Easy hikes and walks around Mount Blair

August 2025 - upstream bridge is fully open.

Glenshee Kirk stands on the site of a late Neolithic or early Bronze Age standing stone, still visible behind the church. A simple parish church, it reflects the austere style of remote Scottish churches and remains an active place of worship, with a popular Christmas service. The name "Glenshee" derives from the Gaelic shith (fairies), and legend tells that fairies thwarted its original construction at Runavey, forcing builders to relocate. The standing stone would have once been visible from Diarmuid’s Tomb stone circle.

Major William Caulfeild, the British government’s Inspector of Roads from 1732 to 1767, was instrumental in building roads and bridges across the Scottish Highlands to restore order after the Jacobite rising of 1715. Although less famous than his predecessor, General George Wade, Caulfeild oversaw the construction of four times as much road, including the route from Blairgowrie to Braemar, where this bridge stands. These roads facilitated faster movement of soldiers and provided crucial routes for drovers and smugglers transporting cattle and goods.

The Spittal of Glenshee takes its name from the Old Scots word "spittal," meaning a hospital or resting place. Historically, it served as a shelter for travelers crossing the Cairngorms, especially drovers moving cattle and goods across the Highlands. It was an important stop for pilgrims and traders, providing respite from the harsh mountain terrain. Located at the head of Glenshee valley, the area was historically inhabited by the Clan Farquharson and other Highland clans, and served as a key point linking northern and southern Scotland. Over time, the settlement grew from a simple refuge into a more established community, reflecting the broader heritage of the Scottish Highlands and their role in connecting different regions.

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.