The best running trails around Blackcraig Forest

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Curling, known as "The Roaring Game" due to the rumbling sound of the stones on ice, originated in Scotland around 500 years ago and became the country’s most popular winter sport by the 19th century. Early curling stones were simple, flat-bottomed rocks without handles, making the game more reliant on luck than skill. One historic site, the Old Curling Pond at Wester Tullochcurran, dates back to the early 19th century and provided a space for local enthusiasts to play during cold winters. Tho

Kindrogan Wood, near Enochdhu in Strathardle, has a rich history, once owned by the Robertson, Reid, Small Keir, and Balfour families before becoming the Kindrogan Field Centre in the 1960s and later The Chiron Hub, a therapeutic outreach service. The area is steeped in local legends, including the tale of Donal Mor and a visit from Queen Victoria. Now part of a 1,137-hectare estate managed by Forestry and Land Scotland, the woodlands host diverse wildlife, mature trees, and historical sites like an old curling pond and Bronze Age roundhouse remnants.

In a corner of Kirkmichael Parish churchyard, there are no marked graves, despite the limited space, due to the aftermath of the Black Death, or Galor Mor, that struck the glen in 1350. Victims of the plague were buried in unmarked graves in this area. To combat the epidemic, the Bishop of Dunkeld visited surrounding parishes, distributing consecrated items, including water infused with the bones of St. Columba. He proclaimed that those who drank the water would survive, while those who refused would perish, and that the bones of the victims would retain the disease. As a result, the burial site remains undisturbed, preserving the eerie history of the area.

Alexander Duff, born in Moulin in 1806, was educated in the Kirkmichael Session House before attending Perth Grammar School and St. Andrews University, where he studied theology. He became the Church of Scotland's first missionary to India, playing a crucial role in modernizing India's education system and helping establish the University of Calcutta. In his honor, the Duff Memorial Free Church was built in 1890 by L & J G Falconer, though it now stands disused and in disrepair.

In 1715, the Earl of Mar raised the Jacobite standard at Kirkmichael to rally support for the exiled Stuart King James, the Old Pretender, in an attempt to restore the Catholic Stuart dynasty after its overthrow in 1688-89. Mar’s army of over 7,000 men advanced into Perth but faced a smaller, well-led government force under the Duke of Argyll. The Battle of Sheriffmuir on 13 November ended inconclusively, while English Jacobites suffered defeat at Preston. With dwindling support, James Francis arrived too late to salvage the rebellion, and by February 1716, he and Mar had fled to France. The uprising collapsed, leading to imprisonment, transportation, or execution for many captured Jacobites.

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.

The Perth and Kinross area has been farmed since the early Bronze Age, featuring one of Scotland’s densest concentrations of settlements. People lived in roundhouses with low stone walls and thatched roofs, leaving behind subtle raised circular mounds as evidence. Warmer summers enabled the cultivation of early barley and wheat, alongside cattle and sheep farming, with wild berries supplementing their diet. Many dwellings likely served as byre-houses, where people and animals coexisted, reflecting the dual domestic and agricultural nature of these early settlements.