Kirkmichael Village

Kirkmichael, the largest community in Strathardle Glen, has been inhabited since the Iron Age, with ancient huts, standing stones, and battle sites marking its long history. Named after Prince Ardle, who died in 903 AD fighting Danish invaders, the glen features his burial mound, the "Giant’s Grave," as a local landmark. The village’s first church was built in 1184 on land granted by Coupar Angus Abbey, and today an 18th-century Kirk stands in an ancient graveyard containing a mass burial plot for Black Death victims. Once a royal hunting ground, Kirkmichael became a key cattle market and witnessed historic events like the 1715 Jacobite uprising. Queen Victoria’s visit later helped establish the area as a holiday destination. Today, Strathardle remains known for its natural beauty, wildlife, and a balance of agriculture, tourism, and small businesses along the River Ardle.

Kirkmichael village has been a settlement for over a thousand years and was once an important market in the cattle trade between the Highlands and the Lowlands with many drove roads passing through the village. The holding pens were on the rough ground known as the Market Moor. Traditionally the money exchanged for livestock had to be over running water which was done in Sillerburn. The Strathardle Highland Gathering & Agricultural Show is held annually in Kirkmichael on the fourth Saturday of August.

There is a village shop for purchasing some snacks and a hotel should you like to sit down and have a more comfortable break from the saddle!

The small FREE car park is just off the village centre's main road (north side).