STATEMENT BY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

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A unique opportunity has arisen to acquire a disused section of the old railway line which used to run between Perth and Crieff along the Pow Water between Madderty (Abbey Bridge) and Balgowan. The Constitution of MCA allows for the acquisition of property including land.

 

If acquired it will provide a legacy for generations to come. The Board has contacted the Hay Maclagan Trust for funding for this project. The function of the Board is to represent the interests of the whole community. The Board is aware that there is both support for and objection to the acquisition of this land. Members of the Board share a range of views about the project. It is not the function of the Board to take sides but to provide as much relevant information as possible to the
community, facilitate discussion and then allow the community to make an informed decision as to whether or not this land should be acquired.

 

Once the Board is satisfied that a complete picture has been presented to the community, arrangements will be made to hold a Special General Meeting at which a free vote will be taken to determine the decision of the Community.

 

The process of disseminating information began with the presentation at the AGM. A special “updates “ page has been set up on the website and all members are free to contact the Board with their views via a confidential email indicated on the website.

In the meantime, the Board is in dialogue with local landowners whose properties border on or form part of the proposed path and are also seeking advice from other organisations with expertise in these matters - for example Scottish Natural Heritage, the Outdoor Access Trust
Scotland and the RSPB. We have also sought legal advice.

 

Mrs Betty Bott
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Madderty Community Association.
26.03.26

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Background

The area of Madderty, defined by parish boundaries, is a most attractive area of Perthshire.  St David’s village is the largest concentration of residential properties and there are quite a number of scattered hamlets.  A significant number of rural farms cover most of the area.  Farming is the dominant economic activity and the environment is appealing as an area of particular interest to  all residents wishing to interact and engage in activities promoting exercise to sustain physical and mental health, wildlife interaction etc. 

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A key point relevant to the following paragraphs is that opportunities for residents to explore the local environment are very limited, particularly compared to other communities in the Strathearn area and beyond.  There are few paths to allow access and many residents drive elsewhere (not very environmentally friendly) to pursue outdoor active and leisure activities.  This reduces the attractiveness of Madderty as an area in which to live. 

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The adaptation of disused railway sections is increasingly used throughout Scotland to enhance local communities' access to the countryside and provide healthy means of slow travel.  A rare opportunity has arisen to develop a similar access opportunity within Madderty.   If it goes ahead, it would provide a legacy not just for the current generation, but for generations to come.

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The Constitution of MCA provides for MCA  to acquire land of this nature provided it is for the good of the community.  MCA would hope to acquire the necessary funding through the Hay Maclagan Trust

 

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Pow Railway Path Section

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The area of land involved is a section of the old railway which ran close to the Pow (see map) .  This land was owned by a company formed by a local resident, but who left the area and has since died. The company was wound down; the land became ownerless and reverted to the Crown.  The Crown body that looks after ownerless land is the King’s and Lords Treasurer’s Remembrancer (KLTR).  The KLTR has been charged with disposing of ownerless land and property, with an emphasis of transferring ownership to communities.  As a result, the section of the Pow Railway Path is available for the community to acquire for the nominal sum of £1, plus legal etc. costs. This opportunity is time limited , and should the community not acquire it is likely that it will be put up for sale on the open market. 

 

Looking at the map above of the Pow Railway path section, it can be seen that it passes close to the Pow and adjacent to a large area of wetland on the other side.  This is a most attractive and quite unique area (see photographs below), particularly suited for leisure walking and wildlife observation from the path. For example, a large number of bird species use the wetland area (the area is monitored by RSPB) and beavers are present in the Pow.  The railway track bed section is for the most part easily traversed, with a small part at the western end requiring some basic clearing maintenance to bring it in to use as an easily used path.  The Madderty Paths Group, which consists of a group of local volunteers, could take this on. Another advantage of opening up this route is that it would provide access between Madderty and Balgowan, avoiding the road which is dangerous for pedestrians.​​.​​

 

 

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How might this opportunity be utilised to the benefit of our community as a whole, with appropriate consideration given to the wants and needs of all interested parties? 

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A first step in informing the Madderty Community about this opportunity was presented at the MCA AGM on 19 February 2026, where a brief presentation was made outlining the land area involved.  Returning to the map it can be seen that there are sections of other land to the west and to the east of the Pow Railway Path section, before a road is reached.  To the east there is a continuation of the old railway which passes through land owned by Redhills Farm.  Importantly in the relevant title deeds (see attached) there is a right of access  from the Pow Railway Path Section along the continuation of the old railway to the road at Balgowan.  Since Madderty Community Association (MCA) has expressed possible interest in acquiring the Pow Railway Path Section, it has already initiated discussions with the owners of Redhills Farm as to how this access would best be achieved, with the aim of minimising disruption to farming activities, while ensuring easy access to the Pow Railway Path Section, and for maintenance purposes.   It should be noted that this access is relatively narrow with no easy alternatives on either side so it may be necessary to limit access for safety reasons at certain times, e.g. when it is being used to move animals.  To the west there is a short section of land adjacent to the Pow which is used primarily for access by a vehicle to dredge this section of the Pow.  This short section can be traversed by pedestrians already and this would continue under the Outdoor Access Code.  The owner of this section was identified at the recent MCA AGM and will be consulted on any issues raised as a result.  At certain times of the year this section is subject to flooding and will not be accessible to pedestrians.

 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​It needs to be emphasised that the prime objective of MCA acquiring this land is to give access to an outstanding local amenity for local residents.  There is NO parking available on the roads immediately to the east or west beyond the track section so access will be restricted to those who are happy to walk to the path or who get dropped off at the access points.  Landowners have already advised us that they have had some trouble in the past from people who park inconsiderately and we would wish to reassure them that clear signage will be provided advising people not to block gateways or park inconsiderately on the verge.  We do not anticipate much interest in access from others outside the Madderty community and it is not intended to advertise this path beyond the local community.  The intention is for the path to remain a fairly wild path in keeping with the surrounding countryside and there is no plan to tarmac the path or make it hard core.

 

Members of Madderty Community Association are asked to submit comments on the proposal to the following email address  trustees_pow@madderty.org.uk which will be confidential to the Trustees and will assist MCA in deciding whether or not this opportunity should be pursued.  In line with the Constitution of Madderty Community Association there will be an opportunity for all residents to be involved in making a final decision on whether or not to go ahead, and the MCA Trustees will inform members about the mechanism for this.

 

Mrs Betty Bott
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Madderty Community Association
24.03.26