The Woodland Park

Right alongside the City of Perth in Scotland lies the most wonderful Woodland Park of Kinnoull Hill. It can be reached in only a short walk to the East from the city centre across the bridges over the River Tay.

Stretching for some two and half miles (roughly 4 kilometres) from end to end Kinnoull Hill was in 1991 the first Woodland Park to be designated in Scotland. It is partly owned by the Perth and Kinross Council and partly by the Forestry Commission.

The Hill itself is some 222 metres high and at many points on the ascent there are magnificent views in all directions – east along the Tay Estuary toward Dundee and Fife, south west to the Ochils, west over the city of Perth as far as Ben Vorlich and Ben More, north to the foothills of the Grampians, Ben Lawers and Schiehallion and north east as far the Lochnagar massif. Views in fact to much of central Scotland and well worth the uphill walk.

Kinnoull Hill with its trees was gifted to the Town Council of Perth by Lord Dewar in 1924 and the land lying around Deuchney Hill was later acquired from the Kinfauns Estate by the Forestry Commission.

The top of Kinnoull Hill is dominated by a folly of a ruined castle, standing on the rocky cliffs high above the River Tay and the road to Dundee.

While the top of the hill can be reached by paths from the city centre up past Branklyn Garden (follow the signs to Branklyn) in the Barnhill district of the city, the route on this side is quite steep and climbs all the way from the River Tay at sea level. Note too there is no public car park in Barnhill. However the nearest city centre car parks are only a few hundred yards away.

The easiest approach to the hill and the woodland park is from the car parks at Corsie Hill where the top of Kinnoull is an easy walk on good paths or from the Jubilee Car Park on the Forestry Commission land by the Deuchney burn at the foot of Deuchney Hill, on the small back road leading out of Perth past the Murray Royal Hospital towards Kinfauns and Glencarse.

For details of walks and other activities in the Woodland Park click the appropriate button at the top of this page.