Home › Strathtay to Dalnacardoch

Strathtay to Dalnacardoch

Sun, 10/09/2006 - 21:49 — CmdrGravy

Route Facts: 28 miles, 0 traffic free
Profile: A steady climb to the top of the Drumochter Pass

Route

You leave Strathtay on a nice B road running alongside the river Tay, from Logierait the route climbs over the shoulder of Dunfallandy hill through Logierait wood into Pitlochry.

The route from Pitlochry is fairly flat with only a very short climb through Killiecrankie, through Blair Atholl the route sticks closely to the railway line and the river Garry which you follow through Calvine to begin the climb up to the pass.

Initially you begin climbing between pine trees on the old A road until eventually the trees give way to a wide pass between Meall Dubg-ghlas and Meal a Chathaidh. From here the path slowly deteriorates to a narrower gravel track and you are at the mercy of the winds which seem to be channelled through the pass.

There is nowhere to actually stay at Dalnacardoch Lodge which is just a large house in the middle of nowhere so practically speaking you will need to carry on towards Newtonmore and Kingussie to find anywhere to stay.

Roadside Attractions

The major attraction on this day is the scenery, from the wooded hills around Blair Atholl to the barren mountains and fast flowing river at Dalnacardoch.

{{flickr_m:217601492}}Drumochter SummitIn Pitlochry you can stop off to look at the Hydro Electric plants visitor centre which features interactive exhibits tracing the history of hydro-electric power in Scotland back to its beginnings. You can also view the turbine hall and the fish ladder which allows salmon to make their way past the hydro plants dam.

Just outside Pitlochry the route enters the pass of Killiecrankie which was the site of a battle between jacobite and government forces in 1698. There is a visitor centre here which you can visit.

Near Blair Atholl is the historic Blair Castle which is over 700 years old and around which you can take guided tours.

Where to Stay

Pitlochry has numerous hotels, B&B's and guesthouses to stay in so I would recommend starting this days route from Pitlochry rather than Strathtay.

There is nowhere to actually stay at Dalnacardoch Lodge which is just a large house in the middle of nowhere so practically speaking you will need to carry on towards Newtonmore and Kingussie to find anywhere to stay. This in effect combines this route with the following route to create a 50 - 60 mile stage.

There is a hotel called The Inn at Loch Ericht in Dalwhinnie which does double or twin rooms for £32.50 per person. This hotel also has an excellent bar/cafe attached. Newtonmore has quite a few B&B's and a nice hostel which, having stayed in, I can strongly recommend. The owner of this hostel can also be prevailed upon to perform bicycle repairs and is a keen cyclist himself.

Where to Eat

Pitlochry has a lot of pubs and restaurants to choose from as well as general shops and bakeries etc. We ate at the fish and chip shop which did a good value fish supper for around £4 which included a cup of tea and bread.

Between Calvine and Dalwhinnie there is nowhere to stop for anything to eat or drink but the cafe/bar in Dalwhinne is excellent with a good range of appetising meals, snacks and cakes with comfortable seating.

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