Deuchary Hill

[Jim777]

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First walk of the year and seen as we have to stay in our local authority area I decided I’d go up to Dunkeld and do Deuchary Hill. It’s not high, only 511 metres, but I reckoned with the amount of snow we’ve had recently that would be hard going enough.

Deuchary Hill seen from a distance

And so it proved to be. Naismith be damned, I think I almost doubled his time. Left Cally car park and headed roughly North up the track passing Upper Hatton, Birkenburn ( where I saw 4 red squirrels ) and The Glack to arrive at Mill Dam.

Mill Dam with boat hut

The tractors and other vehicles that have come down the track from these places have left the track deeply rutted and where it is smooth absolutely treacherous. I crossed the Lunan Burn at the outflow from Mill Dam and took the High Trail to Loch Ordie as far as where it split. From there I headed North East along a rapidly narrowing trail until a sharp bend in the path below the Southern slopes of Deuchary Hill. I departed from the track and ascended North and then North East to the summit of Deuchary Hill, 511m.

Summit of Deuchary Hill

At the start of the ascent from the track it was quite tricky and icy so had I met anyone intending to descend by this route I would have recommended they put on at least a pair of micro spikes.

Loch Ordie seen from the summit of Deuchary Hill

The initial descent North East from the summit of Deuchary Hill was very steep and the snow very deep - it would remain like that, basically knee deep snow, until I again reached the High Trail to Loch Ordie at 310m.

Lochan na Beinne and the route of descent seen from the summit of Deuchary Hill

It was obvious from the tracks in the snow that only a couple of people had been up to the summit and I never saw anyone on the hill that day.

Looking back to summit from route of descent

Thank God I’m almost back at the track

Rather than drop down to the Lower Trail to Loch Ordie, which in hindsight might have made life slightly easier, I decided to turn left and just follow the High Trail back to where I had left it and on to Mill Dam where I stopped for well earned eats. From there it was just back down the track past The Glack, Birkenburn and Upper Hatton to the car. It’s true what they say that the only way to stay hill fit is to get out there and do it - my legs are telling me I’m not out there enough. Lochan na Beinne up by the summit of Deuchary Hill, Mill Dam, Dowally Loch, and even Loch Ordie were all frozen.