel really cold on the downhill sections.

It was a clear night and the moon compensated for a night time trip to the facilities

Wet climbing up from Kinross

Barley and hills

Damp lamb

Down to Perth

We arrived in Perth , a small city with quite grand but dour buildings made from dark granite  , it obviously has had serious problems with flooding as there are impressive flood defences with substantial steel gates that someone must rush around and close when the river rises.

Flood gates in Perth

We stopped for coffee in a cafe in the recently refurbished park, the coffee soon extended to bacon sandwiches, scones and hot chocolate as the rain fell outside. the cafe is in the South Inch,  a really nice green space in the heart of the city.

Elegant Perth houses along the golf course

After a break we set off on Sustrans along the River Tay, through more green spaces that lead on to the municipal golf course- golf here is a much more egalitarian sport than in England.

We passed the Perth Bridge , an important crossing built in 1771 by the architect of the Eddison lighthouse , there had been a previous medieval bridge that washed away 150 years before . after the loss of the only river crossing the only way to cross was by a risky boat trip across the fast flowing river, at one time there were upto thirty boatmen but many drowned and are buried in the town cemetry. The new bridge was built after a long campaign , it was clearly strong as it withstood floods and an episode when ice upstream was washed down and jammed above the bridge blocking the river.

A Sea Eagle sculpture, Perth Bridge behind

The Perth Bridge

Lovely red sandstone of Perth bridge

We faced a dilemma of a choice of routes , the Sustrans route was a bit longer , the alternative from Royston Wood’s book seemed to be more logical so we opted for that- all was fine for several miles of good off road tracks and quiet roads but then it deposited us on the A9, busy with lorries hurtling past with a lot of spray in the heavy rain. We only had to cycle half a mile or so along the road but it was unpleasant and scary. We eventually escaped onto a quiet lane and the rest of the route was fine.

We needed to stop for lunch but fancied sitting somewhere other than on a saddle , ideally out of the rain. We passed public houses but no public benches and several bus stops but none with  benches or shelter, under trees with nowhere to sit and seats with no cover. We kept going getting wetter but eventually  were saved by the bus stop at a tiny hamlet called ‘Byres of Murthly Road End’ – we sat down for our butties in the shelter- and the rain stopped.

Bus shelter for lunch

We climbed over some more hills and descended to Dunkeld, crossed the River Tay again and then the route disapeared through an unlikely looking arch up the private drive of a grand hotel- Sustrans takes you to some unlikely places.

The route passed the remains of Dunkeld Cathedral , partly ruined. It was started in the twelvth century  as part of a monastery.

Dunkeld cathedral

The grounds of the hotel had an impressive arboretum , we wound through huge Seqoia ( Giant Redwood Trees) that must have been planted in Victorian times. The route continued up along the Tay on untarmaced tracks and then we were back on small roads, more up and down until we reached Pitlochry.

A Sustrans art wizard

Beeches by the river

Copper beeches and green fields

Forest clearingJ

Along the way we passed over the Logierait bridge- the only community owned bridge we have ever seen, it was falling into disrepair and the landowner closed it in 1991 but locals still needed to use it to cross the Tay despite the risks as it reduces journeys between villages by 7 miles. Eventually the local community got together to rescue it, raising a staggering 450 000 pounds and now run it – there are notices disowning any responsibility!

Logierait bridge