Atholl in The Herald
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27.10.12 THE HERALD MAGAZINE 41 OUTDOORS The walk Beinn a’ Chrulaiste The cycle Drumlanrig red route Location: Glen Coe Map: OS Landranger 41 (GR220563) Distance: 6½ km (4 miles) Time: 3 hours Terrain: Hill path Beinn a’ Chrulaiste is the great rounded lump of a hill which sits across the road from Buachaille Etive Mor and, while it is not an eye-catching mountain like its neighbour, it does afford fabulous views of that iconic peak and the rest of the Glen Coe massif. Many people opt for the ascent from the King’s House Hotel but the approach from further west at Altnafeadh is perhaps the finer. Start from the large layby on the A82 at Altnafeadh where the West Highland Way footpath climbs over to Kinlochleven via the Devil’s Staircase. From the eastern end of the layby a path leads on to the West Highland Way which is followed alongside the road over two wooden bridges to the end of a small forestry plantation. Climb up the side of this plantation to pass beneath the power lines and head for a gate in the fence which can be seen up to the right. Go through this gate then immediately step over the fence beside it and climb the hillside past some wooden posts to pick up a rough hill path which ascends the edge of the slope overlooking the road. Height is gained rapidly and fabulous views begin to open out with Buachaille Etive Mor on the other side of the road continually drawing the eye. The steepness soon eases and the path swings away from the edge to pass over the minor bump of Stob Beinn a’ Chrulaiste where the view extends north to the peaks of the Mamores and Ben Nevis. Continue in the direction of these peaks for a short way to bypass a boggy area and some peat hags then swing around and follow the rough path east up grassy slopes to the rocky summit of Beinn a’ Chrulaiste (857m; 2811ft). It is worth walking around the flat summit area to savour the views before probably settling on a perch looking across to the magnificent Buachaille Etive Mor. Although the route back retraces that of the ascent, Glen Coe and its attendant peaks are now spread at one’s feet, making this perhaps a more fitting way to leave the mountain. RAB ANDERSON Location: By Thornhill, Dumfriesshire Map: Trail map available at start Distance: 12 miles (20km) Time: 1.5-2 hours Terrain: undulating; singletrack Nicknamed the Old School, this red-graded mountain bike route is great for improving your handling skills. Shorter blue and black trails also weave through the woodlands at the Drumlanrig Estate in Dumfriesshire. A trail map, while not essential, can be purchased from the estate’s cycle shop, which also houses the Scottish Cycle Museum. The red route begins by following an estate road left before diving into the trees. Watch out for walkers where paths cross. You’ll notice pretty quickly that the trail surface is full of roots, adding spice to the tight corners while demanding good bike control. The roots feature throughout the trail, which is best avoided in the wet. The route twists and loops up to a bail-out point after four miles (7km). From there, you can either join the blue route or return to the start. Continuing on the red, you’ll find there’s plenty more technical riding. Unlike most mountain bike trails, this one has few features – apart from the odd jump and a short section of north shore – but this more natural singletrack has its own rewards. Back at Drumlanrig Castle you should take a look at the cycle museum, where pride of place goes to a replica of Kirkpatrick Macmillan’s original bicycle. Outwith the summer season, there is no charge to park and use the mountain bike trails. For cycle shop opening times go to www.drumlanrig.com. FERGAL MAcERLEAN P Start/finish A82 Kings House Hotel Buachaille Etive Mor Beinn a Chrulaiste Stob Beinn a Chrulaiste Glen Coe Lagangarbh Altnafeadh R i v e r Co u p a ll Start/finish Drumlanrig Castle Drumlanrig Park High Farthingbank Drumlanrig Woods Newhouse Bogrie Wood Hillhead Loch River Nith A76 T he Atholl Arms Hotel is the imposing white four-square Georgian building that guards the head of Thomas Telford’s elegant five-span bridge as you enter Dunkeld. Bypassed these days by the A9, this ancient Perthshire town, dominated by the huge edifice of its semi-ruined cathedral, is now a rural retreat on the banks of the Tay. It’s certainly very different from the Dunkeld of 1833, the year the hotel opened. In those days the town’s main street formed part of Scotland’s main north-south artery and the hotel was soon a bustling coaching inn where the travel-weary could change their horses and rest up for the night. Guests included Queen Victoria. By the late 20th century, like many other Scottish three-star hotels, the Atholl Arms had seen better days. This year the Atholl Arms was commended in the Scottish Hotel Awards’ turnaround category. In January 2011 Christine and Neil Sinclair returned to the UK from the United States and spotted the potential of the place, with its classical proportions, light airy feel and incomparable setting. “It was a big project,” says Christine, adding that the scale of the task didn’t frighten them. Closing for just 10 days, they opened up the ground floor and re-installed the old main entrance in Bridge Street. The Sinclairs replaced the bed linen and revamped the website but otherwise opted for “the gradualist approach”, renewing worn carpets bit by bit and smartening up the roomy bedrooms. The huge Queen Victoria suite is more than a cut above the other 16 rooms and with its famous guest and splendid views of the bridge and the river, more could be done to market it. The Sinclairs were lucky with their chef, Eddie Atkinson saying: “We knew we were on to something special when we saw what was coming out of the kitchen.” Today, the typical meal would bear comparison with a top restaurant in Glasgow or Edinburgh, in terms of good, fresh local ingredients and stylish presentation. The restaurant has the seal of approval from both the Vegetarian Society and the Scotch Beef Club. I opted for goat’s cheese, basil and pinenut ravioli, followed by pan roasted rump of lamb with Moroccan cous-cous, and finished with a stunning lemon polenta cake. The Sinclairs have also struck gold with their maître d’hotel. Alan Taylor, a great character, is an old British Transport Hotels man who knows his stuff. About an hour’s drive from either Glasgow or Edinburgh, Dunkeld is ideally located for a weekend away. We tried two walks from a local paths leaflet, taking in Ossian’s Hall (the 18th century folly overlooking a deep roaring chasm in the River Braan), and a walk along the banks of the Tay that included the famous Birnam Oak, the sole survivor of the peripatetic wood that featured in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. There are ospreys at Loch of the Lowes visitor centre or Peter Rabbit and pals at a Beatrix Potter Exhibition in Birnam. In late October best-known resident, folk singer Dougie MacLean hosts a 10-day music festival: Perthshire Amber. The hotel organises fishing and golfing packages and plans art and photography workshops in 2013. Anne Johnstone was a guest of the Atholl Arms Hotel, Dunkeld, Perthshire. Rates: £130 per double room with dinner and breakfast. Visit www. athollarmshotel. com or call 01350 727219. Atholl Arms Dunkeld THE GETAWAY
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Press release from October 2012
Transcript of Atholl in The Herald
27.10.12 theheraldmagazine 41
outdoors
Thewalk Beinn a’ Chrulaiste
The cycle Drumlanrig red route
Location:glenCoeMap:OSlandranger 41 (gr220563)Distance: 6½km (4miles)Time: 3hoursTerrain:hill path
Beinn a’ Chrulaiste is the greatrounded lump of a hill whichsits across the road fromBuachaille Etive Mor and, whileit is not an eye-catchingmountain like its neighbour, itdoes afford fabulous views ofthat iconic peak and the rest ofthe Glen Coe massif. Manypeople opt for the ascent fromthe King’s House Hotel but theapproach from further west atAltnafeadh is perhaps the finer.
Start from the large layby onthe A82 at Altnafeadh wherethe West Highland Way footpathclimbs over to Kinlochleven viathe Devil’s Staircase. From theeastern end of the layby a pathleads on to the West HighlandWay which is followedalongside the road over twowooden bridges to the end of asmall forestry plantation. Climbup the side of this plantation topass beneath the power linesand head for a gate in the fencewhich can be seen up to theright. Go through this gate thenimmediately step over the fencebeside it and climb the hillsidepast some wooden posts to pick
up a rough hill path whichascends the edge of the slopeoverlooking the road.
Height is gained rapidly andfabulous views begin to openout with Buachaille Etive Moron the other side of the roadcontinually drawing the eye.The steepness soon eases andthe path swings away from theedge to pass over the minorbump of Stob Beinn a’Chrulaiste where the viewextends north to the peaks ofthe Mamores and Ben Nevis.
Continue in the direction ofthese peaks for a short way tobypass a boggy area and somepeat hags then swing aroundand follow the rough path eastup grassy slopes to the rockysummit of Beinn a’ Chrulaiste(857m; 2811ft).
It is worth walking aroundthe flat summit area to savourthe views before probablysettling on a perch lookingacross to the magnificentBuachaille Etive Mor.Althoughthe route back retraces that ofthe ascent, Glen Coe and itsattendant peaks are nowspread at one’s feet, makingthis perhaps a more fitting wayto leave the mountain.
RabandeRson
Location:Bythornhill, dumfriesshireMap: trailmapavailable at startDistance: 12miles (20km)Time:1.5-2hoursTerrain:undulating; singletrack
Nicknamed the Old School, this red-gradedmountain bike route is great for improving yourhandling skills. Shorter blue and black trails alsoweave through the woodlands at the DrumlanrigEstate in Dumfriesshire.
A trail map, while not essential, can bepurchased from the estate’s cycle shop, whichalso houses the Scottish Cycle Museum. The redroute begins by following an estate road leftbefore diving into the trees. Watch out forwalkers where paths cross.
You’ll notice pretty quickly that the trail surfaceis full of roots, adding spice to the tight cornerswhile demanding good bike control. The rootsfeature throughout the trail, which is bestavoided in the wet. The route twists and loopsup to a bail-out point after four miles (7km).
From there, you can either join the blue routeor return to the start. Continuing on the red,you’ll find there’s plenty more technical riding.Unlike most mountain bike trails, this one hasfew features – apart from the odd jump and ashort section of north shore – but this morenatural singletrack has its own rewards.
Back at Drumlanrig Castle you should take a
look at the cycle museum, where pride of placegoes to a replica of Kirkpatrick Macmillan’soriginal bicycle. Outwith the summer season,there is no charge to park and use the mountainbike trails. For cycle shop opening times go towww.drumlanrig.com.
feRgalmaceRlean
P
Start/finish
A82
KingsHouseHotelBuachaille Etive Mor
Beinn a ChrulaisteStob Beinn a Chrulaiste
Glen Coe
Lagangarbh
Altnafeadh
River Coupall
Start/finishDrumlanrigCastle
DrumlanrigPark
HighFarthingbank
DrumlanrigWoods
NewhouseBogrie Wood
HillheadLoch
Rive
r Nith
A76
theatholl armshotel is theimposingwhitefour-square
georgianbuilding thatguards theheadofthomastelford’s elegantfive-spanbridgeas youenterdunkeld.Bypassed thesedays
by thea9, this ancientPerthshire town,dominatedby thehugeedificeof its semi-ruinedcathedral, is nowa ruralretreat on thebanksof thetay. it’s certainly verydifferent from thedunkeldof 1833, the year thehotelopened. in thosedays thetown’smain street formedpart ofScotland’smainnorth-southartery and thehotelwassoonabustlingcoaching innwhere thetravel-weary couldchangetheir horsesand rest up forthenight.guests includedQueenVictoria.By the late 20thcentury,
likemanyotherScottishthree-star hotels, theathollarmshadseenbetter days.this year theatholl arms
wascommended in theScottishhotel awards’turnaroundcategory. inJanuary2011Christine andneil Sinclair returned to theUK from theUnitedStatesandspotted thepotential oftheplace,with its classicalproportions, light airy feeland incomparable setting.“itwasabigproject,”
saysChristine, adding thatthe scaleof the taskdidn’tfrighten them.Closing forjust 10days, theyopenedup thegroundfloor andre-installed theoldmainentrance inBridgeStreet.theSinclairs replaced
thebed linenandrevamped thewebsitebutotherwiseopted for “thegradualist approach”,renewingworncarpetsbitbybit andsmarteningupthe roomybedrooms.thehugeQueenVictoria suiteismore thanacut abovetheother 16 roomsandwith its famousguest andsplendid viewsof thebridgeand the river,morecouldbedone tomarket it.theSinclairswere lucky
with their chef, eddieatkinsonsaying: “Weknewwewereon to somethingspecialwhenwesawwhatwascomingout of thekitchen.”today, the typicalmeal
wouldbear comparisonwith a top restaurant inglasgoworedinburgh, intermsof good, fresh localingredients andstylishpresentation. therestaurant has the seal ofapproval fromboth theVegetarianSociety and theScotchBeefClub. i optedfor goat’s cheese, basil andpinenut ravioli, followedbypan roasted rumpof lambwithmoroccancous-cous,andfinishedwithastunninglemonpolenta cake.theSinclairs havealso
struckgoldwith theirmaîtred’hotel. alantaylor, a greatcharacter, is anoldBritishtransporthotelsmanwhoknowshis stuff.about anhour’sdrive
fromeitherglasgoworedinburgh,dunkeld isideally located for aweekendaway.We triedtwowalks froma localpaths leaflet, taking inOssian’shall (the18thcentury folly overlookingadeep roaringchasm in theriverBraan), andawalkalong thebanksof thetaythat included the famousBirnamOak, the solesurvivor of theperipateticwood that featured inShakespeare’smacbeth.thereareospreysat lochof thelowesvisitor centreorPeterrabbit andpals ataBeatrixPotterexhibitioninBirnam. in lateOctoberbest-known resident, folksingerdougiemacleanhosts a10-daymusicfestival: Perthshireamber.thehotel organises
fishingandgolfingpackagesandplansartandphotographyworkshops in2013.anneJohnstonewasaguest of theatholl armshotel,dunkeld,Perthshire.rates: £130perdoubleroomwithdinner andbreakfast. Visitwww.athollarmshotel.comorcall01350727219.
atholl armsDunkeld
ThegeTaway
