Aberfeldy

Why base here

Aberfeldy had 1,886 residents at the 2022 census, according to Wikipedia, and sits on the River Tay where the A826 from Crieff meets the A827. Wikipedia says its position off the A9 trunk road leaves it less geared toward tourists than its cousin Pitlochry, and it has the older structure to show for being a working town first: Wade’s Bridge across the Tay, built in 1733 to a design by William Adam, which General Wade considered his greatest accomplishment. The case for staying here is one specific thing. The Birks of Aberfeldy, a waterfall gorge walk of 3.5km, can be started on foot from the main square, and Schiehallion is about 12km away in a straight line. The case against is the rail map: there is no station, and every hill day beyond the Birks needs a car.

On foot versus by car

Walkhighlands starts the Birks at the upper level of the Birks car park and adds that anyone on foot from Aberfeldy can follow a path from the main square. It gives 195m of ascent and one to two hours, with a handrail along much of the gorge, and that is the one outing here that needs no car at all.

Schiehallion starts at the Braes of Foss car park, which Walkhighlands marks as a paid car park with an overspill 0.5km east and no public transport to the start. In a straight line it is about 12km west-north-west of the town. Ben Vrackie lies beyond Pitlochry: the Pitlochry Scotland visitor site gives 14.6 miles between the two towns by the shortest road, and the walk’s car parks are a further 1.3km north of Pitlochry’s centre. Ben Lawers is better reached from Killin, whose centre is about 6km from the National Trust for Scotland’s car park in a straight line against about 27km from Aberfeldy. By road from Aberfeldy the way runs through Kenmore, 6.5 miles on by the Pitlochry Scotland table, and along the A827 on the north side of Loch Tay; the Trust says its car park is two miles up a hill road off that road.

Practicalities

There is no railway station. A Highland Railway branch from Ballinluig served the town from July 1865 until May 1965, according to Wikipedia, and Visit Aberfeldy now names Perth, Dunkeld and Pitlochry as the nearest rail stations and coach drop-off points, each with a bus on to the town. The Pitlochry Scotland visitor site names Yules Buses, based beside Pitlochry station, as running the Pitlochry to Aberfeldy service. It gives 16.9 miles by road from Dunkeld and 14.6 from Pitlochry. Visit Aberfeldy lists the Breadalbane Community Campus for parking, a short walk from the town centre.