Ashfield
Ashfield - Auchinlay Rd.
(4 miles / 6.4 km. / 2 hours).
A pleasant circular walk to the planned mill village of Ashfield.
From the Cathedral go up the Braeport to Ramoyle, formerly a settlement of handloom weavers. This narrow road is one of the oldest parts of Dunblane with many picturesque cottages. On the left look for Laigh-hills Loan sign-posted on the gable end of a cottage. Turn left and follow this path down to the Scouring Burn. Immediately on crossing the burn, take the path on the right and re-cross the burn. The path soon rises away from the burn passing through a wooden gate on the right leading to a wider path, which eventually joins the road leading to Dunblane Cemetery. Cross this road and take the tarmac path to the right of the cemetery. On reaching the roundabout, at the entrance to Laighhills View, follow the pavement north out of Dunblane up to and over the Dunblane bypass. At the junction sign for Perth there is a gate on the left leading to a path to Ashfield. Go through the gate and bear right, following waymarkers, across open field to a pedestrian gate and a white bridge over the railway into Ashfield (2 miles/3.2Km/1hour).
The village and printing mill were established in 1866, as a complementary factory to the Keirfield printing works in Bridge of Allan. (The substantial mill building and associated weir can be seen beside the river to the west of the village). Throughout its 110-year life the Ashfield Mill employed around 130 local people creating a real and distinctive community in the village. Gladstone Square in the village is named after the Liberal Prime Minister William Gladstone.
Return to Dunblane from Ashfield can be either:
1.By the Allan Water. Having arrived at Ashfield over the railway bridge, turn left on to a narrow path and retrace the first part of walk number 5 (3 miles/4.8 Km/1 hr30mins).
2. Start on the narrow path, but after only 200m find a path to the right leading down to the riverside and to a wooden footbridge over the Allan Water. From here cross the bridge then follow the wall of Wells Cottage to a gate in the fence. Continue along the path, with views over to the Ashfield Mill and weir; to the end of the field then bear left uphill to reach the Auchinlay Road. Turn left to return to Dunblane passing the Crofts of Cromlix (2-miles/3.1-km/1 hour). On entering the town a path by the converted Springbank Mill leads to the Faery Bridge over the Allan Water. Once across the footbridge bear right and return to the Cathedral car park (4 miles /7.1 km/1 hr 50 mins).
