N143 Benedict Pilgrimage Route: Aberfeldy - Pitlochry

We start at the church "Our Lady of Merci," walk along Home Street up to the main street (Dunkeld Street) and turn left onto it. Here we are on the marked long-distance trail "Rob Roy Way". Rob Roy MacGregor (1671-1734), after whom this 127 km long trail was named in 2002, was a legendary outlaw and is considered the "Robin Hood" of the Scots. He is said to have wandered these paths through the Highlands during clan feuds and Jacobite uprisings.

After about one kilometer, we pass the "Drewar's Whisky Distillery", which has existed for around 140 years. After the distillery, we leave the road and turn left onto the natural path. This now takes us for about 6 km into the forest meadows of the River Tay, whose course we follow. Here we enjoy the peaceful landscape; several times the path leads very close to the river or the forest opens a view of the water. We stay on the main path. At the end, we pass the settlement Little Ballinluig, which lies above the road on the right-hand side, before reaching the village of Grandtully. We continue straight ahead on the driveway (to road 827) for a few meters and through the underpass of the road. After almost 200 m, again under an underpass, then we turn left into the campsite and rafting site parking lot and further along its access road. We then come to the road and turn right into the center of Grandtully. There are places to rest here. After about 100 m, we turn left and cross the Tay bridge. After the bridge at the war memorial, the marked "Rob Roy Way" turns right uphill. We want to briefly visit the church of the next village Strathtay on the other side of the river and walk straight ahead uphill into the village, where we immediately find the lovely little St. Andrew's Church at the intersection on the left.

Church "Our Lady of Merci," Aberfeldy - Church St. Andrew, Strathtay: approx. 8 km

From the church, we go left on the main path straight ahead for about 300 m, where the "Rob Roy Way" re-joins. Attention: a few meters further, we turn left onto the driveway to some houses, and the path now leads right into the forest area. It goes steeply uphill. After a left bend, we follow the course of a stream (Tullypowrie Burn), pass the hamlet of the same name halfway up, and then cross the stream about 400 m above the hamlet. At the following, more densely wooded forest area, we turn right around the corner. It now goes gently along a wonderful path through a heathland with scattered trees. Looking back, we enjoy a magnificent view of the Tay valley.

We continue straight ahead over the flat plain. A forest road joins from the right at first, and about 300 m further, we cross another one straight ahead. We have now passed the highest point of the stage. Note: after another approx. 200 m, a small detour (50 m) to the left is recommended. There we see the stone circle "Clachan An Diridh," which invites us to rest and pray, now of course with and to our Triune God. We are here on the Dunfallandy Hills.

After the small detour, we go down the hill on the other side quite straight along the path ("Rob Roy Way"). We ignore other trail forks (Clunie Path). In the lower part, we follow a small stream flowing on our left side. After about 2 km—counting from the plain and the stone circle—we leave the forest, continue straight down the path between meadows, pass through a farmer's yard, and after a short forest section, go under the motorway A9. We continue along the now paved path downhill, making a right curve. At the crossroad (Foss Road), we slightly turn left and then continue downhill on the right path and reach, turning right, the historic suspension bridge of Port-na-Craig. This was built to replace the previous ferry service. We cross the River Tummel over the wavy bridge and continue straight and slightly uphill on the other side. At the paved crossroad, we follow it uphill to the right. It first bends left then right; we go under the railway line and arrive in the center of the charming tourist town Pitlochry. At the main street (Atholl Road), we turn left and then after about 100 m immediately right into Bonnethill Road. After about 200 m, we see on the left our stage destination, the parish church of Pitlochry crowned on a small hill.

Church St. Andrew, Strathtay - Parish Church Pitlochry: approx. 7.5 km