KYQ4: Rob Roy Way: Aberfeldy to Kenmore

Monday, 20 April 2026

Rob Roy Way: Aberfeldy to Kenmore

Perthshire Hills

Sunday, 19 April 2026

Ascent: 462 metres
Distance: 14 kilometres
Time: 3 hours 40 minutes

The final leg of the Rob Roy Way had to be truncated. Gregor was running the Rob Roy Way as preparation for his big run from KirkYetholm on the Northumberland Border to Cape Wrath. A 420 mile run that he hopes to do in 17 days, basically a marathon a day over gruelling trails and mountain passes. I dropped him at Killin for a 40 kilometre section to Aberfeldy. I drove to Aberfeldy from where I would head back to Acharn, I had contrarily decided to walk the Way from North to South. We had left home at 7:30am and he began running at 8:20am. I drove on the Aberfeldy, parked the car at the far side of the town near the Coop at 9:00am. Gregor had wanted to be home by 2pm to watch the football and it would take an hour and 15 minutes to drive back home from Aberfeldy where he would collect my car and pick me up. I figured that I would not be able to make the 18 kilometres to Acharn in less than 4 hours so we agreed a pick up in Kenmore.

I began my walk through the town where I was pleased to see the Birks Community Cinema, the proud community owned and run cinema that had been the first such venture in the UK. I then entered the magnificent Birks Glen where a rippling burn adds sound and movement to the spectacular native woodland. The paths that straddle the burn and its waterfalls were a tough climb but are one of the most beautiful locations to begin any day. Today, spring had burst forth after the recent rainy April and the daffodils provided colour that elevated the bright muted woodland colour palette. I had covered two and half kilometres by the time I reached the top of the escarpment and sauntered through the birch woodland that led to the trails and paths of the Rob Roy Way.

I had climbed to 300 metres at the top of the Birks but immediately the farm tracks began to descend through grazing lands where lambs were frolicking in the spring sunshine. There were splendid view to the north where Meall Tairneachan and Farragon Hill, enjoyable Corbetts both, scraped against the skyline. The River Tay flowed menacingly through the Appin of Dull as the Way went up and down like a stretched out Big Dipper. Through woodland, past new expensive houses and older solid farmhouses. On gravel trails, muddy grass paths and the occasional section of asphalt, all strafed by marching pylons. The warmth of the Birks had been replaced by a cool breeze that made for good walking. I had figured that if all was going to plan I would pass Gregor between the 8 or 9 kilometre point and began to worry when it was almost 10 kilometres before he appeared running easily but with a lot of up and downs to go and it was 11:40am.

I continued at a steady pace through a final woodland section and then climbing uphill to Tombuie cottage at 350 metres where a narrow heavily eroded asphalt road begins to descend steeply towards Kenmore, with the section to Acharn tempting me as I walked passed and was hailed by a Geordie who was looking for company on the track to Acharn. The steepness of the road was more difficult than most of the trails and it was some relief that I arrived at Kenmore and found a bench where I could admire the splendour of Loch Tay and check on Gregor. I thought I might have to wait half an hour but he had moved at speed and was only 5 minutes away. It was 12:45am and we made it home with 5 minutes to spare before the Merseyside Derby began at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium and Liverpool won 2-1. Gregor had run 104 kilometres in 8 hours 21 minutes over the past two and a half days; good training for the big run.