Book data
Cateran Trail
Jacquetta Megarry
23 September 2015
UK price £12.99
72pp,
150 x 220mm,
210g
978-1-898481-68-3
"Nicely written, with comprehensive directions and commentary" - Bob Smith, Editor of Grough
The Cateran Trail is one of Scotland’s Great Trails – a circular walk of 64 miles (104 km) starting in Blairgowrie, near Perth, following in the footsteps of cattle-rustlers (caterans). This waymarked Trail follows ancient paths through glens, mountains and farmland of Highland Perthshire, with fine scenery, heritage and wildlife. The nearest village is never more than 7 miles (11 km) away, and gradients are easy to moderate. The Trail can be completed comfortably within 4-5 days, and several route variants are described, including the option for a weekend Minitrail.
Our expanded and updated second edition with 35 fine photographs from professional Mike Bell was launched in Blairgowrie in 2015. With detailed mapping (Footprint, 1:50,000) and updated route descriptions, the new edition marks a giant stride forward.
This guidebook contains all you need to plan and enjoy the Cateran Trail:
- detailed and up-to-date description of each route section, walked clockwise
- Foreword by explorer and adventurer Polly Murray
- concise directions for variants, including a weekend Minitrail
- side-trips including Mount Blair (744 m/2440 ft)
- planning information for transport and accommodation
- background on caterans, farming and wildlife
- lavishly illustrated with 90 colour photographs
- 8 pages of Footprint mapping of the Cateran Trail (scale 1:50,000)
- rucksack-friendly and on rainproof paper.
Click on the thumbnails below to view sample pages from the book "Cateran Trail" in standard PDF format.
To reduce loading time, resolution is limited in these extracts, but all photographs are printed at top quality in our books. All text and images are copyrighted ©Rucksack Readers and licensors: please respect our intellectual property.
Contents
Planning (pp4-9)
Habitats and wildlife (pp24-8)
Glenshee to Glenisla (pp 43-9)
Extract from a review in an online magazine
Some historic and folk tales add colour to the walk and there is information on farming in the area and its history. The author explains the classification of munros, corbetts and graham, and details of these hills close to the route. The guidebook has information on wildlife likely to be encountered while walking the Cateran Trail.
There’s enough detail on points of interest to enhance a walker’s experience, and potential navigational pitfalls are marked by a warning symbol. Lovers of legend can make a short detour near Spittal of Glenshee to visit four standing stones, supposedly the grave of pan-Celtic warrior Diarmid.
This useful guidebook is nicely written, with comprehensive directions and commentary on the countryside, fauna and history of this area bordering the southern Highlands, on a trail that’s an ideal introduction to those new to long-distance, multi-day routes.
Bob Smith in Grough - read the full review here: http://bit.ly/2aTou7O
Reaction to the Auchintaple Loch loop
We followed your new route via Auchentaple Loch and Loch Shandra to the pub at Kirkton of Glenisla. Although the old route via Blacklunans and Drumore is most attractive, the new off-road trail is even better. The views of the valleys, rolling hills and distant snow-capped mountains were superb. It really is a great service that you provide.
HT, a customer from Milngavie, near Glasgow
Comment on the improved offroad section
An excellent guidebook which made the whole walk very straightforward. I did the new Dalnaglar to Kirkton of Glenisla route and it was lovely, with the lochs and deer in the heather, plus lots of interesting birds. Thank you once again.
BB, a customer from Edinburgh
"An invaluable guidebook" - the Perthshire Advertiser
My immediate reaction, on receiving and looking at the guidebook, was to want to put on my boots and step out on the Trail. The informative background, clear instructions and attractive photographs make it appear a very appealing route … Separate boxes highlight many points of interest that could easily be missed, such as Diarmid’s Tomb near the Spittal of Glenshee. I particularly like the way the drop-down map can be folded away at the page you are at, so you can easily find your place again.
Excerpted from Felicity Martin's review (PA 24.9.04,p 26)
From a customer in Blairgowrie
It is a beautifully produced and informative little book and I look forward to walking the route.
By email
From an online review
Another of Rucksack Reader’s excellent waterproof guides … the Cateran Trail allows walkers to appreciate the beauty of an all too often overlooked area of the country.
Undiscovered Scotland
GPX route file
On page 32, bullet 5 describes channel-fenced paths east of the farm at East Gormack: these no longer exist, and instead you are directed along a field boundary directly down to the Lornty Burn to resume the route at about mile 3. This change is well-signed on the ground.
As a result of Storm Arwen, fallen trees blocked the Trail in the lower part of Blackcraig Forest (about miles 9 and 10) and a well-signed detour now takes the trail by a higher forest road between Croft of Blackcraig and Blackcraig Farm.
On page 35, note that after climbing from Dalnabreck, the trail is no longer a faint path over boggy ground, but a well-drained constructed path.
On page 36, after the first bullet you cross two substantial burns. The stepping stones may be under water when the burns are in spate, and slippery at other times. After crossing the second burn, turn left through a gate and immediately left again onto a forest road and over a cattle grid.
You will find maps of temporary detours on the PKCT website, but they don’t always take detours down once they are resolved.
