Perthshire · Easy · Circular

The Birks of Aberfeldy

Robert Burns' wooded gorge above Aberfeldy, up past a string of waterfalls to a bridge right over the Falls of Moness.

Distance
3.4 km (2.1 mi)
Ascent
166 m
Time
About 1 h 15 min
High point
282 m
Grade
Easy

Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.

0 km1 km2 km3 km282 m118 m
Move along the height chart to see each point on the map.
The Birks of Aberfeldy
Eric Kilby from Somerville, MA, USA · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The walk

From the top tier of the Birks car park, cross the Moness Burn by the big footbridge and walk upstream through beech woods. The glen narrows into a gorge; past Burns' Seat, a rock shelf where the poet rested in 1787, stone steps and a wooden walkway climb beside a series of waterfalls. The path rises high above the ravine, with a view of the Upper Moness Falls, and crosses a footbridge directly above the main fall. The return runs down the opposite side, higher up among the birches, with a view down Strath Tay towards Ben Vrackie.

It is 3.4 km with 166 m of ascent; allow about 1¼ hours. The grade is Easy: an excellent path, with a good deal of up and down.

The path passes above steep drops, with handrails for much of the way. Burns' visit inspired his song The Birks of Aberfeldy. The upper gorge is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. In 2025 Walkhighlands reported that a side path to a Middle Falls viewpoint was closed after a landslide; this route does not use it.

The car park is free, according to OpenStreetMap, and is signed from the A826. Buses run to Aberfeldy, and a path leads up from the town square.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.

Good to know

  • Robert Burns visited in 1787 and wrote The Birks of Aberfeldy; a rock ledge on the way is called Burns' Seat
  • The path climbs a steep wooded gorge on the Moness Burn past a series of waterfalls to a bridge right above the highest fall
  • The upper gorge is a Site of Special Scientific Interest

Getting there

Start: Birks of Aberfeldy car park · Free parking. 56.61564, -3.86651

Directions to the start

Places to stay nearby

Rooms in and around Pitlochry: Booking.com → Expedia →

Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.

Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.