Parking
Glen Tilt Car Park beside Old Bridge of Tilt; the green-route map and signs are at the car park.
Overview
About Farm and Forest Walk
Why go
- Marked spur with an open view up Glen Tilt
- The farm-track climb and birchwood-gorge return feel distinct
Heads up
- The climb is followed by a steep, uneven descent
- The rifle-range section makes checking estate notices important
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation162–307 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Cairngorms alerts
- CautionStorm Boelo high windsStorm Boelo will bring extremely windy weather to the Cairngorms; take extra care and limit time outdoors. - The Park Authority expects the very windy weather to last until Monday 26 October.Official details
- ClosureGlenmore wildfire closures and dangerous treesWildfire damage has closed Allt Mor car park and the path to Sugarbowl/Utsi’s Bridge; keep out of the closed area.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Cairngorms Tour Guide
Your drive to Farm and Forest Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Cairngorms National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Cairngorms audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Old Bridge of Tilt and the Red Squirrel Walk0:00 / 0:26
“You're approaching Old Bridge of Tilt, with woodland walks from Glen Tilt car park. For a short stop, I'd choose the red-marked Red Squirrel Walk, a gentle one-mile loop taking thirty to forty minutes beside the river.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Blair Castle and Gardens
- Atholl Country Life Museum and a Village Meal
- A Siege in the Family
- The Woodland Leaves That Fold
- 298 audio storiesacross Cairngorms’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Reindeer, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 260 trails, 90 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Farm and Forest Walk
The loopFarm and Forest Walk is a green-arrow loop from Glen Tilt Car Park above Old Bridge of Tilt.
Farm and Forest Walk is a green-arrow loop from Glen Tilt Car Park above Old Bridge of Tilt. Published descriptions give about 4 miles (6.4–6.5 km), 2–2.5 hours and 220 m of ascent. The available mapped line measures about 3.6 miles, so treat the total as approximate and follow the green arrows and map at the car park for the full circuit. The climb across former farm ground leads to an optional view up Glen Tilt, then the route descends through birchwood and returns beside the River Tilt gorge.
To the viewFollow the green markers uphill from the car park through estate fields and onto the rising…
Follow the green markers uphill from the car park through estate fields and onto the rising track. A short marked spur near the rifle range opens onto a broad view up Glen Tilt; return to the junction before continuing around the loop. The path to the viewpoint is the walk's clearest place to stop for the valley view.
Farm fields and birchwoodThe fields were once part of Blair Castle's Home Farm.
The fields were once part of Blair Castle's Home Farm. The farm moved from Blairuachdar to Balanloan in Victorian times. After the viewpoint, the track drops steeply before a small bridge; beyond it, the birchwood path is gentler. Birch was traditionally useful for spoons and bowls as well as roofing and mattress stuffing.
Balvenie PillarA short optional detour near the start reaches Balvenie Pillar at Hangman's Knoll.
A short optional detour near the start reaches Balvenie Pillar at Hangman's Knoll. The knoll is associated with John Stewart's execution in 1630, described as the estate's last public hanging; the Earl of Atholl raised the pillar in 1755.
River Tilt gorgeThe return follows a path above the River Tilt gorge, with the river below and wooded slopes…
The return follows a path above the River Tilt gorge, with the river below and wooded slopes around it. The gorge is a Site of Special Scientific Interest; small cow-wheat and herb Paris grow in places where grazing pressure is lower. Stay on the marked path on the uneven descent.
Before you set outThe upper route uses part of the Jubilee Rifle Range, so check Atholl Estates' current range…
The upper route uses part of the Jubilee Rifle Range, so check Atholl Estates' current range notice and obey any barriers or signs. During stag stalking season, 1 August–20 October, the estate advises walkers to stay on main paths or use its hillphone service. Dogs are welcome if kept under control.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Cairngorms
159 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
63 sightingsReindeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
102 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
37 sightingsBlack GrouseMost seen around 4 AMSighting map
72 sightingsRed GrouseMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
82 sightingsPine MartenMost seen around 9 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Cairngorms. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
