Location: Around Kirriemuir, Angus
Distance: 4.5 miles/7km
Time: 2-3 hours
Grade: Moderate countryside walk
Angus Council have been diligent in developing excellent path networks for all of the major towns in the area, and Kirriemuir is no exception.
By combining sections of several of the promoted walks, this route offers a satisfying tour of the countryside around Kirriemuir with the opportunity to explore the historic town centre as well.
Kirriemuir is a couthy wee town, aptly called the Gateway to the Glens and also widely known as the birthplace of the playwright J.M.Barrie, who gave us Peter Pan, the symbol of eternal youth.
There is a statue of Peter outside the Gateway to the Glens Museum which makes a fitting climax to the walk.
I cannot guarantee that doing this walk will provide you with any sort of elixir but it should bring colour to your cheeks at the least.
The walk starts by following the Gairie Burn through Kirrie Den, an area owned by the community, and featuring a slight surprise in the form of an attractive waterfall.
The walk continues across open country with good views before another woodland section. Roads are then followed but very good use has been made of the woodland strip bordering these roads and for the most part you can walk in the trees rather than on the tarmac.
On the return leg the walk passes Kirriemuir’s Camera Obscura, one of only three such instruments in Scotland (the others are in Edinburgh and Dumfries). It provides a quite magnificent panorama of the Angus countryside looking up towards the bigger hills of the Cairngorms. The Camera Obscura lay unused for some years but has been restored by a local trust (see information panel).
The Camera Obscura is in a cricket pavilion which Barrie gave to the town when he was made Freeman of Kirriemuir (the only person to receive this honour) in 1930.
Before returning to the town centre, the walk goes through the very well kept cemetery where Barrie’s grave is signposted. After that, a short diversion would take you to Barrie’s Birthplace, owned by the National Trust for Scotland and telling the story of his life and his links to Kirriemuir, which he gently satirised as ‘Thrums’ in his books.
As you return to the car park you may see that Kirriemuir is still honouring its famous sons, for nearby is a lifesize statue of the AC/DC pop group vocalist Bon Scott by John McKenna. It was largely funded by subscription from fans of AC/DC. Kirriemuir is a very welcoming place and I am sure that doing this walk will act as a taster to prompt many further visits to the Gateway to the Glens.
Roger Smith
ROUTE PLANNER
Map: OS 1:50,000 Landranger sheet 54 (Dundee & Montrose) or 1:25,000 Explorer sheet 381 (Blairgowrie, Kirriemuir & Glamis). Excellent free Kirriemuir Path Network map available locally.
Distance: 4.5 miles/7km.
Time: 2-3 hours.
Start/Finish: Bellies Brae car park, Kirriemuir (GR: NO385538).
Public transport: Stagecoach bus 20 from Dundee via Forfar. Details from www.stagecoachbus.com
Information: Glens Museum, Kirriemuir (01575 577140) or https://visitangus.com/kirriemuir
Route: From car park walk down steps to the Den and turn R. Follow path across minor road and on, beside burn. At fork go R and walk out to road. Cross and continue with path beside Gairie Burn. In about 1.5km at clear fork go R (path L goes to Loch of Kinnordy). Follow sometimes vague path across open area and back into woods, swinging R and becoming a track. TR on path inside wood just before road, later walking on road as signed. At junction turn R and at next junction turn L as signed, walking just inside wood where possible. Turn R on broad track which becomes road. Keep ahead (Windy Ghoul Road, Angle Road, West Hill Road) and turn R on access road to Camera Obscura. Pass to R of clubhouse and take path to gate into cemetery. Follow signs for J.M.Barrie’s grave. Leave cemetery by main entrance (Cemetery Road) and turn R on Brechin Road. Walk down to town centre, which can be explored using the Kirriemuir Heritage Trail leaflet. To finish, walk down brae back to car park.
Note: The Camera Obscura will reopen in Spring next year. For more info, see www.kirriemuircamera obscura.com
The Gateway to the Glens Museum is currently closed.
For up-to-date information see www.angusalive.scot/coronavirus-covid-19.
Barrie’s Birthplace (NTS) is open until October on Saturday and Sunday 10.30am-4.30pm (01575 572646), or see www.nts.org.uk
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here