The Birks of Aberfeldy

Popularised in a song by Robert Burns, the fine circular walk up the steep gorge of the Moness burn reveals several waterfalls.

Begin along the obvious trail from the car park, bearing left to cross the large bridge over the foaming Moness burn.

This lower part of the Birks is in fact mostly a beech wood. The walk continues along the path beside the attractive burn with several small waterfalls.

“Now Simmer blinks on flowery braes,
And o’er the crystal streamlets plays;
Come let us spend the lightsome days,
In the birks of Aberfeldy.”

The Birks (Scots for birch trees) still cloak the steep slopes of the Moness gorge, along with oak, ash, elm and willow.

“The braes ascend like lofty wa’s,
The foaming stream deep-roarin’ fa’s
O’erhung wi’ fragrant spreading shaws
The birks of Aberfeldy”

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #89 | River

Published by

Heyjude

I have lived in the UK for most of my life, but when young I definitely had wanderlust and even ended up living in South Africa for several years which was a wonderful experience. I now look forward to a long and leisurely retirement doing what I like most - gardening, photography, walking and travelling.

50 thoughts on “The Birks of Aberfeldy”

    1. A bit steep and slippery though so I didn’t get right to the top. When the path narrowed I decided the sensible thing was to come back down the same way. But a lovely peaceful place. We had a lovely week up there exploring Perthshire.

  3. So peaceful and you let us hear the water…Love the poem lines …and in Swedish they are björk, björkar in plural. We have so many words in common.

    1. At least we can still visit places virtually, and I’m used to being home all the time, so not too different to normal, but others are going to struggle. Especially when the sun shines as we’ve had such an awful winter.

        1. Talk here is that this is going to be a lot longer than 21 days – more like 6 months! I hope not quite so confined as it is at the moment, but then I don’t particularly want to get ill either! Must be pretty dreadful in your townships where people live on top of one another and conditions are far from being hygienic.

  6. Pingback: Jo’s Monday walk : Castelo de Vide | restlessjo

  7. My ancestral Danish surname is also Birk/Birch- Danish for Birch trees. Definite signs of Viking language transmitting to Scotland. And I love Birch trees.

Comments are closed.