Distance: 3.25 miles.
Time: 1.5 – 2 hours.
Ascent: 145m.
Visit both Pitlochry distilleries with an easy woodland walk, on good paths and minor roads. During the summer months both are open for guided tours, Monday to Saturday 10.00am – 5.00pm. Blair Athol Distillery is open 12noon – 5.00pm on a Sunday, however Edradour is closed on a Sunday, keep that in
mind if you fancy a wee dram and guided tour.
Starting from the centre of town (Atholl Road), head south, towards Perth and under the railway line, using the underpass on the right hand side. Cross back to the left and you will find Blair Athol Distillery, home of Bells Whisky and one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, established in 1798. They draw water from the Alt Dour burn to produce their famous 12-year-old single Blair Athol Malt – which can only be bought at the distillery.
Keep heading south and after passing a row of bungalows you will see a blue sign on a lamppost for ‘Black Spout Car Park’. Turn left here and pass under the railway again. Continue until you reach the car park and follow the clearly marked route along a dirt track to the left which takes you to a path through oak woods. The golf course on the left belongs to the Atholl Palace Hotel. After a short distance you will see a sign to Black Spout Waterfall where there is an excellent platform giving superb views of the 190feet (60m) Black Spout Waterfall and gorge below. It can be quite spectacular after heavy rain.
Continuing along the path following signs for Edradour Distillery, once out of the oak woods, the path follows the edge of farm fields giving spectacular views towards Ben Vrackie (2,759ft high) and the village of Moulin.
As the walk approaches Edradour it passes a stone cottage and emerges at the distillery. Edradour is world-renowned as the smallest traditional distillery in Scotland, established 1825.
Now turn left and follow the road for a short distance until you reach a farm gate on your left just before a set of ornamental stone gate posts. Follow the marked and enclosed path (can get overgrown in summer) as it skirts the edge of a field and then heads downhill with good views over Pitlochry. The path meets a grassy track, signposted for Pitlochry. Turn left onto it and continue through a gate back into Black Spout Wood.
The path then meets a larger track where you turn right, downhill. Ignore other paths until you reach a wide bend and take the path branching off to the right following a yellow marker signed for Pitlochry. Continue until you cross a wooden bridge and turn left following the Kinnaird Burn. Ignore a path to the right which leads to the Atholl Palace Hotel.
You will soon come to a junction, marked by a large triangular stone, continue to the right (ignore the optional riverside loop to the left). At the next junction also keep right and you will soon come to a road where you turn left and walk down past the entrance to the Atholl Palace Hotel. You emerge at the railway bridge with the underpass. Turn right on the main road and return to the centre of Pitlochry.