walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Second attempt at Newtyle

Second attempt at Newtyle


Postby Dot on the landscape » Sat Mar 19, 2016 10:37 pm

Sub 2000' hills included on this walk: Newtyle Hill

Date walked: 18/03/2016

Time taken: 3.25 hours

Distance: 10.3 km

Ascent: 382m

5 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

route map.gif
Route we took - 314 highest point....really??

Started from Birnam, but a fair bit of roadside parking the Dunkeld side of the bridge over the Tay if you start from there. Just after the Atholl Arms hotel on the right as you walk along the main street of Dunkeld, there is a narrow road that steeply climbs up to offer great views of the Tay and the old bridge.
0 Hill.jpg
Newtyle Hill not much to look at I'm afraid

We kept walking along the unpaved road for half a mile or so until the there is a fork. Slight right takes into private property, with an honesty box for eggs if you so desire....taking the left goes up a steep track.
0 Fork.jpg
Fork - take the steep left track

We went left, signed towards Loch of the Lowes path. 10 minutes up, there is a big metal gate to go through, and deviates away from the Loch path, shortly before a 90 degree bend to the right. A previous report we read had the walker going over a style at this point and into a really boggy bit – we had tried this earlier in the year and given up. The track is the away to go....with views back to Dunkeld bridge. .
1 Tay bridge.jpg
View back to Dunkeld bridge and the Tay

Keep along this for a mile or so, as the tree felled area comes into view, along with a small mast and a wooden gate. Just before the gate is a track to the left towards the mast – really wet, so don't do what we did and start up it!
2 Wooden Gate.jpg
Wooden gate just after a small mast

Go through the gate and into the area of felled trees – great views across to Birnam Hill. The big mast is in clear view – keep heading towards it. Just before it is reached, there is a decision – take a track left to zigzag up it to the next stage, or carry on until shortly after there's a downhill cycle track that cuts across the much wider track we had been walking on.
3 Crossroads.jpg
Crossroads - left zigzags up the hill, straight on is much more direct

We took the cycle route – pretty steep and could be very muddy if wet, but you quickly get to the wall that marks off the felled area.
4 Cycle track.jpg
Cycle track heads steeply uphill

There's a starting shed for the cycling at the top of the cycle run, which is where we re-joined to he main zigzag track. There's a style to go over and up along the wall perpendicular to the felled area wall – clearly marked on the OS map just level with the transmitter mast. We had used the map to get us to the mast, knowing it wasn't far up the hill to the highest point marked at 314m.
5 First style.jpg
Style into the trees along the wall

Keep the wall immediately to your right – the map has it going through and over the summit....so it was easy to go in the right direction. We got to the top – had another style to cross over to get to what was the highest hillock in the immediate locality.
6 Dodgy style.jpg
Style over to the 'summit'

7 Dull at the top.jpg
Is this it??????

Checked my GPS for elevation – 314....yup same as the OS map, so job done. Unmarked and not very inspiring and no views....a bit disappointing. But, a bit further on, we could see an outcrop that appeared a wee bit higher. Checked the map again, the point we were looking at was marked at the 310....so must be an optical illusion....we had bagged the Marilyn. No – it certainly did look higher – must be.
8 Is it higher.jpg
That looks higher...over there

It wasn't far away and we weren't in a hurry, so decided to go over anyway – maybe a decent view toward Deuchary Hill. Back overy the awkward style and, apart from a boggy depression, it was easy to walk through some grass and heather to get to the summit....with its cairn.....yes, this was more like a proper marked summit. Checked GPS again 326.....oh, right......good job we went that little bit further to check.
9 Cairn.jpg
That's more like it - nice little cairn

Would be nice views if sunny and clear, but not today!

Went down back the way we came, to the style at the wall and decided to zigzag back down the hill along the track – much further than the direct route we took up, so probably better to go down the cycle track if dry.

Back down the main track....uneventful....until we saw a raptor calling, flying and diving excitedly. We found out later that the first of the Ospreys had returned from it's long migration to nearby Loch of the Lowes just an hour before – nice to watch it for a few moments. Further down in the woods, a very photogenic roe buck was posing for pictures.
91 Deer.jpg
Chomping away - not bothered by us at all

So, in summary – very straightforward walk if you know where you're going....and know when you've got there! The track itself is very good until after the style for the last section by the wall - even then it's not too bad....though it had been quite dry for mid March. Tick it as something to be ticked - there are far better and more interesting walks such as Birnam Hill across the A9

Hopefully this report helps and lets you avoid the pitfalls we previously fell into.
Dot on the landscape
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 12
Munros:100   Corbetts:64
Fionas:35   Donalds:48
Sub 2000:70   Hewitts:1
Joined: Feb 5, 2016

5 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).



Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: davidbird762, scribe64 and 86 guests