Autumn woodland walking is a colourful experience and with a promising Sunday weather forecast, we decided an outing in a deciduous forest would be a good idea. Perhaps somewhere a little further afield than our usual haunts. I set about finding a suitable destination and the search query "autumn walks in Perthshire" delivered an interesting result. The Den of Alyth was described on the council's website like this - "the canopy of oak, ash, horse chestnut, birch, beech and sycamore trees throughout the den turn every shade of red, orange and gold and carpet the ground in all of autumn’s colours"
Alyth is a small Perthshire town close to the boundary with Angus. I'd never been there before but had enjoyed a couple of days out in the same general area: the Pictish stones museum in Meigle and the extensive railway path network in Newtyle. As I planned the driving route, I noticed it seemed almost equidistant to take either the A93 or A94 from Perth. Indeed the AA Route Planner confirmed a difference of just one mile! It would be fun to go up one way and come back by the other. I opted for the A94 as the road split and we passed through Scone (although the famous palace is accessed from the A93). Then came the entrance to Perth Airport but there was no sign of any aviation activity. Apparently there are no scheduled commercial flights and the airport is mainly used for training purposes and private landings. We drove through berry picking country and there were polytunnels everywhere. Who knows how the industry will fare in a post-Brexit Britain as it depends heavily on a migrant workforce. Tattie fields also abounded. I used to earn £13 a day picking spuds prior to starting university. All done by machines nowadays.
Just before Coupar Angus, we saw signs for the Three Witches Tearoom and Nicole expressed a desire to stop here on the return journey. Bang goes my trip along the A93 I thought. Actually I must take a drive north on that road sometime as it goes up through Glenshee and on to Braemar. It must be one of the great scenic Scottish drives but for reasons I can't explain, I've never done it! After an hour and a quarter since setting out, we arrived in Alyth. It was simple enough to locate the den just outside the town and there was ample space in the car park. Our planned route was circular, around a mile and a half long. Basically up one side of the burn and down the other. As soon as we descended to the water, we spotted a dipper going about its business against the fast-flowing current. It was to be the only bird of note we encountered but the autumnal colours were ablaze and the woodland was a full of mature native trees. Broad leaves of various hues formed a thick carpet on the ground. Unfortunately we reached a barrier with a sign informing us the path was closed due to recent bad weather. An alternative route could be followed by crossing a bridge and sticking to the opposite bank.
It was indeed a fine location for a walk. A trifle far to come for a couple of miles but I always enjoy visiting a new part of the country. If I'm ever back up this way in the summer months, I'll make a point of popping into the Alyth Folk Museum. It was time to hit the tearoom and I instantly clocked Hungarian egg soup on the specials board. It was warming and very similar to Brühe mit Ei - a dish my father-in-law had rustled up after a few drinks on one of my first trips to Brandenburg, Germany. I do enjoy a cup of herbal tea but I'm not a connoisseur. What surprises me about fancy tearooms is they don't always have a large range available. The Three Witches had a choice of green, peppermint, breakfast and Earl Grey teas and I opted for the former. There was also a good assortment of local produce and crafts for sale. Back on the road, I noticed the remnants of the main railway line that once passed through this area en route to Aberdeen. Unusually, a substantial steel bridge crossed the A94. These types of structure tended to be swiftly removed for the scrap value (or from a more cynical standpoint, to ensure there was no easy way for the railway to reopen). A nice wee day out in an autumnal setting.
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