Pressendye is a superlative viewpoint, making a great destination for this circular walk from Tarland, signposted as the 'Skyline circuit'. The route is very varied, with fertile farmland, country roads and tracks, a moorland ridge and woodland paths.
Minor roads, tracks, heathery hill path - mostly waymarked, fairly gentle climbing to exposed summit.
Limited service from Banchory / Torphins, week days only.
Tarland, square.
Start from the centre of Tarland where there are a number of shops and pleasant stone buildings. A board has a map and information on local walking routes - this one is marked in blue, and is followed clockwise, tackling the road section first. Start by heading west through the square, away from the B9119, passing to the right of the war memorial. Follow the road as it curves slightly right, then keep straight ahead ignoring the road to the left (at the garage) until you reach the next junction. Here go straight ahead across the grass between the two forks of the road, reaching a track. This leads into a wetland area; keep left at a fork, right through a gate and then left on the path through this area until it re-emerges on the minor road. Here you turn right to head into open countryside.
Follow the road NW, keeping right when the road branches to Knockieside to the left. Similarly ignore the turnings on the right and keep straight ahead at a junction (West Davoch sign) where the larger road veers left. Heading gently uphill, pass the entrance for Winds'ee on the right. After passing the entrance to West Davoch on the left, the road bends right to Easter Davoch. Leave the surfaced road here to go straight ahead up a track signed for Boultenstone. Follow the track uphill going through a gateway and alongside trees.
Look out for the blue waymarker indicating a right turn through a gate. Follow this, with the fenced plantation on your left. Davoch Plantation with Broom Hill in the background. After 250m turn left through a small gate and follow grassy a track/path through the trees, continuing straight ahead after the end of the fence and ignoring a track heading right. Part way up the next section of wooland turn right at a marker post to follow a path which soon emerges onto the open moorland, passing through a gate in a deer fence. Follow the faint track across the moor to the broad ridge where a large fence is reached. There are stunning views back to Morven and Lochnagar.
Turn right onto a track up the near side of this fence. As the track climbs views open up in all directions and this really is a delightful section of the walk with easy going underfoot and Pressendye visible beyond the dip after Broom Hill - though new plantations to the right will eventually impede the view. The route stays by the fence, passing a small lochan in the dip. After this - and near a gate - the path veers to the right a little, soon meeting another track; bear left up this to head back to the fence towards the summit. Just before reaching the top, pass through a gate and continue by a smaller, broken down old fence to the summit of Pressendye.
The summit is marked by a trig point and large shelter cairn and has great 360 degree views. From here take the waymarked track southeast, soon running alongside a fence, descending through heather. Keep straight across at a mountain bike trail, then left when a track joins from the right, now amongst pines. Go right at the next fork. Ignore a path off into the trees, keeping ahead on the track as it curves right to pass through the edge of the forest plantations and then into the trees. Keep along the track; when there is a picnic bench on the right turn right onto a smaller track heading downhill.
Follow this as it leaves the trees and continues down through the heather. At a grassy junction bear slightly left, following the blue and red markers (ignoring the red waymarked path off to the right). Cross another mountain bike trail, then at a bigger track turn right. At the next junction bear left downhill. After bending right, watch out for an easily missed turn to the right onto a lesser track which climbs a small rise beside the electric pylons.
Curve left to follow the track which runs alongside mature beech trees, with the forestry on your left. At a grassy track, keep straight ahead onto a narrower path (slowly diverting from the track on your left), following the waymarkers. When a metal gate is reached turn right over the stile to follow a lovely path lined by beech trees, eventually crossing a bridge over a burn. Once over the bridge continue straight ahead, ignoring the red route heading left. Soon the path reaches a minor road, turn left. When the road bends left keep straight ahead on a grassy track with a hall and new housing on the left. At the road turn right and then left, keeping ahead to head back to the centre of Tarland.
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