The Hermitage, Dunkeld | |
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Map | |
Geography | |
Location | Perth and Kinross,Scotland |
Coordinates | 56°33′32″N3°37′16″W / 56.559°N 3.621°W |
The Hermitage (officially The Hermitage pleasure ground) is a National Trust for Scotland-protected site in Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross. Located just to the west of the A9, it sits on the banks of the River Braan in Craigvinean Forest. It was created by John Murray, the third Duke of Atholl, who lived in nearby Dunkeld House (demolished in the early 19th century), [1] in the 18th century to honour the blind bard Ossian. It is home to the Georgian follies Ossian's Hall of Mirrors and Ossian's Cave. The hermit's cave was built around 1760 for the third Earl of Breadalbane, who unsuccessfully advertised for a permanent eremite. The guide in 1869, Donald Anderson, dressed up with a long beard of lichens and clothes of animal skins. [2]
Also in its grounds are several Douglas-fir trees, one of which was the second tree (after a grand fir in Argyll) in Britain to reach 200 feet (61 m) in height, in 1980. [3] Known as the Hermitage Douglas-fir, it eventually reached a height of 63 metres (207 ft) in 2009 before it was blown over due to high winds in the early hours of 13 January 2017. [4] It was a self-sown tree, growing from seed blown from one of three older trees at the Hermitage, and was found by increment boring to have germinated around 1887. [3]
Visitors to the site can undertake various walks. The most popular walk is the 0.6 miles (1 km)-long journey to Ossian's Hall. Wheelchairs are accommodated via a pass-for-all route. [1] There is also a link to a thirty-mile network of footpaths beyond The Hermitage to various parts of Dunkeld. These paths date back to the 18th century. [1]
Originally, the popular riverside path purposely deviated away from the river at about a half-mile from the car park. This was to build up the visitors' anticipation for the waterfall (the Black Linn Falls) that is to be found a short distance ahead. [1] Another path, running parallel to the riverside path, is wider, the purpose for which, it is believed, was to accommodate horse-drawn carriages. [1] Hermitage Bridge, dating from 1770, is located nearby. [1] Standing next to it, and appearing to be growing out of it, is a Cedar of Lebanon, which is believed to be the oldest tree at The Hermitage. [1]
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south; it borders the counties of Inverness-shire and Aberdeenshire to the north, Angus to the east, Fife, Kinross-shire, Clackmannanshire, Stirlingshire and Dunbartonshire to the south and Argyllshire to the west.
Blairgowrie and Rattray is a twin burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Locals refer to the town as "Blair". Blairgowrie is the larger of the two former burghs which were united by an Act of Parliament in 1928 and lies on the southwest side of the River Ericht while Rattray is on the northeast side. Rattray claims to be the older and certainly Old Rattray, the area round Rattray Kirk, dates back to the 12th century. New Rattray, the area along the Boat Brae and Balmoral Road dates from 1777 when the River was spanned by the Brig o' Blair. The town lies on the north side of Strathmore at the foot of the Grampian Mountains. The west boundary is formed by the Knockie, a round grassy hill, and Craighall Gorge on the Ericht. Blairgowrie and Rattray developed over the centuries at the crossroads of several historic routes with links from the town to Perth, Coupar Angus, Alyth and Braemar. The roads to Coupar Angus and Braemar form part of General Wade's military road from Perth to Ayrshire then over the tiny bridge to the hill Fort George. The town's centrepiece is the Wellmeadow, a grassy triangle in the middle of town which hosts regular markets and outdoor entertainment.
Alyth is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, five miles northeast of Blairgowrie and about 17 miles northwest of Dundee. In 2016 the town had an estimated population of 2,400.
Aberfeldy is a burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, on the River Tay. A small market town, Aberfeldy is located in Highland Perthshire. It was mentioned by Robert Burns in the poem The Birks Of Aberfeldy and in the Ed Sheeran song The Hills of Aberfeldy.
Schiehallion is a prominent cone-shaped mountain in the Breadalbane region of the Scottish Highlands, in the county of Perthshire. It rises to 1,083 metres (3,553 ft) and is classed as a Munro. Schiehallion has a rich flora, interesting folklore and archaeology, and a unique place in scientific history for an 18th-century experiment in "weighing the Earth". It is near the centre of mainland Scotland. The mountain's popularity amongst walkers led to erosion on its footpath and extensive repairs were undertaken in 2001.
Dunkeld is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The location of a historic cathedral, it lies on the north bank of the River Tay, opposite Birnam. Dunkeld lies close to the geological Highland Boundary Fault, and is frequently described as the "Gateway to the Highlands" due to its position on the main road and rail lines north. Dunkeld has a railway station, Dunkeld & Birnam, on the Highland Main Line, and is about 25 kilometres north of Perth on what is now the A9 road. The main road formerly ran through the town, however following the modernisation of this road it now passes to the west of Dunkeld.
Loch of the Lowes is a loch near Dunkeld in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The loch and the surrounding area are designated as a wildlife reserve, run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The loch is also a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), as well as forming part of a Special Area of Conservation.
Craigvinean Forest is located 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross, Scotland, on the A9. It is accessed through a track at the foot of Deuchary Hill. The River Braan bisects the forest, which forms part of the Tay Forest Park, one of six forest park in Scotland.
Birnam is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is located 12 miles (19 km) north of Perth on the A9 road, the main tourist route through Perthshire, in an area of Scotland marketed as Big Tree Country. The village originated from the Victorian era with the coming of the railway in 1856, although the place and name is well known because William Shakespeare mentioned Birnam Wood in Macbeth:
MACBETH: Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane/ I cannot taint with fear.
The River Braan is a tributary of the River Tay in Scotland. Within the county of Perth and Kinross, it flows 11 miles (17 km) eastwards from Loch Freuchie, near Amulree, and joins the River Tay near Dunkeld.
Ossian's Hall of Mirrors is a Georgian structure located at The Hermitage in Dunkeld, Scotland.
The Tree Register, or more fully, the Tree Register of the British Isles (T.R.O.B.I.), is a registered charity run by volunteers, collating and updating a database of notable trees throughout Britain and Ireland. It comprises a computer database which in 2022 contained details of 250,000 trees. It was established in 1988 by co-founders Vicky Hallett, who later became Vicky Schilling, and Alan Mitchell, the internationally acclaimed dendrologist.
Murthly is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It lies on the south bank of the River Tay, 5 miles southeast of Dunkeld, and 9+1⁄2 miles north of Perth. Perth District Asylum, later known as Murthly Hospital, was opened in the village on 1 April 1864 for 'pauper lunatics'. It was the second district asylum to be built in Scotland under the terms of the Lunacy (Scotland) Act 1857. It closed in 1984 and was later demolished. The village has a stone circle, in the former grounds of the hospital. The village formerly had a railway station on the Perth and Dunkeld Railway, which closed in 1965.
Caputh is a parish and village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It lies on the A984 Coupar Angus-to-Dunkeld road, about 6 miles southeast of Dunkeld and 8 miles west of Coupar Angus.
Perth Academy is a state comprehensive secondary school in Perth, Scotland. It was founded in 1696. The institution is a non-denominational one. The school occupies ground on the side of a hill in the Viewlands area of Perth, and is within the Perth and Kinross Council area.
Niel Gow's Oak is a 300-year-old tree near Dunkeld and Birnam, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is closely associated with the Scottish fiddler and composer Niel Gow, who lived in nearby Inver. Gow is said to have composed many of his most famous tunes whilst sitting beneath the oak. The connection is commemorated by a plaque and engraved bench. The tree has been entered into the Scottish and European Tree of the Year competitions. The tree was badly damaged by storms in 2011 and 2012.
The Hermitage Bridge is an ancient, single-arch stone pedestrian bridge crossing the River Braan near Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. A Category A listed structure, it is in the bounds of The Hermitage, a National Trust for Scotland-protected site. The bridge should not be confused with the Rumbling Bridge, which carries motorised traffic, about 0.62 miles (1.00 km) to the southwest.
Black Linn Falls is a waterfall on the River Braan in The Hermitage, Dunkeld, Scotland. After the falls, the river passes beneath the Hermitage Bridge into a plunge pool.
The Hermitage Douglas-fir was a Douglas-fir tree which stood in The Hermitage pleasure ground, in Dunkeld, Scotland, between c. 1887 and 2017.