Loch Freuchie
This walk visits Loch Freuchie in Glen Quaich in Perth and Kinross.
The large freshwater loch is also known as Fraoch, the heatherly loch. On the western side of the water there's a nice country lane which you can walk or cycle along. There's fine views over the water to the surrounding hills, countryside and woodland. The loch is also popular with trout-fishing enthusiasts.
Postcode
PH8 0DA - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsLoch Freuchie Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Loch Freuchie Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Loch Freuchie OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Loch Freuchie Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
Just to the south there's more nice waterside trails to be found at Loch Turret Reservoir. There is a challenging circular walk which continues up to Ben Chonzie here.
Head east and there's the popular Loch of the Lowes near Dunkeld.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Walks page.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
A burn flowing beneath the Glen Quaich road heading for Loch Freuchie.
Loch in Glen Quaich with smoke from heather burning in the distance. Rotational heather burning is essential for good moorland management. If not managed, heather grows into a dense mass of long woody stems, which supports very little wildlife and has reduced nutritional value for livestock and birds. Heather burning is a very old method of controlling and prolonging the life cycle of heather. It is a very skilled operation and must be carried out with extreme caution. There are strict guidelines that must be adhered to for a successful and safe burn.
Crannog on Loch Freuchie. The name 'Freuchie' derives from the Scottish Gaelic, fraoch, meaning heather. Loch Freuchie is just over a mile long, quite shallow and offers good trout fishing. A crannog is an ancient lake dwelling made of timber and was in use from prehistoric times until the 17th century. Some were made by sinking a foundation of stones into shallow water, others by first enlarging islets in the lake. A platform about a foot above the water-level was created on which a homestead was built. They were mainly built as strongholds against attack.
Pasture by the loch. The crannog on Loch Freuchie (Fraochie) has an interesting dragon legend. The story goes that a young man named Fraoch, at the request of the lady Maidh, went to the dragon inhabited island to gather rowan berries. He completed the task and evaded the dragon but the lady insisted that nothing would please her except that he return to her with the uprooted rowan tree. On his second visit he got the tree but awoke the dragon, who, in mortal combat, gnawed off Fraoch's arms and legs.