Formerly known as the 'Den of Moness' until Robert Burns wrote a poem in 1787, this beautiful sylvan corner of Perthshire would still be familiar to the Scottish bard who made the area so famous and changed its name forever to the 'Birks of Aberfeldy' (translated as the birches of Aberfeldy).

A one and a half mile trail follows the Moness burn as it tumbles down a beautiful, steep wooded gorge towards the River Tay. The trees are a mixture of hazel, ash, and beech, but strangely not too many birches on the lower parts of the trail... they appear at the top of the trail amongst the oaks.

When the wildflowers aren't out in winter, nor the leaves on the trees, is quite possibly the best time to go. You will get much better views of the many waterfalls along the trail as well as allowing more sun to stream through to the bottom of the gorge. If it's woodland flowers and fresh greens with light filtering through the trees that you're after, May and June are probably best.

For glorious autumn colour and piles of leaves, late September and early October will provide fantastic views and shades of amber, red and gold.

The gorge, the trees and the waterfalls are dripping in green mosses of all sorts. The rocks are obviously slippery but there are many places you can get down by the burn for views up or downstream. The trail is very steep in places but there are a few benches where you can rest a while, enjoy the view and chomp on a cheese and chutney roll.

What sort of photography can I do here?

Probably just about every kind of photographer will find something to photograph at the Birks of Aberfeldy.

If you like wildlife, there are plenty of birds and even red squirrels here.

If you like landscapes, there are views up and down the rocky burn as well as more open views from the top of the glen

If you like insects and macro photography, there are butterflies, damp areas, mosses, flowers, piles of leaves on the woodland floor, you name it, it's probably here!

Portraits? There are plenty of areas where you can get beautiful portraits in dappled light or on the rocks in the numerous pools along the burn. Just be careful down there as the rocks do get very slippery indeed. Don't try and attempt anything at the edge of a waterfall... common sense definitely applies here!

Fine art nude photography? If you are respectful of the fact that families walk along and enjoy the trail, there are plenty of spots for fine art nude work. Be sure to have someone act as lookout and have a robe for your model ready to cover up if necessary. Although many people won't mind what you are doing, unfortunately up here there are many more who will. If you are discreet and respectful, there shouldn't be any problems. The Birks trail is popular, but you won't get hundreds of people at once. You can be in a spot for half an hour or more and not see anyone else.

Automotive photography? Ah, here's one that might struggle to be accomodated! There is a large car park and if it's empty (which it frequently is), then you will have some fine light and beautiful backgrounds to work with, so even you may find it to be just what you are looking for!

Will I need any special equipment?

A tripod will be very useful here as the trees can make it quite dark in places. If you want waterfall shots with smooth water then you will definitely need a tripod to get the best results.

Your lens choice is largely determined by the type of photography you want to do here, but a reasonable range zoom should cover most possibilities. I used my 18-55mm lens for most shots, but the 70-300mm zoom lens was also handy for a couple of shots.

How do I get blurred water shots at waterfalls?

Love them or hate them, it's a fact that many people really want to get blurred water shots. I think they are great in some shots, but bubbling water is important in others. Regardless of opinion, this is how I do it when I want blurred water.

• Choose a low iso, somewhere around iso 100 to reduce light sensitivity.
• Choose a small aperture of around f/18 or smaller (the higher the number, the smaller the aperture) to reduce the light coming in through the lens.
• Use a neutral density filter such as the Hoya ND8 to further reduce the light coming in through the lens.
• Use a circular polariser to further reduce light but also to minimise any reflections and glare.
• If possible, also use a lens hood to reduce lens flare and light spill from the sides of the scene you are trying to photograph.

All of these actions will force you to use a slow shutter speed, and it is this that lets the water blur in the image. The slower the shutter speed, the more silky the water will look.

It's a great technique that allows you to be really creative in your work and will let you go for abstract compositions and beautiful effects.

Look at the surroundings and see what will work best. Will silky water add to your scene or will it look bland, or worse, will it look cheesy? Will bubbly water just be too much because there is already so much going on in the scene? Will silky water have a calming effect on the scene?

Always try to visualise what the image will look like when it's finished. Take your time when composing your photograph and only take the shot when you know you have all the elements that you want in it, and none of the  elements that you don't want. Are there people in the background? Is there a fence visible? Can you move to a slightly different place to get a better view?

Thinking of these things will make your photographic tour of the Birks of Aberfeldy not only more pleasurable, but your images will be so much better for it, no matter what type of camera you have!

Where is it?

Aberfeldy is a small town in Perthshire, Scotland formed around the junction of the A827 Killin road and A826 Crieff road. From the centre of town, the Birks of Aberfeldy trail starts under the war memorial arch, just past the delightful Country Fare coffee shop, and opposite the Moon and Sixpence coffee shop, or you can drive up to the car park just a few hundred yards up the A826 from the cross roads. It is well signposted and just before the traffic-lighted road bridge that crosses over the burn.

The Birks of Aberfeldy

a song by Robert Burns, 1787.

Chorus.-

Bonnie lassie, will ye go,
Will ye go, will ye go,
Bonnie lassie, will ye go
To the birks of Aberfeldy!

Now simmer blinks on flowery braes,
And o'er the crystal streamlets plays;
Come let us spend the lightsome days,
In the birks of Aberfeldy.

Bonnie lassie, &c.

While o'er their heads the hazels hing,
The little birdies blythely sing,
or lightly flit on wanton wing,
In the birks of Aberfeldy.

Bonnie lassie, &c.

The braes ascend like lofty wa's,
The foaming stream deep-roaring fa's,
O'erhung wi' fragrant spreading shaws-
The birks of Aberfeldy.

Bonnie lassie, &c.

The hoary cliffs are crown'd wi' flowers,
White o'er the linns the burnie pours,
And rising, weets wi' misty showers
The birks of Aberfeldy.

Bonnie lassie, &c.

Let Fortune's gifts at randoe flee,
They ne'er shall draw a wish frae me;
Supremely blest wi' love and thee,
In the birks of Aberfeldy.

Bonnie lassie, etc.

This concludes my hub on the Birks of Aberfeldy. I hope you enjoyed it and are inspired to come and visit... so, when you next come to Perthshire bonnie lassies and laddies, will ye go to the birks of Aberfeldy?