A walk up Birnam Hill to the King's Seat

A walk · Birnam

Birnam Hill – The King's Seat above Dunkeld

About 4.3 miles on foot.

Birnam Hill is the wooded hill behind the village of Birnam, across the Tay from Dunkeld.

The council's Birnam Hill Path climbs past old slate quarries and up through the trees to open heather and the King's Seat, with the Tay valley and the hills towards Pitlochry spread out below. It's a short, strenuous hill for a morning, with lunch at Birnam Arts when you're down.

Time: About two and a quarter hours: the council's Birnam Hill Path, a 7 km loop from Birnam to the King's Seat, 404 m. A short, strenuous hill.
The path: A steady climb through trees, open heather moorland and a steep descent through woods.
Where to start: Free on the street on Station Road in Birnam, by Birnam Arts.
Set off: From November to February, set off by 12.30pm to be down in daylight.
When to go: All year in daylight; from November to February set off by 12.30pm. The descent is steep and slippery after rain.
Dogs: Close at heel in spring and early summer, when birds nest on the moor.
Children: A strenuous climb and a steep descent, for older children.
Toilets: Accessible toilets at Birnam Arts; public toilets at the Atholl Street car park in Dunkeld.
Before you set out: The way down is steep.

The walk

The walk starts in Birnam by Birnam Arts on Station Road, where street parking is free, and Dunkeld and Birnam station is a short walk away. Perth and Kinross Council's Birnam Hill Path is a 7 km loop, about two and a quarter hours, and the council calls it a strenuous hill walk. It passes the old slate quarries of Birnam and climbs steadily through the trees to Stair Bridge, a folly a short way off the path with a view south-east towards Perth.

Then it crosses open heather to the King's Seat, the top of the hill at 404 metres. From there the view takes in the Tay valley and the hills towards Pitlochry. The way down is steep, with a fine view over Birnam and Dunkeld halfway, before the path drops into the trees beside the Inchewan Burn and back to the village.

Listen for ravens over the moor and look for fallow deer and, with luck, black grouse. Keep dogs close in spring and early summer, when birds nest on the moor.

If it rains

In rain the top is bare and the steep way down slippery: walk the level Birnam riverside path to the Birnam Oak instead, and lunch at Birnam Arts all the same.

Afterwards

The café at Birnam Arts
Lunch
Lunch is back where you started, in the café at Birnam Arts, open every day from 10am to 4pm, with soup of the day, sandwiches, pastries and cakes, and gluten-free and vegan choices. Dogs are welcome in the café, and a gentle slope and ramps inside make it step-free. If it's busy, ARAN Bakery is across the bridge on Atholl Street in Dunkeld, open until 3.30pm, though it can sell out earlier.