Acharn (

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

: meaning 'Field of the Cairn ) is a hamlet in the Kenmore parish of the Scottish council area of

Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross ( sco, Pairth an Kinross; gd, Peairt agus Ceann Rois) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Fife, Highland and S ...

. It is situated on the south shore of

Loch Tay Loch Tay ( gd, Loch Tatha) is a freshwater loch in the central highlands of Scotland, in the Perth and Kinross and Stirling council areas. It is the largest body of fresh water in Perth and Kinross, and the sixth largest loch in Scotland. The ...

close to its eastern end. The hamlet was built in the early 19th century to house workers from the surrounding estates. A

watermill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production of ...

was constructed to harness the power of the nearby Acharn Burn, and this was converted into a craft centre in the 1970s, and later into a private residence. There is a bridge in the middle that goes over the Acharn burn. The Falls of Acharn, a series of waterfalls with a total height of set in a steep wooded gorge, are a popular tourist attraction on the nearby Acharn Burn south of the hamlet. The steep Acharn Falls Walk is about straight up and down from the village, and is a dangerous place to walk dogs without leads, but provides scenic views of the falls above the village. The upper falls have a timber walkway constructed by the 202 Field Squadron RE (V) in June 1989. There is also Hermits Cave, possibly constructed by the Victorians as a kind of

folly In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends the range of usual garden buildings. Eighteenth-cent ...

William Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication ''Lyrical Ballads'' (1798). Wordsworth's ' ...

is known to have visited the falls in 1803 with his sister

Dorothy Dorothy may refer to: *Dorothy (given name), a list of people with that name. Arts and entertainment Characters *Dorothy Gale, protagonist of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum * Ace (''Doctor Who'') or Dorothy, a character playe ...

, who noted in her diary the "very beautiful prospect" available of Loch Tay from the falls. The

Scottish Crannog Centre Kenmore ( gd, A' Cheannmhor, IPA: �aˈçaun̴̪auvɔɾ is a small village in Perthshire, in the Highlands of Scotland, located where Loch Tay drains into the River Tay. History The village dates from the 16th century. It and the neighbouring Cas ...

, on the south of Loch Tay Road between Acharn and Kenmore, is an

open-air museum An open-air museum (or open air museum) is a museum that exhibits collections of buildings and artifacts out-of-doors. It is also frequently known as a museum of buildings or a folk museum. Definition Open air is “the unconfined atmosphere� ...

with a reconstructed prehistoric lake dwelling or ''

crannog A crannog (; ga, crannóg ; gd, crannag ) is typically a partially or entirely artificial island, usually built in lakes and estuarine waters of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Unlike the prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps, which were bu ...

''. Nearby is the hamlet-turned-resort of Croft-na-Caber, home to a sailing (and other watersports) park.

References

External links

Acharn on the Gazetteer for Scotland
Villages in Perth and Kinross {{PerthKinross-geo-stub