A stunning and rugged area being managed by volunteers from the Highland Perthshire Community Land Trust for the restoration of its native woodland, Dùn Coillich is a wonderful place for a half day walk. The route described here climbs to the summit of the hill before returning through beautiful and varied woods.
Narrow paths over rough moorland, boggy in places but waymarked throughout.
None to start.
Dùn Coillich car park.
The green and white trail from the end of Stage 3 is sometimes closed June - end July due to ground-nesting birds (see local signs). At this time you can still walk the first four stages up to the summit of the hill, but will have to return the same way.
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The walk begins from the Dùn Coillich car park off the B846; there is a composting toilet. The walk runs through an area of over 1,000 acres which was the first community land purchase in Perthshire, and local volunteers have created the trails and begun the spectacular native woodland restoration here. This route combines several of the waymarked paths; begin by following the path past the picnic table, signed 'Hill Trails this way'.
The path is waymarked with posts painted with green, white and red markers, and zig-zags down towards a footbridge. Go straight across the constructed path and cross the footbridge, then bear left down the far side of the burn. After a small section of wooden boardwalk the path forks; take the right branch, heading uphill and still marked in green, white and red. Go through a gate in a drystane wall. The path now splits three ways - our route is straight ahead, marked in white and green; it climbs through scattered native trees and then over heather moor.
After around 600m from the wall the path forks once more. The main route takes the left fork, but to include the optional ascent (which you can omit) to the summit of Dùn Coillich, take the right turn first. This is waymarked with posts marked with green paint and a white blob. It climbs steeply at times and is a little boggier underfoot than the main trail; soon it aims to follow a broad gully up the rugged slopes.
At the top of the gully the gradient eases onto heather ground between the two summits of Dùn Coillich. Follow the path as it bends right to reach the higher of the two summits at 572m, where there is a small cairn but a big view. The neighbouring peak of Schiehallion dominates the landscape. From the summit, retrace your steps back to the path junction from the previous stage, then turn right to continue the walk - waymarked once more in white and green.
The narrow path crosses several wooden boardwalks and then climbs to pass between a rounded knoll - to your left - and the main hill - to your right. After crossing this pass the path descends, with Schiehallion once more prominent ahead. Eventually the path reenters native woodland - a mix of pines and broadleaves - and reaches a junction. The path to the right here (green / white markers) either makes a boggier, longer loop round the northern side of the hill back to the start (green markers) - or provides a through link to the Braes o' Foss car park (white markers). Our route, however, turns left (red and green markers) for a shorter but more scenic return loop.
After sloping downhill for 300m or so a t-junction is reached. Turn left here - now following red waymarkers for the rest of the walk. The next 1.5km follows the line of an old path that keeps above a beautifully wooded stretch of the Allt Mor - seen down to your left.
Eventually the wooden chalets of Glengoulandie come into view. Don't head through a gate ahead, instead turning left - as waymarked in red. The path now climbs, following a drystone wall on your right. After 700m it rejoins the outward route at the gate in the wall mentioned in Stage 2. Turn right to retrace your steps back through this gate and follow the outward route back to the car park.
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