Cateran Trail 1 - Zigzag map - Blairgowrie to Cray

This Zigzag map covers the Cateran Trail from Blairgowrie to Cray via Kirkmichael & Spittal of Glenshee. It includes the Cateran Mini Trail. 

The Cateran Trail, is most scenic and accessible long-distance walking routes, offering a circular journey of around 64 miles (103 km) through the rolling hills, glens, and farmland of Perthshire and Angus. Starting in the market town of Blairgowrie, the trail loops through the picturesque countryside, passing through small villages like Bridge of Cally, Kirkmichael, Spittal of Glenshee, Glen Isla, and Alyth. The well-waymarked trail follows old drove roads, farm tracks, forest paths, and moorland trails, making it ideal for walkers seeking a varied and immersive experience. It can be completed in four to five days, or broken into shorter sections for more casual exploration.

Walking the Cateran Trail, one of Scotland’s Great Trails, offers a rich sense of both natural beauty and historical significance. The landscape features gentle hills, wooded valleys, open moorland, and rivers such as the Ardle and Isla, offering quiet riverside walking and excellent opportunities for wildlife spotting. The name "Cateran" refers to the medieval Highland raiders who once moved through these glens, and the trail passes historic sites like standing stones, old drovers’ inns, and ancient tracks that echo the area’s turbulent past. The Glenshee section provides some of the more dramatic hill views on the route, with wider panoramas of the southern Cairngorms.

The region’s heritage lies in the land itself – timeless, remote, and full of character. The villages along the way offer traditional hospitality, with local inns and tearooms providing rest stops and overnight accommodation. The Cateran Trail has a sense of quiet discovery, away from crowded tourist routes, making it perfect for walkers looking to engage deeply with Scotland’s rural heartland. Whether walking a day’s stretch or the full loop, it’s a journey rich in scenery, solitude, and story.

The Cateran Trail 1: Blairgowrie to Cray Walking Map is at a scale of 1:20 000 (using 25 000 data) and shows the Cateran Mini-trail between Kirkmichael & Cray which creates an alternative two day 20 mile Northern Cateran Trail. This is the first in a pair of maps for the Cateran Trail at 1: 20,000 and it covers the central and western parts of the trail.  For coverage of the remainder of the Trail see Cateran Trail 2: Cray to Blairgowrie. 

What is different about a Zigzag map?

The main difference is the scale – although these maps use the ever-popular Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 scale mapping they show this mapping at a larger scale – 1:20,000. This makes them easier to use for everyone.

They are also laminated, so you can use them in the wet without fear of them disintegrating.

As their name suggests, Zigzag maps come in a concertina strip format. The maps are made for convenience; you need only unfold 2 panels at a time and then keep on flipping over to follow the path. Zigzag is laminated for weatherproofing and will still fit a pocket when folded.

Maps come with a useful scale ruler.

Map: Ordnance Survey Explorer
Format: Double-sided, laminated concertina strip map
Cover size: 10 x 27 cm
Map size: 100 x 26 cm (per side)