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- 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.
- 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.
- 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. .
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Style over to the 'summit'
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.