Beatrix Potter Blog

The Highland villages of Dunkeld and Birnam straddle the River Tay and are surrounded by some of the finest woodlands in Scotland. However, more famously, Beatrix Potter wrote the ‘Tale of Peter Rabbit’ in Birnam. At auction [November 2008] an illustrated Beatrix Potter unnamed rabbit who had never featured in any of her books, sold for £15600. Likewise, a Xmas card designed by Potter in 1893 featuring three guinea pigs in a basket, sold for a remarkable £12600. This walk starts at Birnam (for Dunkeld) railway station, on the Perth-Inverness line and begins by walking through the famous ‘BP’ gardens. This is the beginning of the ascent of the 404m Birnam Hill on the edge of the Highland boundary fault line: a walk through mainly deciduous woodlands passing around the eastern flank of the Hill before climbing from the south. A short detour leads to the ancient Stair Bridge and magnificent views across the Disney-esqe landscape to the turreted castle that is Rohallion Lodge, complete with lake and surrounded by colourful, forested hills. Returning to the ascent path which steepens with the final climb to the summit of the hill, where a huge cairn (also referred to as the King’s Seat) awaits. Dramatic views ensue; both up Strath Tay to Dunkeld and the Highlands and down towards Perth. In this particular video however, its the autumnal colour views that are the reward. The direct descent from the cairn goes through first coniferous and then deciduous forest with a final …

Beatrix Potter Beswick Figurines