Heritage Paths ~ Kirkmichael to Ballinluig Drove Road
Perth, Kinross and Stirling (part)
Kirkmichael to Ballinluig Drove Road Return to Map
Start location: Kirkmichael (NO 079 600)
End location: minor road into Ballinluig (NN 993 527)
Geographical area: Perth, Kinross and Stirling (part)
Path type: Drove Road
Path distance: 0km
Accessibillity info: Suitable for pedestrians
Start at the unclassified road (983 538) and head northeast. Before reaching the hill there is a section with wide dykes, most of this part was planted a number of years ago with conifers. Once through the gate on to the hill the track continues northeast and again is planted with trees. Continuing northeast the route goes through a gate onto rough grazing where another track, from Netherton of Dalcapon, joins up. This track also passes between wide spaced dykes downhill. The track then continues pretty much parallel with the Broom Burn to Loch Broom then joins the Back Burn and heads down Glen Derby along the track.
Only for the stout hearted drove road enthusiast!! Since drove roads are often only clearly defined where they pass through cultivated land, the track disappears a bit out on the open hill as the drovers varied their route depending on marsh/bog etc each year.
This is said by Haldane, in The Drove Roads of Scotland, to have been one of the routes cattle were taken to Kirkmichael for the cattle Tryst that was held there and said to be one of the biggest in Scotland in the middle of the 18th century. However Roy, who created his military survey in the mid-18th century, did not map this route but another that joined what is now the A9 at Dowally, some miles to the south of Ballinluig, suggesting the traffic was mostly or solely droving.
This route would also have been used by drovers taking their cattle further south to the Trysts of Crieff and Falkirk. The cattle were said to have forded the Tummel just to the north of Ballinluig by a ford called Stair Cham (Crooked Stepping Stones) near Logierait.
