Drummond Hill has two waymarked walks; this route combines both to visit the Black Rock viewpoint over Loch Tay and look out over the enormous Taymouth Castle.
Summary
Waymarked forest tracks - one section of path. A fair amount of ascent is included at an easy gradient.
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1. Park in the forest car park just above the road at the Mains of Taymouth near Kenmore. An interpretative board gives details of the two waymarked trails here. The forests were planted in the early seventeenth century by the Laird of Breadalbane; Capercaillies were reintroduced to Scotland here in 1837 due to the large areas of Scots pines. They had become extinct due to hunting but are now endangered once more. Walk up the broad track from the boards into the forest.
2. Keep straight on (blue and red waymarker) when a path goes off right. The mixed woods are left behind on the ascent as larches, spruce and Douglas Fir dominate; unfortunately the forests were felled during World War One and subsequent replantings used these rather than native trees. Continue up the broad track which ascends gently; after about six hundred metres the main track turns sharp right whilst a smaller one continues ahead. Take the sharp right turning to continue the ascent, now a little steeper.
3. The path emerges at an angled cross-roads. Turn left here - signed 'Viewpoint' - and continue along the track for around eight hundred metres until a signpost indicates a good path off to the left, this time signed 'Black Rock viewpoint'. This is reached a very short distance further on. A memorial bench looks out over a quite stunning view of the lower end of Loch Tay and the village of Kenmore.
4. Return to the track and back along it to the angled cross-roads. This time simply continue ahead (red marker post). The track soon slopes downhill and continues for around a kilometre and a half. At one or two points gaps in the trees permit views down to the truly enormous Taymouth Castle. This enormous pile was empty until recently (previous guests included the ubiquitous Queen Victoria) but is now being renovated as a luxury resort. Look out for a red marker post indicating a turn to the right.
5. The turn off is muddy for a few metres; almost immediately turn right onto a path (red marker post) heading through very densely planted forestry with little light just a few yards below the track you walked out on a moment ago. The trees soon begin to thin and the path slopes gently uphill. Native trees replace the exotics and some fine woodland is passed through at last. The path passes above the car park to join the track used near the beginning of the walk. Turn left along this to return to the start.
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