Summary
This easy loop, suitable for most bikes, takes you past one of the many prehistoric standing stones in the area and through Bealach Gabráin, the narrow pass between the Hill of Loyal and the famous Iron Age fort of Barry Hill. It continues through beautiful farmland landscapes and the Den ‘O’ Alyth’s ancient woodland.
Scottish Outdoor Access Code: Know the code before you go
Please use the arrows on left/right side to go to previous/next route.
You can download our booklet, From Deep Time To Our Time, Cycling Across The Cateran Ecomuseum here.
Route Stats
Suitable for: Road bikes
Total Distance: 12.2 km
Total Ascent: 160 m
Terrain: A mixture of quiet roads, all on tarmac
Access: Fully accessible with no gates
Route Category: Easy
Riding Time: 1 - 1.5 hrs
Start/Finish: Alyth Market Square
OS Grid Ref: NO 24612 48519
Nearest Parking: At the start
Key Facilities on Route: Alyth (accommodation, shops, restaurants, cafes)
OS Landranger Map: 53 (or custom Cateran Ecomuseum map)
For information on local accommodation & services click here
Route Description
The route starts in Alyth’s historic Market Square. It follows Commercial Street first, then up the famous ‘Toutie Street’ before taking a right turn onto Meethill Road (B952). As you leave the town you can visit one of the many prehistoric standing stones in the area. After about 750m the road then bears left towards Glenisla on the B954, up a short, but steep incline. It passes through the narrow Bealach Gabráin which runs between the Hill of Loyal and Barry Hill, the site of one of the best examples of an Iron Age fort and famous for its link to the King Arthur legend. After about another 500m the route continues on a single track road on the left (Balwhyme Road), signposted to Bamff. The route follows this road right to the end to a T-junction. Turn left here to return through the Den ‘O’ Alyth on Bamff Road back to the start.
Find out more about some of the key Points of Interest below.
If you enjoyed this route, why not try the following?
Points to visit
Along the way you will find these points of interest:
Pack Bridge
One of the oldest masonry bridges in Scotland. Alyth’s Pack Bridge (intended to carry packhorses loaded with sidebags or panniers across the burn) is one of the oldest masonry bridges in Scotland and is shown on maps as far back as 1600. Reputedly...
Read more - "Pack Bridge"Toutie Street
A permanent reminder of a bygone custom. This street name immortalises the bygone custom of the herdsman tooting his horn, alerting the townsfolk to bring out their beasts to be herded up Alyth Hill. The deeds of over 200 properties in the old town...
Read more - "Toutie Street"William Lyon Mackenzie
One of the most famous figures in Canadian history. William Lyon Mackenzie (1795-1861), an important figure in Canadian history, lived and worked here on Toutie Street in Alyth from 1814 to 1817. He then emigrated to Canada where he became a...
Read more - "William Lyon Mackenzie"Market Cross
A monument from Alyth’s ancient trading history. The erection of a Market Cross or ‘Mercat Cross’ in Scotland served as a symbolic representation of the right to hold a regular market or fair. This right was granted to settlements awarded...
Read more - "Market Cross"Pitcrocknie Stone
A fine example of a late Neolithic or early Bronze Age Standing Stone. Travelling out of Alyth on the B952, on the right hand side of the road, a few yards after the last old red sandstone house in the town, lies a new housing development. The...
Read more - "Pitcrocknie Stone"Barry Hill Fort
One of the best preserved examples of an enclosed hilltop settlement in Scotland. Viewable from across Strathmore and from the roads around Alyth, Barry Hill fort has not yet been excavated. However, similar monuments elsewhere have been found to...
Read more - "Barry Hill Fort"Den ‘o’ Alyth
A woodland walk along part of the Highland Boundary Fault. The Den (‘narrow valley’ or ‘gorge’) o’ Alyth is a wooded glen through which the Alyth Burn runs. Part of the geography of the Highland Boundary Fault, it lies on the outskirts of...
Read more - "Den ‘o’ Alyth"
