Hike old thieves' roads in a forgotten part of Scotland — Cateran Trail

The Cateran Trail is a spectacular long-distance loop that follows bygone bandit tracks through a forgotten yet beautiful part of the Scottish Highlands.

Exploring peaceful glens, majestic moors, wild hilltops, ancient forests, pastoral farmland, and pretty lochans, the diverse landscapes and charming settlements along the way afford a real flavour of Highland culture.

The trail is named after the Caterans; groups of blood-thirsty bandits who rustled cattle from wealthy landowners in the glens between the 14th and 17th centuries. Much of the trail follows the same tracks used by these fearsome thieves, as well as drovers’ roads used by farmers in times-of-old.

Whilst the trail explores a surprisingly-little-hiked part of Scotland, the entire 64-mile (103-km) trail is fully-waymarked throughout and never strays more than a few miles from some kind of civilisation. As such, it is a great choice for both beginners and experienced walkers.

The trail begins along a spur from Blairgowrie town across Cochrage Muir and into Bridge of Cally. You then start the loop through Blackcraig Forest along Strathardle Glen and into the Cairngorms National Park briefly at Spittal of Glenshee. The trail then winds around Mount Blair (an optional detour) through Glen Isla to Alyth. The final section passes over moorland and farmland to Bridge of Cally and retraces the spur to Blairgowrie.

With towns and villages at decent intervals — complete with welcoming inns serving food and wee drams — as well as breathtaking mountain views, plentiful wildlife-spotting opportunities, and historic sites, the Cateran Trail always has plenty to pique your interest.

Whilst this is by no means an easygoing hike, the walking is generally steady with mostly mild ascents and descents. There are a couple of tough sections, of course, but the trail is good for all abilities.

In this Collection, I split the route into five stages, each averaging 15 miles (24 km), and complete it clockwise. This is essentially the tried-and-tested itinerary for the trail. As Stage 2 and Stage 4 are both quite short, though, I have included worthy extensions to make both full-day walks.

Every stop is relatively well-served with accommodation, with the exception of Spittal of Glenshee. However, places to stay can be limited so it is worth planning in advance and scheduling your rest days accordingly. Whilst civilization is never too far away, there are not always places to resupply en route, so it is worth making sure you have enough food and water.

To get to the start/finish, your best bet is catching a train to Perth, which has direct services from Edinburgh and Glasgow and connecting services around the UK. From there, you would need to catch the 57, 57A, or 57C bus services from Elibank Street, roughly a five-minute walk from the train station (for the timetable, visit: stagecoachbus.com/routes/east-scotland/57a/dundee-perth/xhbo057a.o).