A circular tour of the hills either side of Glen Sherup, including the popular summit of Ben Shee, the Donalds Innerdownie and Tarmangie Hill, and the Glendevon Woodlands. Superb views from the high ground.
Bog Factor
Forestry roads and grassy upland paths, wet in places.
Woodland Trust's Glen Sherup car park, 1.5 miles west of Glendevon.
None to start.
NN971051
From the information and map boards in the car park take the walkers' path west, and when you meet the forest road turn right. After 1km ignore the finger post pointing towards the Lower Glendevon reservoir and instead stay on the forest road and walk in the direction of 'Glendevon Reservoirs Trail - Glenquey Reservoir'. At a junction of forest roads turn left.
After about 1.5km of gentle ascent a small mound of stones to the right of the forest road marks the start of a narrow firebreak between the trees. Follow the path up through the firebreak until you emerge, dazzled by the brightness, at a gate on the open hillside. Turn right and follow a distinct path all the way along the broad ridge to the summit cairn of Innerdownie. The views to your left are massive, stretching across Kinross-shire to Loch Leven and the Lomond Hills. An old ruined shelter a little further along the ridge offers some refuge.
The broad and sometimes boggy track now keeps to the high ground, first following a drystane dyke and then a deer fence. Keep the fence to your right as it gently climbs up Whitewisp Hill. After you cross a ladder stile a short walk south brings you to the flat summit, marked by a low cairn, with views to the Forth and beyond.
A clear path heads west from Whitewisp Hill in the direction of Tarmangie Hill. Cross the fence via a metal self-closing gate and then continue up the fence line to the summit of Tarmangie Hill. At 645m this is the highest point of the walk, with good views across the Ochils to Ben Cleuch, and even better views north into the southern Highlands and the distant Cairngorms. Do not cross the wooden stile as this makes it difficult to cross a deer fence later. Instead continue along the fence line from the summit, keeping the fence to your left as you descend towards the low ground at the head of Glen Sherup.
Go through a large metal gate in the deer fence and then follow the clear grassy (and often boggy) track beyond, which veers to the right and skirts just below the flat top of Scad Hill. Beyond Scad Hill the track keeps to the centre of the broad ridge and gently descends through increasingly scrubby young woodland. This is part of the massive Glendevon Woodlands regeneration project by the Woodland Trust, who have planted 1.5 million native trees across three glens in the area.
Ignore any off-shoot paths that head down towards Glen Sherup and instead continue in the direction of Ben Shee, now a distinct lump rising in front of you. After a sign saying 'Summit of Ben Shee - Distance 0.5km ascent 100m' the path joins a broader track which skirts Ben Shee's western slope. Just as the track starts to level off, a smaller path to the right shows the way to the summit. Take this path for the short but steep climb to the top of Ben Shee, from where you get excellent views west to the Glendevon reservoirs, and north through shapely Glen Eagles.
Continue over the summit via the narrow path for a short distance, and when the path forks in a V-shape take the left fork to descend Ben Shee and rejoin the track to the west. The right fork is extremely boggy and cannot be recommended. Once back at the main track, turn right and follow it as it heads back towards Glen Devon. When the track reaches a fence, cross via the gated wooden stile and then turn immediately right to follow the fence down to the tarmac road. Turn right at the road towards Glen Sherup reservoir, then cross the dam to rejoin the forest road on the other side. Turn left and descend back to the car park.
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