Kinnoull Hill Views
Kinnoull Hill’s Tower Trail is a pleasant easy-to-medium-difficulty walk, and of course it also offers spectacular views. There are some winter days when said spectacular views are shrouded in mist, so it’s best to wait for a clear and sunny day for your walk. For his most recent trip, Nathan decided to go in the late afternoon, as the sun was just beginning to drop below the horizon.
Even without the view, there’s plenty to see on this walk, located on the outskirts of Perth. Starting off by skirting round some fields, it soon opens out to a wide and usually dry path, which slopes gently upwards through the woodland. Make sure to stop and admire the eagle sculpture on the way up—and there’s are lots of other sculptures to keep an eye out for as well, including a rather charming falcon.
Once you get to the top, the folly ruins that sit on the very edge of the hill calls invitingly. No photographer, professional or amateur, could surely resist walking round to the spot where it’s possible to capture the tower perched high on its cliff, with the river gleaming below.
The folly itself was built by the 9th Earl of Kinnoull in the 18th century, and the most interesting thing about it, to my mind at least, is it may be what the ‘Lesley Castle’ contained in Jane Austen’s juvenilia is inspired by. Written when she was around 16, she certainly describes the castle as being ‘situated two miles from Perth on a bold projecting Rock’ and mentions its ‘extensive view’ of the town and surroundings. However, the Jane Austen Society UK tells us she never visited Scotland, so perhaps this is just a happy chance.
Nathan’s wisdom in choosing to take his photos in the late afternoon, going into early evening, are evident in the results, with watery sunshine glinting through the trees and casting a glow over Perth, the sky still a deep blue that’s reflected in the river. He wasn’t the only one to enjoy it, as a couple of people on the nearby bench had also chosen to watch the sunset from there. It is indeed a perfect spot for it, and it is possible to make it back down before dark.
All in all, this is a short walk of only about a mile, and takes about an hour to an hour and a quarter to accomplish, depending on how long you remain at the top. And although a very nice walk in its own right, it is really the view that you’ll want to enjoy, so make sure to choose a clear day, perhaps take a flask of coffee, soup or hot chocolate, and prepare to sit and enjoy it for as long as it takes to unwind.
If you’d like to enjoy a walk at Kinnoull Hill without going up to the summit, you could instead try the Jubilee Trail, which only takes about half an hour to accomplish, or for a longer walk there’s always the Deuchny Trail, taking about 2 1/2 hours.
