Perbri one

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I did this in the direction of Bridge of Earn to Perth. When you download the route, it looks different to the one routed above. The path takes a sharp right out of Bridge of Earn and up through Moncrieff Hill, rather than around it. I liked walking over the Moncrieff Hill, which nice woodland, but it is very steep and hard work! I definitely appreciated getting to the top and looking out over the Tay river and Perth. Once you wiggle down to the river, you walk under a loud motorway under path and the hinterland between countryside and town is mediated by lots of industrial warehouses, which although interesting, doesn't make for the most pleasant walk in and of itself. But it is certainly do-able.

Review of Slow Ways Route Perbri one (Perth to Bridge of Earn)
I walked this route on a cold but dry morning in November 2023. The route initially follows city centre streets but quickly takes the road down by the river (Tay Street) and heads along the edge of South Inch park. At the time of walking, this part of the route was closed to road traffic due to extensive building work but open to pedestrians and cyclists. The route then passes through an industrial estate next to Perth Harbour (I hadn’t appreciated that Perth had such an extensive harbour area) and climbs steadily up Friarton Roads (with lovely views over the River Tay on the left). On reaching the busy Edinburgh Road, the route turns left and continues to climb. This is a busy road but a wide pavement is provided. However it is necessary to cross the road before the motorway slip road up ahead, and considerable caution is required. Once past the motorway slip road, the route drops downhill (still following a wide pavement) and passes under several loops of the Friarton Interchange. At the collection of buildings signposted “Craigend”, it is necessary to cross the road again, but this time a crossing point with traffic islands is provided. The remainder of the route is along the pavement beside the Edinburgh Road (now the A912). Eventually, the bridge over the River Earn is crossed and Bridge of Earn itself is reached. Overall this is a simple and easy to follow route. It is certainly direct, but as it mostly follows a busy traffic route, I found it a bit of a slog (especially the long, uphill section!). However the views over the Tay near the beginning and down into Bridge of Earn near the end are a bonus. I have no hesitation in recommending it, with the reminder that there are two tricky crossings (one worse than the other) and a fair amount of pavement pounding.

Tarmac paths walking alongside the main Perth road, one hill at Craigend (#50m ascent), but otherwise flat.
You walk past the Recycling Centre in Perth and through the Harbour, and whilst interesting once, is not particularly scenic.
But the start of the walk is alongside farmed fields, and the end of the walk is alongside the South Inch park and River Tay.

This route follows the most direct route available between these two places, it is all on tarmac pavements beside busy roads. I can't give it more than 2 stars, as the traffic noise, and smells in the Friarton Industrial estate, do not make for pleasant walking. There are also main roads to cross, with no traffic lights. It follows streets busy with traffic within Perth centre – as an alternative, using the High Street, and following Tay Street for a longer distance beside the River Tay, would make for a pleasanter and more interesting route. The route has no steps or narrow gaps to negotiate, but through Friarton it follows pavements which in places have been used for parking vehicles on. There are no dropped kerbs here. It crosses the busy A912 twice, once where there is limited visibility and no traffic island, and once on NCR775 where there is an island.

The route has been mapped correctly, although not very carefully. There is a cafe within Friarton industrial estate, and many cafes etc within Perth itself. There is also a farm shop (closed midweek at present) at Home Farm just north of Bridge of Earn.

If a step free route is required between Perth and Bridge of Earn, my suggestion is to use National Cycle Route 775 from the North Inch to Bridge of Earn. This follows PerBri two from Perth, through the North Inch, under the railway and along Craigie Road , continuing to Gleneagles Road and joining the footway beside the A912, which is PerBri one, all the way to Bridge of Earn, The A912 is crossed once, in Craigend, but there is a traffic island so this can be done safely.

Photos run from Bridge of Earn to Perth.

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