Perdun four

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Perdun here.

This is a relatively good route, spoilt by the use of a footway beside the busy A90 for 5km from Walnut Grove to St Madoes. It follows the coast of the Tay Estuary for the maximum amount of time, from Cairnie Pier to Longforgan, with a brief interruption in order to cross the Bogmiln Burn on the road. East of Longforgan it uses the quiet road, which is also Cycle Route 77, to cross the A85 at an underpass, then uses Perth Road, the most direct route into the centre of Dundee.

I have explored most of this route, but not the footway beside the A90, nor from the underpass beneath the A85 into the centre of Dundee, however I have looked at it on Google Streetview. The route appears to be correctly mapped.

Due to rough ground, steps, narrow paths etc the route would not be suitable for wheelers, although Route 77 cycle route might provide a feasible alternative.

I have given this route 3 stars, as it is rather marred by the 5km along beside the A90. However apart from this the route avoids busy roads, and is very pleasant along beside the Tay estuary, and as it follows the coast to a large extent it is more or less level.

There are fairly regular buses linking Perth and Dundee via St Madoes, Errol and Longforgan. Shop and café just off route in St Madoes, and village shop, café, inn and bus stops in Errol, 1km off route. Cafe at Willowgate, a mile east of Perth, beneath the Friarton Bridge.

From the centre of Perth the route crosses the river Tay on a footway beside the railway bridge (steps), and loops round beneath itself to continue close to the River Tay, but climbs steeply just after the railway bridge as the path beside the river bank has been partially washed away. At times of very high tides or flooding the route would be impossible; there is an indicator board at the eastern end of this stretch to show when this might be the case. There is a footway beside the busy A85 between Perth and Walnut Grove. After the fishing ponds and café at Willowgate, the route heads over the railway and takes a trodden route through a grassy area, the northern part of which is currently being developed, to Walnut Grove. This was quite wet when I walked it during a wet March.

From Walnut Grove it is necessary to take the footway beside the busy A90. The route is incorrectly mapped at the Kinfauns interchange, the footway leaves the A90 and takes a minor road up to the Kinfauns road, then down again. The footway leads all the way to the slip road up to St Madoes (shop, and café at St Madoes Centre). At St Madoes the route uses a quiet road south to rejoin the coast of the Tay estuary.

From Cairnie Pier there is a narrow trodden path along the top of the dyke, marred only by a few giant hogweed about half way along. The route heads inland and enters the western part of Paddockmuir Wood. In the wood, a good path is followed, with the solar farm visible to the north of the wood. In the eastern part of the wood the route goes along the waymarked track rather than straight along beside the coast. It is a good path, but muddy in places, with a couple of new bridges to aid crossing the burns.

From Port Allen the route continues to follow the waymarked route along the coast to Tay Lodge. Here a diversion could be made up to Errol, where there is a village shop, café, inn and bus stops. The route continues beside the coast, but is not waymarked east of the circular walk from Errol. There is a trodden route past the sewage works, and field edges to follow, all the way to Seasyde where a lane leads up to the road (which is cycle route 77). At Seasyde we elected to continue round the edge of the field, and in 200m we were able to use a farm access track to gain the road which leads down to the growing hamlet of Seasyde.

After crossing the Bogmill Pow on the road bridge, the route takes the private road down to Powgavie. Just before Powgavie a gateway gives access to a field edge route all the way to Templehall. (I checked the burn nearby and found it to be edged with reeds, and it looked deep, so would probably be uncrossable even in times of drought. It is also tidal.) Field edges can be followed to Templehall, the minor ditches were easily crossed, there were no fences to climb, and a field gate allowed access to the private road down to Templehall. At the start of the driveway a sign indicated 'No public Right of Way' (for those heading west) but a local inhabitant assured us that the driveway should be used to reach the coast at the field gate.

From Templehall the route again follows cycle route 77. The road here is relatively quiet, and has a 40mph speed restriction. It lies close to the Tay estuary and is quite scenic.

East of Invergowrie the route uses an underpass to cross beneath the A85, and it follows footways beside Perth Road into Dundee. (I did not follow the route here, preferring to keep closer to the coast, exploring the Riverside Nature Park and approaching the centre of Dundee beneath the Tay Road Bridge and along the esplanade).

Share your views about this route, give it a star rating, indicate whether it should be verified or not.

Include information that will be useful to others considering to walk or wheel it.

You can add up to 15 photos.