Kinnoull Hill Walk

Kinnoull Hill is a wooded hill to the east of Perth in Scotland.

The walk starts on the eastern bank of the River Tay at the Bellwood Riverside Car Park. We will return to Bellwood Riverside Gardens at the end of the walk.

To start the walk, exit the car park, cross Dundee Road then head left. After a short distance turn right up Manse Road.

Take the fourth right and head up Hatton Road. You will pass St Mary's Monastery on the right. The imposing building was built in 1868 by the Redemptorists.

Continue up Hatton Road as it changes to Corsie Hill Road. On the right, there is roadside parking and a sign indicating Kinnoull Hill Woodland Park, take this path.

The path heads SE, passing a picnic area offering great views to the north.

Continue along the gorsy, grassy path into the woodland.

Continue through the woodland, taking the left turn to head East.

When you reach a track, turn right. Continue following this track as it bends right heading SW towards Kinnoull Tower.

Kinnoull Tower is a folly built in the 1800s by Thomas Hay the 9th Earl of Kinnoull.

After taking a look around the tower, continue along SW as it follows the top of the cliffs. You will pass many points where you can look back at the tower for a great photo opportunity.

Eventually, you will reach a clearing with what looks like a tomb. It is in fact a stone table built again by the 9th Earl of Kinnoull, it is also known as the 'Witches Alter'.

For a short detour, take the path heading north. This leads to the Kinnoull Hill trig point and Toposcope with incredible views over Perth.

After visiting the trig, return to the stone table. Take the path to the right and start heading downhill.

The path heads steeply downhill through the woodland. Look out for the pretty wooden carvings.

Keep heading downhill towards Barnhill.

When you reach Barnhill, take the road right, then left which takes you back down to Dundee Road. Cross the road and head right for a short distance, before taking the pathway on the left that leads down to the riverside.

Follow the path down towards the river bank. It is well worth taking another small detour over the Tay Viaduct.

The viaduct is also known as the West Railway Bridge. It was built in 1864 replacing an earlier timber structure and is approximately 440m long.

The bridge has two spans, the first from Barnhill to Moncreiffe Island, the second is from Moncreiffe Island to Perth City Centre.

After a walk along the viaduct, return to the east river bank.

Take the path left towards the Bellwood Riverside Park and wander around the pretty park.

This riverside contains a few parks, The Norie-Miller Park, the Rodney Gardens and Bellwood Riverside Park.

It is well worth spending some time wandering around them all. There is plenty of beautiful planting, water features and sculptures to enjoy.

Once you have explored the gardens to your heart's content, return to your car or perhaps take a walk into Perth for a bite to eat, and reflect on the wonderful few hours spent.

This route is 7.3km with 290m of ascent.

Follow the above route, or find on OS Maps.