Birnam and Dunkeld – the Birnam Oak and ARAN Bakery
A few hours.
The route
ARAN in Dunkeld is a bakery worth a special trip: dark-crusted sourdough, cinnamon buns and pastries from an open kitchen, in the shop Flora Shedden of Great British Bake Off opened on Atholl Street.
Across the Tay in Birnam stands the Birnam Oak, a huge old tree said to be the last of the wood in Shakespeare's Macbeth. Put the two together with a riverside stroll between them and it's a slow morning.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The day
Birnam
A gentle morning on foot by the Tay. Say hello to an ancient oak by the river, follow the bank to Telford's bridge and cross into Dunkeld for coffee and something warm from the oven.
About two hoursAbout 2 miles on foot
Birnam Oak
An attraction
Leave the car on Station Road beside Birnam Arts, where street parking is free, and walk down Oak Road to the riverside path. About 7 minutes from the car you reach the Birnam Oak, its hollow trunk and long, mossy limbs propped on timber crutches. It's thought to be around six hundred years old.
18 min on foot
ARAN Bakery
Breakfast
From the oak, follow the path upstream along the bank to Dunkeld Bridge and cross into Dunkeld: it's about 18 minutes' walk to ARAN on Atholl Street. The path is level but muddy after rain. ARAN opens at 9.30am from Monday to Saturday and 10am on Sunday, and the best of the bakes go early on a busy day. Take a coffee and a bun to the benches under its windows, or down to the river. From ARAN it's 15 minutes' walk back over the bridge to the car.
If it rains
A shower does little harm under the trees, but the path is muddy after rain: wear boots, and on a wet morning sit in with your coffee for longer.
ARAN Bakery, artisan bakery and lunches.
The Taybank, riverside pub, live music.