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Wild camping near Blair Atholl, Perthshire (Scotland)

May 12, 2017 by Maria Fernandez

Blair Atholl, Perthshire - www.simonking.bike

Camping near Blair Atholl: map & data

© OpenStreetMap contributors
Total distance: 16.24 mi
Total climbing: 569 m
Total time: 04:45:24
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16 mile cycle in, just under 5h – average 3.4 mph

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This was the first day of our 3-day wild camping trip.

We took the 10.36 train to Inverness and arrived in Blair Atholl two hours later. We had our bikes and four panniers with us.

The weather was nice, there was little wind and a lot more sun that the forecast said.

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Blair Atholl, Perthshire - www.simonking.bike

12.39 – At Blair Atholl station

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Our plan for today was to cycle for a few hours and camp near An Dun, one of the two Corbetts we wanted to climb on Saturday.

We rode past the House of Bruar and headed for a village called Calvine.

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Blair Atholl, Perthshire - www.simonking.bike

13.12 – On the road to the village of Calvine

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We had lunch by this bridge: Simon’s sandwiches (tongue, cheese & chorizo, pate), plus tomatoes and apples.

When we were finishing, a cyclist stopped by us to say hello and we chatted for a while. He had taken the train from Bath to Glasgow and was touring Scotland.

Like most cyclists we meet in our trips, he was a really interesting guy and loves his days on the road.

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Blair Atholl, Perthshire - www.simonking.bike

13.27 – Our lunch spot

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We got back on our bikes. This part of the route is easy, smooth and fairly flat.

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Blair Atholl, Perthshire - www.simonking.bike

14.31 – The easy part of the route

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We then crossed a not-too-busy A9 on foot and took the path up Dalnacardoch Estate.

From there on, the path is less smooth. At times it’s quite steep and it’s got a fair amount of gravel and rocks.

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Blair Atholl, Perthshire - www.simonking.bike

14.48 – Entering the Dalnacardoch Estate

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Just past the forest area and the generator you get this great view:

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Blair Atholl, Perthshire - www.simonking.bike

15.18 – View from the end of the forest area

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It was so peaceful. We didn’t see any other cyclists and the temperature was perfect.

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Blair Atholl, Perthshire - www.simonking.bike

15.49 – The path before it gets rocky

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We stopped at this memorial to take some pictures and then continued on our winding path.

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Blair Atholl, Perthshire - www.simonking.bike

16.02 – Memorial with a view

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We had great views all the way.

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Blair Atholl, Perthshire - www.simonking.bike

16.17 – And the winding path goes on

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We had a short break by the stream, and here we crossed it.

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Blair Atholl, Perthshire - www.simonking.bike

17.19 – Simon fording the stream without getting wet

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An Dun was waiting for us.

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Blair Atholl, Perthshire - www.simonking.bike

17.23 – An Dun and other hills

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We arrived at the camp just before six. We had camped at this same spot twice a few years ago. The second one was, without question, the coldest night of my life.

That’s why I now have an extra thick pair of Scottish socks and a silk liner.

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Blair Atholl, Perthshire - www.simonking.bike

18.07 – Panoramic view of An Dun (right) from the tent

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We put up the tent quickly and went to our private stream to get water.

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Blair Atholl, Perthshire - www.simonking.bike

18.08 – Our pretty cold stream with superb water

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While I inflated the mattresses and made the tent ready for the night, Simon cooked dinner: cheesy pasta with sausage.

It tasted great.

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Blair Atholl, Perthshire - www.simonking.bike

18.55 – Another gourmet concoction

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We saw a solitary cyclist go past our camp. When he reached the steep hill he stopped, lifted his bike, put it on his shoulder and disappeared with it in the distance. We didn’t see anyone else till mid-morning on Sunday.

We both slept well. It wasn’t at all cold. In fact, I had to get rid of my hat and gloves during the night.

When we got up the next day, all the hills around us had disappeared in the fog.

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I took all the photos with the Panasonic.

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See Day 2 of this trip
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Filed Under: Blog, Corbett, Scotland Tagged With: Camping, Cycling, Walking

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