Loch Turret always makes us think of sapphire blues, vibrant greens and flashes of black, white and orange from birds and butterflies. It’s a colourful place, and one of our favourite late spring walks in Perthshire.

The Glen Turret car park is just a very short walk from the top of the dam, with its spectacular view past the tower over the reservoir. The gulls and oyster catchers are in full voice and it can almost feel like you’re at the seaside! This is added to by the hot, earthy smell of sun-baked rocks and pebbles if you happen to go on a warm dry day.

Having feasted your eyes on this view, you can start making your way along the right side of the Loch. A sign will warn you to stay on the path so as not to disturb ground-nesting birds, and there is certainly lots of wildlife to be seen. It’s true that this is a somewhat bare landscape that would probably originally have featured deciduous woodlands, but there is still plenty about it to enjoy and celebrate. There’s lots of small wildflowers studding the grass, which means bees and butterflies, and we have even had the pleasure of watching an osprey catch a fish here before.

The path is mostly very easy and dry, with just one or two wet patches (one where a little stream goes across it) and the occasional small uphill and downhill sections. It’s gravelly with some quite big stones, so decent shoes are a good idea. As it continues, the path edges becomes interspersed with rowan trees, adding a further touch of charm.

At the top of a short hill, you’ll suddenly see the end of the loch—probably to the accompaniment of waves lapping and gulls calling.  You can of course continue at further, or you may decide, as we usually do, to turn around and start heading back. If you do, the walk will probably take between 2 - 2  1/5 hours, depending on your fitness levels and how often you stop to take photos.

We like to end our walk with a delicious lunch at the Crieff Food Co, and perhaps a wander around the town if you still have the energy!