Killiecrankie – Soldier's Leap, the River Garry and Lunch
A few hours.
The route
The Pass of Killiecrankie is a deep wooded gorge on the River Garry just north of Pitlochry, and it makes a gorgeous dog walk, with the oaks and birches turning copper and gold in autumn.
The path drops from the visitor centre to Soldier's Leap and follows the river downstream through the trees, and back at the top the café welcomes dogs as warmly as their owners.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Milton of Kincraigie in Blair Atholl, 3 miles away. Sleeps 4.
The day
Killiecrankie
A long, leafy walk by the river. Down into the gorge to Soldier's Leap, on along the Garry under the trees, then back up for lunch with the dog at your feet.
About three hoursAbout 3 miles on foot
Pass of Killiecrankie
An attraction
The Killiecrankie Visitor Centre has a pay and display car park, £5 a car at the time of writing, free to National Trust for Scotland members. Steps lead down into the Pass from the timber balcony at the front, past the bird feeders and a bench over the gorge, to Soldier's Leap, about 15 minutes from the car park, where the Garry squeezes through a gap in the rock. The story goes that a government soldier, running from the battle here in 1689, leapt clean across it. From the Leap the riverside path runs downstream through the oaks to a green footbridge, about 30 minutes more, and then it's back the same way, a little slower for the climb. The steps are steep and the river below is fast and deep, so keep the dog on a lead near the edge and the steps.
Killiecrankie Visitor Centre Café
Lunch
Lunch is at the visitor centre's café, where the walk began, at tables along the timber balcony. There's soup, hot meals, pizzas, baked potatoes and sandwiches, with soft-serve ice cream, and dogs are very welcome inside on a lead. It opens every day from 10am, until 5pm from April to October and 4pm from November to March, and it's shut on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. The public toilets are in the visitor centre.
If it rains
The path is under the trees most of the way, so a shower does little harm, but the steps get slippery: in heavy rain walk only to Soldier's Leap and back, and let lunch in the café run long.
Killiecrankie Visitor Centre, a restaurant in Killiecrankie.