Birnam Hill & Craig Obney
This is a lovely walk starting and finishing in Birnam. The walk takes in Birnam Hill and the ancient hill fort on Craig Obney, a hill that offers a great view of the Highland Boundary. It can also include attractions like the Beatrix Potter visitor centre, the Birnam Oak (a relic of Birnam Wood mentioned in Shakespeare’s Macbeth) or Niel Gow’s Oak by the River Tay.
From Birnam, follows signs for Birnam Hill. The path takes you under the A9 and the railway. The route up the hill is steep, but every so often you get great views of Dunkeld and Birnam, and to the hills beyond. Take a break at the top of Birnam Hill as it is a great viewpoint. From there, follow the signs to drop down the southern slope of the hill. Down at the col, the route becomes more indistinct – there are some occasional animal tracks to follow. Head in a SW direction and as you reach some higher ground a more distinct path can be found.
Follow this path along the broad ridge to the summit of Craig Obney, which sits on the Highland Boundary fault. There are some stony remains of an Iron age hill fort. From here, there are two alternative routes back to Birnam. One starts just before the summit (along the way you’ve walked) – you’ll eventually reach the “Glen Garr path” and then the “Inchewan path”. Follow the signs back to Birnam. The other route returns towards Birnam Hill and then drops eastwards to a track. Turn left and follow the path and track to Stair Bridge. Shortly beyond here you can pick up the Birnam Hill path which takes you back to Birnam.
The description above is not a detailed one. If you wish to try this walk, please make sure you are properly equipped and prepared, and that you have worked out the route on an OS map (the route is on the Landranger map 52 or the Explorer OL49.
Walk Perthshire 