Crieff, Auchtermuchty and Beyond

Liverbirdie

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Hi all,

I normally always get some great advice from fellow forummers for holidays in the UK.

We had to cancel going to Versailles , Reims and 2 rounds at Le Golf nationale, due it being too risky going abroad, so our Scottish love affair is rekindled once more.

We're staying in Crieff for a week and Auctermuchty for 4 nights, so looking for other things to do on top of the following we've earmarked if the're open).

Good days out, culturally or historic?

Bannockburn visitor centre - went here before, but before the visitor centre was built.
Glencoe - it was shut last time

We've done Glamis, Wallace monument, Stirling castle, Scone, Secret bunker all before, so any other recommendations within 1-2 hours would be good. Balmoral looks closed, but may change.



Walks - within 1 - 1 1/2 hours of Crieff or Auchtermuchty?

3-5 mile flattish ones or undulating, as my folks will be there for a week of it. Coastal ones even better. We've done walks around St.Monans, anstruther before - but not Crail - is that nice? Any good ones around south or north queensferry?

4-7 mile (ideally up to 300 mtrs elevation but will consider 800 mtr elevation limit for a spectacular view walk) No climbing/scrambling though, as will have the pooch with us.

Crieff

We're gonna push the boat out and have a meal at gleneagles for my 50th one night, but is Crieff Hydro worth a meal at also?
 

Beezerk

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Burnam Hill near Dunkeld is a good walk with cracking views when you get to the top. You can walk all the way around the far end which makes it much easier than the steep, more direct route to the top.
 
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We're gonna push the boat out and have a meal at gleneagles for my 50th one night, but is Crieff Hydro worth a meal at also?
I ate at Gleneagles last year, we were in the normal restaurant as we couldn't get a table in the Michelin starred one. 4 of us, 2 bottles of wine @ £40 a bottle, total bill including tip was £580.

Just so you know...... But it was fabulous!
 

IanG

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I've stayed (and enjoyed) Crieff Hydro a good few times in the last 5 years both with work and privately and I say this with love. The food is decent but not much better than that. It is a family oriented hotel (and a good one) but the dinners are spec-ed to a price.

At Gleneagles you can eat more 'casually' in the Dormie House if that suits better.
 

Liverbirdie

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I ate at Gleneagles last year, we were in the normal restaurant as we couldn't get a table in the Michelin starred one. 4 of us, 2 bottles of wine @ £40 a bottle, total bill including tip was £580.

Just so you know...... But it was fabulous!

The strathearn? Thats the one we're going to book.
 

GreiginFife

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Falkland hill and the reservoir around Muchty is nice. But why on earth anyone would stay in Muchty is beyond me ?. My playing partner lives there, its not a place blessed with lots to do save being reasonably close to Stan Drews.
 

IanG

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Dollar Glen and Castle Campbell are a nice day trip.

If you can smuggle your clubs along Comrie is a wee 9 hole gem worth a visit. Auchterarder too is a nice course.
 

Liverbirdie

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Falkland hill and the reservoir around Muchty is nice. But why on earth anyone would stay in Muchty is beyond me ?. My playing partner lives there, its not a place blessed with lots to do save being reasonably close to Stan Drews.

The main gig is Crieff, was just looking for another 2-3 nights somewhere else, but Airbnb's prices have shot up as more doing staycations, but we got a smart place and an extra night for free, and its pretty handy for the rest of Fife, Its all midweek nights, so will mainly just be walks, days out and relaxing.
 

Liverbirdie

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If you are sneaking the clubs, and depending on when it is could prob sneak away from my desk for a while and sign you on at my gaff, only 20 mins down the M90.

Thanks for the offer Greig, the clubs are deffo being packed, but may only get 2 knocks in as it stands, possibly Gleneagles Queens and Kingsbarns or one of the St. Andrews courses.If anything changes, will give you a shout.(y)
 

Liverbirdie

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KenL

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Thanks for the offer Greig, the clubs are deffo being packed, but may only get 2 knocks in as it stands, possibly Gleneagles Queens and Kingsbarns or one of the St. Andrews courses.If anything changes, will give you a shout.(y)

I think KB is still closed and will stay closed this year.
 

Jimaroid

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From Auchtermuchty head south a couple of miles down the road to Falkland, it's a nice historic and picturesque village, the castle there is NT and worth a visit but likely still closed. The village makes a lovely little stroll in itself but better to head through the village and park-up at the Stables car park at the Centre for Stewardship. From there, walk a few hundred yards away from the village on the private road and pick up the walk for Maspie Den, it's sign-posted and fully described here https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fife-stirling/maspie-den.shtml

Alternatively head around the corner of Falkland to Pillars of Hercules, an organic farm shop and cafe for what I think is the best coffee in Fife and the start of a nice couple of strolls around the base of West Lomond. If you can manage the Tyndall Bruce Monument it offers fine views north to Angus, Perthshire and beyond. Described here as a longer walk that links from Maspie Den above but if you're worried about distance for the folks this one started instead from Pillars isn't very far. https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fife-stirling/tyndall-bruce-monument.shtml

A third option again from near Falkland is West Lomond itself from the Craigmead carpark which means less ascent but a longer walk. It's not too arduous and you're rewarded with the highest peak and finest 360 panoramas of both the firths of Forth and Tay on a dry day. https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fife-stirling/west-lomond.shtml

Unless you're doing the Fife Coastal Path I don't think much of the walks around Crail. Crail Harbour does make a nice wee visit but the walking options are pretty limited other than the coast path and down the end there you've not got much other option to get around the old airfield and the golf course.

I'd second the recommendation for the Hermitage north of Dunkeld but Birnham Hill makes the better walk in that area, and may be of particular interest to fans of MacBeth but it's a much more strenuous undertaking, the climb out of Birnham straight up the hill is steep and loose.

There are some nice walks around Comrie. There's one from Comrie Croft (a camping and mountain biking favourite) to Comrie that's nice and with cafe's at both ends but it is a there and back job. However when in that area I'm always drawn around the corner to St Fillans, Loch Earn, Killin, the Falls of Dochart, Loch Tay and the Ben Lawyers range of mountains which might be more than you're willing to undertake but the drive out that way, around and back through Alberfeldy is great one on a good day.
 

Liverbirdie

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From Auchtermuchty head south a couple of miles down the road to Falkland, it's a nice historic and picturesque village, the castle there is NT and worth a visit but likely still closed. The village makes a lovely little stroll in itself but better to head through the village and park-up at the Stables car park at the Centre for Stewardship. From there, walk a few hundred yards away from the village on the private road and pick up the walk for Maspie Den, it's sign-posted and fully described here https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fife-stirling/maspie-den.shtml

Alternatively head around the corner of Falkland to Pillars of Hercules, an organic farm shop and cafe for what I think is the best coffee in Fife and the start of a nice couple of strolls around the base of West Lomond. If you can manage the Tyndall Bruce Monument it offers fine views north to Angus, Perthshire and beyond. Described here as a longer walk that links from Maspie Den above but if you're worried about distance for the folks this one started instead from Pillars isn't very far. https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fife-stirling/tyndall-bruce-monument.shtml

A third option again from near Falkland is West Lomond itself from the Craigmead carpark which means less ascent but a longer walk. It's not too arduous and you're rewarded with the highest peak and finest 360 panoramas of both the firths of Forth and Tay on a dry day. https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fife-stirling/west-lomond.shtml

Unless you're doing the Fife Coastal Path I don't think much of the walks around Crail. Crail Harbour does make a nice wee visit but the walking options are pretty limited other than the coast path and down the end there you've not got much other option to get around the old airfield and the golf course.

I'd second the recommendation for the Hermitage north of Dunkeld but Birnham Hill makes the better walk in that area, and may be of particular interest to fans of MacBeth but it's a much more strenuous undertaking, the climb out of Birnham straight up the hill is steep and loose.

There are some nice walks around Comrie. There's one from Comrie Croft (a camping and mountain biking favourite) to Comrie that's nice and with cafe's at both ends but it is a there and back job. However when in that area I'm always drawn around the corner to St Fillans, Loch Earn, Killin, the Falls of Dochart, Loch Tay and the Ben Lawyers range of mountains which might be more than you're willing to undertake but the drive out that way, around and back through Alberfeldy is great one on a good day.

Cheers Jim, walkhighlands is one of our favourite sites, but sometimes has to may walks to look through, so glad of some personal recommendations. Whwn were in Auchtermuchty will just be me, the missus and the dog, so may do the longer walks, but yes she mentioned Falkland house, as well.

We're gonna make a list of NTS sites, then just phone them a week before to see if open, or not.

She is a massive Shakespeare fan (has a diploma in it), so the Macbeth one will be of great interest.
 
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