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WALKS IN SCOTLAND - TUNNEL WALK
Glenfarg
The following Glenfarg guide is based on my own experience and therefore description given in the guide necessarily contains an element of subjective opinion which may not reflect your own experience on another occasion.
Glenfarg in short - Key Attractions
- Walk on an abandoned rail line
- Disused railway tunnels
- View over the valley
About Glenfarg
If you would like an interesting walk on an abandoned rail line, with dramatic views, and two long tunnels, then I could suggest Glenfarg.
About 13 km south of Perth, about 2km to the East of the M 90 Motorway, the Glen itself is quiet and picturesque. Before the building of the motorway in the 1970’s, the road in the Glen was one of the main routes north. Ordnance Survey 1;50,000 sheet 58 provides plenty of detail to allow you to explore. Arrival by car offers the greatest flexibility, but there may still be a bus service that calls at the Bein Inn, and it may be possible to enable access around this. The Bein Inn is currently going through a good period, and offers good food at reasonable prices. The route of the old railway is easy to walk, and the two long tunnels require good torches. It can be muddy in places (though the tunnels are dry), and boots are best used.
If travelling by car, there is a small minor road, at the north of the disused railway track, near where the old track bed is covered by the M90. There is space to park here, at the side, without obstruction.
The station at Glenfarg village, several km’s to the south, closed on the 13th June 1964. The line itself closed on the 5th January 1970.
Interestingly enough, if you look at a copy of the Beeching Report, 1963, 'The Reshaping of British Railways' the Glenfarg route was not marked for closure! However, we can only assume the temptation of using part of the route for the motorway in the early 1970’s, proved too tempting for motorway planers! Those who travelled on steam trains from Perth to Glenfarg before closure, tell of an arduous climb for steam, and the comparative slow speed at the top of the hill, after the climb!
About the walk
At the beginning of the walk, looking across from the embankment at the north end of the former track bed, gives a good view over the valley, and the distant occasional train on the Perth, Bridge of Earn, and Ladybank route. This was reopened to passengers on the 6th October 1975, after recognition that the former minor route had important value! It apparently had been closed to passengers in 1955!
There are also some abandoned farm buildings near the track bed, at this end, to the south, which are interesting to, very cautiously, examine.
The mouth of the first tunnel awaits, and make sure the torches you have can be relied upon! Both tunnels are several hundred meters long, and are curved. There are mostly clear, though the odd rusting relic may be present.
The walk through is dramatic, and the overall walk is best done in winter, as the undergrowth can swamp the views in the summer.
The second tunnel is also dramatic, ending on to a railway bridge which spans the river and the main road.
Published on 26th February 2010
By Michael Barr
Photographs by Michael Barr
Few points worth considering
The walk is about 5 km each way (3 miles), but allow 1 to 2 hours each way, at least, to allow time to explore."
If you do not wish to scramble down the bank directly, if you walk several hundred meters to the south, you will end up parallel to the main road, and will be able to walk at the side of the road, to the Bein Inn for refreshment. The route back is a simple retrace, though many variations of the route are possible.
Maps and aerial pictures will also inform you on possible routes, and the website Railscot is excellent for railway history and photos.
