Deuchary Hill

Crawford Macnab

22 July 2025

This was the June walk that got cancelled due to high winds and it was looking like the weather could defeat the July attempt! Fortunately the forecast improved the day before and a small group of 6 walkers - Sarah, Pamela, Graham, Jan, Crawford, and Moira met at the Cally car park near Dunkeld. Not forgetting Cosmo!

There was still expectation of some precipitation as we warmed up with a gentle pull past the Cally Loch, and a number of luxury eco-cabins heading onwards towards The Glack.

As we passed through the large gate at The Glack we encountered the first of many cherry trees which a few of us sampled. Small but tasty.

Just before we reached the loch Mill Dam we left our path that would have continued to Rotmell Loch and instead took the path that passed on the east side of the loch. A few water lilies could be seen in the middle of the loch.

A small step up onto the raised ground next to the loch gave us our first team photo of the day. No rain so far and warming up nicely!

After a further kilometre we reached the point where we turned north east to begin our anti clockwise route over the top of Deuchary Hill. The path continued on a gentle slope through tall bracken and soon after we crossed the Leddown Burn we managed to spot the discrete path off to the left into the woods that would be our route to the summit. This was the toughest part of the walk which had two quite steep parts but generally the path was fine though care was needed.

With the hard work over we sheltered in a grassy gully just beneath the summit for our lunch stop. Suitably refreshed we grabbed a few team photos at the trig point with extensive views all around. South to the Lomonds and Schiehallion visible in the distance.

Apparently the true summit of Deuchary Hill is the small rocky ledge just beyond the trig point seen in the photo below.

Just to prove all six of us made it!

Graham couldn’t resist visiting the true summit!

If anyone has climbed Helm Crag in the Lake district then this rock formation looked like a mini version of The Howitzer.

From the summit we descended initially on a short steep section heading north west down to a good path that would take us past Lochan na Beinne.

Lochan na Beinne was very picturesque and an excellent vantage point to look back up at the summit of Deuchary Hill.

The path continued generally north west before we left this to take another path that headed south then south east to rejoin our outward path.

With time ticking on the options for refreshments were looking bleak as most establishments in Dunkeld were closing at 3.30pm or 4pm and our ETA back at the car park was going to be just after 4pm! Fortunately we did make good time and a quick check on Google Maps at the car park showed that the Chattan Tea Room at the Post Office in Birnam was open till 4.30pm. A quick change out of our walking gear and a short dash to Birnam we managed to get our order of tea/coffee, cakes and ice cream in just in time! As we sat at the outside tables we had to reach for hats and scarfs to protect ourselves from the now very hot sunshine.

All in all a very pleasant walk made all the better with zero rain, nice and cool as we ascended and glorious sunshine as we descended!