Gorgeous Glen Lyon
Changeable April weather can sometimes make it a little tricky to decide what to do on a day out, but, happily, Perthshire has plenty of natural beauties that can be seen and enjoyed from inside a car! Once such spot is Glen Lyon.
Glen Lyon is a popular choice as a scenic trip for many people, and it’s easy to see why. This long, steep glen offers a wide variety of different landscapes, from sheltered trees to craggy hillsides and everything in between.
The beautiful drive starts off from near Fortingall, with the scenery featuring the quaint beauty of ancient woodland, tumbling River Lyon, and white cottages. Although the winding single track road can offer some challenges, it’s picturesque, friendly, even quaint, and feels like more of a continuation of the scenery and village just left behind.
Particularly look out for the old stone bridge just before reaching Invervar. It’s sometimes called the Roman Bridge but in reality it’s an old packhorse bridge that probably dates back to somewhere in the 1600s - 1700s. It’s special not so much for its age though, as the spectacular waterfall cascading behind it.
After passing Invervar, you’ll notice the scenery opening out a little to be less wooded, with the next stop of note being the excellent Glen Lyon tearoom at Bridge of Balgie. Try to incorporate a visit here when you plan your trip if you can, or if that’s not possible, consider taking a picnic with you, as there aren’t many food or drink options within the Glen! Bridge of Balgie also contains an interesting gate house, and it’s worth walking along to the bridge that gives the hamlet its name, for a peak over the edge at the frothy waters below.
Once past Bridge of Balgie, the scenery becomes even more open, wild and windswept, contrasting vividly with the confined feel of the first half of the glen. Farmland rises into hillsides almost bare but for the bracken and heather, with the occasional white streak of narrow waterfall or snowy hollow. Look out for a glimpse of Meggernie Castle on your way by, and perhaps a herd of Highland cows, blending into the fields with their thick coats, unfazed by cold.
At the end of the glen you’ll come to the Lubreoch Dam, and the Loch Lyon it created. The massive construction feels somewhat forbidding, but not more so than the looming hills on either side. This part of the landscape is neither friendly nor quaint, but rather goes to make you feel small and insignificant. At this point, it’s time to turn around and follow the river back to the entrance again.
Scotland is famous for its changing light, and in Glen Lyon it can seem particularly rapid. The shadows this casts on the hills, the contrast between the lime green of the new leaves just emerging and changing reflections of the water all go to show that Perthshire is beautiful in any weather. So this spring, why not venture down this gorgeous glen and soak up the scenery?
