Glen Tilt

Glen Tilt is a steep-sided valley in northern Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It runs southwest from the Aberdeenshire border before turning south to Blair Atholl. The Tilt Water flows through the glen for 14 miles before joining the River Garry. Two tributaries, the Tarf and the Fender, add waterfalls along the way. The glen lies within the historic county of Perthshire, once governed from Perth. The glen has a colourful past. In 1532, the Earl of Atholl hosted James V at a wooden castle-like lodge built for a Papal ambassador’s visit. Mary, Queen of Scots stayed here in 1564 and wrote a letter from the Lunkartis in Glentilth. Later, James Hutton came in 1785 and found granite forcing its way into older schist, proving molten rock could form stone. Sir John Clerk of Eldin sketched these rocks near the old Dail-An-Eas Bridge. Today the glen is framed by Beinn a’ Ghlò and its three Munro peaks. Walkers pass the remains of the Dail-An-Eas Bridge and spot occasional marble quarries. The slopes show Hutton’s granite veins cutting through dark schist, a clear sign of ancient fire beneath the hills.