Story:
A 10km mountain bike circuit comprising a steep climb and fast descent on farm/forest 4WD tracks. Lovely, elevated views of Aberfeldy, the Tay and the actually very interesting ancient Appin of Dull! Most suitable for fit and confident teenage and adult riders.
If you have carried your bikes by car or need to hire bikes then there is ample free parking and a wide range of visitor facilities at Highland Safaris, less than three miles west of Aberfeldy on the B846 Fortingall /Glen Lyon road (leave Aberfeldy by the famous Wade's Bridge over the Tay). Start the circuit by turning left out of the entrance and head down to the main road. Turn left and cycle back towards Aberfeldy for nearly half a mile to the Camserney turn off. Turn left to the bonny hamlet, passing the bus shelter and phone box at the road end. You now start climbing for just under two miles. Remain on the main track, it keeps heading up! The circuit is partially signed, with green core path indicators, as the Dull Wood Circular. At a point, close to the top of the climb, you will be confronted by a range of gates. A track continues ungated off to your right to Lurgan. Instead, pass through the gate straight ahead and continue uphill. Shortly afterwards you will encounter the main hill gate which has a small gate beside it, conveniently allowing cyclists and walkers to pass. Turn next left, down a seriously muddy and rutted track towards the burn and the footbridge, The latter is perched incongruously above the burn just upstream of a ford that is best ridden only in very low water. Head on up the track for a short distance and you'll encounter another gate (often there are ponies here). After that, turn left onto the forest track and continue to the unmarked but obvious viewpoint of the Rock of Dull. The views here are worth every bit of effort to get there! To your left is Aberfeldy, below are Dull and Camserney and to your right is Loch Tay and Drummond Hill (route on EveryTrail). The downhill on this well made forest track is fast and exhilarating. On my descent, I heard Chiffchaff just arrived from Africa, green woodpecker laughing on the slopes and scattered roe deer back into the woods! Near the bottom of the final descent just take care to take the left trail off to Dull. Otherwise, you'll have another gate to go through and a return along the main road. The return trail heads off level to your left on a very tight right hand bend before a gate by a house. This is a lovely trail that takes you back into Dull. Now twinned with Boring, Oregon in a rare and welcome moment of modern lightheartedness, Dull is a truly ancient and once influential place. Leave aside the origins of the name (although I'd go for Dall or Dell before I'd accept the story about the saint's stretcher falling apart) it is highly probable that Adamnan, who had strong connections with nearby Glen Lyon, is buried there. He was a Celtic Christian missionary from Iona, St Columba's biographer and founded a place of learning in the settlement sometime before 700AD. This 'school' grew to be so popular and successful that it was moved to Dunkeld to be more accessible and afterwards to St Andrews, going on to develop into the first and therefore the oldest, university in Scotland. All started by a Celtic holy man in Dull. You'll see that the ancient cross is damaged. This may have occurred during the time of the Reformation when artefacts and churches of the Catholic Church were destroyed or damaged. However, another tale tells of a horse and cart clipping it and knocking the arm off. Prosaic but not unlikely! After stopping for a while to absorb the history of this modest place, bear left out of the village and downhill back into Highland Safaris. You'll get a warm welcome and food or a cup of tea and cake inside!
A 10km mountain bike circuit comprising a steep climb and fast descent on farm/forest 4WD tracks. Lovely, elevated views of Aberfeldy, the Tay and the actually very interesting ancient Appin of Dull! Most suitable for fit and confident teenage and adult riders.
If you have carried your bikes by car or need to hire bikes then there is ample free parking and a wide range of visitor facilities at Highland Safaris, less than three miles west of Aberfeldy on the B846 Fortingall /Glen Lyon road (leave Aberfeldy by the famous Wade's Bridge over the Tay). Start the circuit by turning left out of the entrance and head down to the main road. Turn left and cycle back towards Aberfeldy for nearly half a mile to the Camserney turn off. Turn left to the bonny hamlet, passing the bus shelter and phone box at the road end. You now start climbing for just under two miles. Remain on the main track, it keeps heading up! The circuit is partially signed, with green core path indicators, as the Dull Wood Circular. At a point, close to the top of the climb, you will be confronted by a range of gates. A track continues ungated off to your right to Lurgan. Instead, pass through the gate straight ahead and continue uphill. Shortly afterwards you will encounter the main hill gate which has a small gate beside it, conveniently allowing cyclists and walkers to pass. Turn next left, down a seriously muddy and rutted track towards the burn and the footbridge, The latter is perched incongruously above the burn just upstream of a ford that is best ridden only in very low water. Head on up the track for a short distance and you'll encounter another gate (often there are ponies here). After that, turn left onto the forest track and continue to the unmarked but obvious viewpoint of the Rock of Dull. The views here are worth every bit of effort to get there! To your left is Aberfeldy, below are Dull and Camserney and to your right is Loch Tay and Drummond Hill (route on EveryTrail). The downhill on this well made forest track is fast and exhilarating. On my descent, I heard Chiffchaff just arrived from Africa, green woodpecker laughing on the slopes and scattered roe deer back into the woods! Near the bottom of the final descent just take care to take the left trail off to Dull. Otherwise, you'll have another gate to go through and a return along the main road. The return trail heads off level to your left on a very tight right hand bend before a gate by a house. This is a lovely trail that takes you back into Dull. Now twinned with Boring, Oregon in a rare and welcome moment of modern lightheartedness, Dull is a truly ancient and once influential place. Leave aside the origins of the name (although I'd go for Dall or Dell before I'd accept the story about the saint's stretcher falling apart) it is highly probable that Adamnan, who had strong connections with nearby Glen Lyon, is buried there. He was a Celtic Christian missionary from Iona, St Columba's biographer and founded a place of learning in the settlement sometime before 700AD. This 'school' grew to be so popular and successful that it was moved to Dunkeld to be more accessible and afterwards to St Andrews, going on to develop into the first and therefore the oldest, university in Scotland. All started by a Celtic holy man in Dull. You'll see that the ancient cross is damaged. This may have occurred during the time of the Reformation when artefacts and churches of the Catholic Church were destroyed or damaged. However, another tale tells of a horse and cart clipping it and knocking the arm off. Prosaic but not unlikely! After stopping for a while to absorb the history of this modest place, bear left out of the village and downhill back into Highland Safaris. You'll get a warm welcome and food or a cup of tea and cake inside!
Tips:
The pink (Landranger) OS map 52 Pitlochry, Crieff and Aberfeldy would be useful and offers a range of alternative routes in the area.
During office hours, parking is free and convenient at Highland Safaris . If the gates are closed, usually after 5pm, then park in Camserney.
Highland Safaris have a lot to offer visitors to the area including a cafe, food shop, excursions, a bike skills loop next to the car park and bike hire. www.highlandsafaris.net
Between Aberfeldy and Dull is the House of Menzies tearoom and shop, well worth a visit.
This site has a bit more on St Eonan/Adamnan: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/glenlyon/chapter32.htm
This is a report on an archeological dig in the church at Dull: http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/6346/1/6346.pdf
Aberfeldy is the nearest small town and offers accommodation, food and lovely walks. Camserney is linked by cycle path to Aberfeldy.
To the west, Kenmore is also nearby and The Courtyard is a delightful location for coffee, food etc. There's an EveryTrail route up Drummond Hill nearby.
The nearest bike shop is the fabulous Escape Route in Pitlochry http://www.escape-route.co.uk/
The pink (Landranger) OS map 52 Pitlochry, Crieff and Aberfeldy would be useful and offers a range of alternative routes in the area.
During office hours, parking is free and convenient at Highland Safaris . If the gates are closed, usually after 5pm, then park in Camserney.
Highland Safaris have a lot to offer visitors to the area including a cafe, food shop, excursions, a bike skills loop next to the car park and bike hire. www.highlandsafaris.net
Between Aberfeldy and Dull is the House of Menzies tearoom and shop, well worth a visit.
This site has a bit more on St Eonan/Adamnan: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/glenlyon/chapter32.htm
This is a report on an archeological dig in the church at Dull: http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/6346/1/6346.pdf
Aberfeldy is the nearest small town and offers accommodation, food and lovely walks. Camserney is linked by cycle path to Aberfeldy.
To the west, Kenmore is also nearby and The Courtyard is a delightful location for coffee, food etc. There's an EveryTrail route up Drummond Hill nearby.
The nearest bike shop is the fabulous Escape Route in Pitlochry http://www.escape-route.co.uk/
Tags:
Highland Perthshire, Mountain biking, Dull, Aberfeldy, Highland Safaris, perthshire, Scotland, Escape Route
Highland Perthshire, Mountain biking, Dull, Aberfeldy, Highland Safaris, perthshire, Scotland, Escape Route
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