COUNTRY HOUSE B&B AND SELF CATERING
Den O'Alyth
At the bottom of the drive turn left, then right and in just moments you can drop down into the Den of Alyth, 22 hectares of mature woodland with paths weaving back and forth across the Alyth Burn. It is a glorious place to walk at any time of year and it only takes around 25 minutes to walk through the Den to the shops and cafe in Alyth.
As well as woodland walks, the Den boasts a fun play park, complete with flying fox, a variety of swings and a pirate ship with climbs and slides for all ages. Next to this is a large grassy area suitable for picnics, football or a game of rounders.
The Den of Alyth is designated a Special Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) due to the upland oak woodland within the gorge. The Alyth Burn is within the River Tay Special Area for Conservation, a designation which seeks to give protection to various river species, most notable the Atlantic salmon.
Over 10,000 years ago torrents of meltwater from the Cairngorm ice mass, loaded with rock debris, scoured the soft sandstone creating the deep gorge which we see today. On the steep cliffs which in places tower over the river you can spot the exposed reddish rock known as Old Red Sandstone. In the 1800s some of this stone was quarried and used to build the town of Alyth. Today, it is a much smaller stream which winds its way around boulders and rock obstacles, creating places to paddle and observe the wildlife.
