Easy hikes and walks around Blackcraig Forest

August 2025 - upstream bridge is fully open.

Alexander Duff, born in Moulin in 1806, was educated in the Kirkmichael Session House before attending Perth Grammar School and St. Andrews University, where he studied theology. He became the Church of Scotland's first missionary to India, playing a crucial role in modernizing India's education system and helping establish the University of Calcutta. In his honor, the Duff Memorial Free Church was built in 1890 by L & J G Falconer, though it now stands disused and in disrepair.

In 1715, the Earl of Mar raised the Jacobite standard at Kirkmichael to rally support for the exiled Stuart King James, the Old Pretender, in an attempt to restore the Catholic Stuart dynasty after its overthrow in 1688-89. Mar’s army of over 7,000 men advanced into Perth but faced a smaller, well-led government force under the Duke of Argyll. The Battle of Sheriffmuir on 13 November ended inconclusively, while English Jacobites suffered defeat at Preston. With dwindling support, James Francis arrived too late to salvage the rebellion, and by February 1716, he and Mar had fled to France. The uprising collapsed, leading to imprisonment, transportation, or execution for many captured Jacobites.

Kirkmichael, the largest community in Strathardle Glen, has been inhabited since the Iron Age, with ancient huts, standing stones, and battle sites marking its long history. Named after Prince Ardle, who died in 903 AD fighting Danish invaders, the glen features his burial mound, the "Giant’s Grave," as a local landmark. The village’s first church was built in 1184 on land granted by Coupar Angus Abbey, and today an 18th-century Kirk stands in an ancient graveyard containing a mass burial plot for Black Death victims. Once a royal hunting ground, Kirkmichael became a key cattle market and witnessed historic events like the 1715 Jacobite uprising. Queen Victoria’s visit later helped establish the area as a holiday destination. Today, Strathardle remains known for its natural beauty, wildlife, and a balance of agriculture, tourism, and small businesses along the River Ardle.

The Perth and Kinross area has been farmed since the early Bronze Age, featuring one of Scotland’s densest concentrations of settlements. People lived in roundhouses with low stone walls and thatched roofs, leaving behind subtle raised circular mounds as evidence. Warmer summers enabled the cultivation of early barley and wheat, alongside cattle and sheep farming, with wild berries supplementing their diet. Many dwellings likely served as byre-houses, where people and animals coexisted, reflecting the dual domestic and agricultural nature of these early settlements.

A good viewpoint from above, fairly obvious as it is signposted and there is a wooden platform. The trees are over growing so to really see the Linn, it is better to follow some of the rough paths along the riverside below.

Bustling little town, with several trails, the riverside path, and cafes. Parking near the river too to start a walk.

I believe the bridge upstream is closed for repairs.