Birks of Aberfeldy
The
Birks of Aberfeldy which is a steep sided, wooded glen and the Falls of Moness are among the most
spectacular and accessible walks in Perthshire. The circular walk, also a nature trail, follows
the path alongside the Moness Burn reaching the highest point where it crosses the bridge above
the Falls of Moness. There are seats and viewpoints on the way. The main walk can be extended
by taking the path through the "Lower Birks" into Aberfeldy town centre.
You can take a walk around the Tree Trail which highlights the more recent
collection of exotic trees and shrubs around the car parking areas. These
were planted in the early 1960s by a local man, a keen horticulturalist
with a particular interest in Himalayan plants. Sturdy footwear is recommended,
especially after wet weather. The path is rough in places and runs along
steep slopes so young children should be kept in sight at all times.
Robert Burns was inspired to write his poem after a visit to the Den of Moness on 30 August 1787. As a result the Den with its Falls of Moness has been maintained as a scenic walk for over 200 years! Taking on its more popular name "the Birks of Aberfeldy", the path was established by the Moness Estate and the public were made welcome. It is now owned and maintained by Perth & Kinross Council.
What we see today is the product of the past - not just the last few hundred
years but of millions of years. The ice sheets and glaciers of the last
Ice Age shaped the landscape we see today. The last glaciers retreated
from these parts about 10,000 years ago leaving flat-bottomed, steep-sided,
U-shaped valleys. The main valley of the Tay was deepened more than the
smaller tributary valleys like that of the Moness Burn. Waterfalls are
a feature of these hanging valleys where side streams drop down steep slopes
into the main valley.
As the glaciers retreated the climate became milder and gradually plants and animals spread northwards. By the time man arrived in this area, about 5,000 years ago, the Great Wood of Caledon was firmly established. The original wildwood has now all but vanished - it was cleared for its timber and to make way for agriculture. Deforestation throughout the country was such that when Dr Johnson made his famous tour of Scotland in 1773 he remarked that "a tree in Scotland was as rare as a horse in Venice". Woodland areas began to increase again at the end of the 18th century as landowners began to plant more areas with trees. Local estate records show that tree planting took place in the Den of Moness in the late 1780s. Within the Den pockets of wildwood survived, mainly on very steep-sloping ground and inaccessible parts of the gorge. Due to lack of disturbance and the nature of the rocks and soils a wide variety of plant and animal life is found, which includes some rare species. Because of its richness as a woodland habitat the Birks is considered to be an area of high conservation value.
In and Around Aberfeldy
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