A gentle walk through mixed forestry near the famous Queen's View. A similar viewpoint is reached on this walk as well as a restored black house and a ring fort.
Good waymarked forest trails throughout.
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Allean Forest walks car park. Map and directions.
The Queen's View is a fine viewpoint looking up Loch Tummel to Schiehallion. Queen Victoria visited here together with her much-loved servant John Brown in 1866, but it is thought that the name may date back to a visit by Mary Queen of Scots. Today there is a cafe and Forest Park information centre, and it is a compulsory stop for most travellers in these parts. The walk actually begins from the Allean forest car park, just along the road toward Kinloch Rannoch from the Queen's View, where there are picnic tables and composting toilets.
Take the marked trail uphill past the toilets and follow the path over a bridge and into pine woods. When the path emerges onto a track turn left following the red and yellow marker posts. Soon the route turns right onto an other track and after a short while takes a left to plunge again into the forest on the opposite side. Go over the small bridge and follow the path. There are many different plants on this section of the forest floor and in spring and summer wood anemone, fox gloves and sorrell flowers can be seen.
After a short while, the path emerges into a clearing where an old black house has been partially restored and can be explored. This house would have been one of a few in this village or Clachan in Gaelic. A black house was a basic stone shelter with a turf or heather roof and few windows and no chimney so the inside was coated in soot, hence it's name. Continue on the path past the house and then follow the marker post as the path turns to the left away from the information board.
After a short distance the path detours to a viewpoint over Loch Tummel, with pointed Schiehallion. There is also a lovely wooden sculpture by Charlie Easterfield. After the viewpoint keep following the path which goes over another wooden bridge and then crosses a track by dog-legging to the left.
The path climbs with good views over an area of felled woodland and into the countryside around. When the path reaches a track turn right and head downhill. Ignore a path marked with a yellow marker to the right but keep on the track. Where the main track curves left, take the right hand track marked with a red marker post. This soon narrows to a path and heads downhill following marker posts. When a track is reached turn right and continue until the sign for the ring fort is reached. Here the remains of large circular homestead building used about 1000AD. The walls would have had a large roof supported by wooden poles. The peaceful spot has good views over Loch Tummel.
After the fort, continue on the track downhill until returning to the t-junction you reached earlier. Turn left here to return to the car park and the start of the walk.
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