Scotland Off the Beaten Track

Fife | Ballingry | Short walk | ★★★★ [Loch Leven from Castle Craig] This is surely one of lowland Scotland's most underrated small hills. The trig point on lowly Benarty Hill sits at the northern edge of a broad area of high ground. The hill's profile when seen from the north side gives it the nickname Sleeping Giant , but this "giant" is a fairly amiable one when tackled from the south. A short, steep ascent through trees soon leads to a straightforward amble across the plateau with great views looking back. But nothing compares to the surprise view of Loch Leven , only revealed upon arrival at the summit. For the most straightforward route, return the same way. If you fancy a little more of a challenge - and something a little off the beaten track - rougher paths trace the edge of the escarpment to Mulla Crag further west, returning through farmland. [Benarty Hill from Castle Craig] 📌 Walk: Benarty Hill - surprise view from the Sleeping Giant ★★★★ Start /

Perth & Kinross | Kenmore | Stone circle | ★★ [Croft Moraig Stone Circle] Croftmoraig Stone Circle benefits from an unusually accessible location next to the main road along the River Tay upstream of Aberfeldy . At first glance it looks like a messy jumble of stones, but closer inspection reveals a complex double ring with construction perhaps beginning up to 6,000 years ago. The inner circle was originally built using timber posts, later replaced by stones in an oval shape. Finally, the outer ring was added along with a couple of outlying boulders perhaps forming an entrance. The wider setting backed by rolling hills is a peaceful one, with the exception of the occasional passing car. [Croft Moraig Stone Circle] Location & info 📌 Croft Moraig Stone Circle ★★ By the A827 at Croftmoraig Farm, 2 mi northeast of Kenmore, G.R.: NN 798473 ///orbited.uniform.parent Always open | Free [Croft Moraig Stone Circle]

Perth & Kinross | Village | ★★ [The Square, Kenmore] Kenmore is the attractive settlement at the foot of serpentine Loch Tay in Highland Perthshire. Take away the holiday homes on the fringes and the old core of the village is surprisingly small, but almost perfectly formed. A line of whitewashed cottages face off against the Kenmore Hotel (Scotland's oldest inn, they say), occupying the two longer sides of the village square (should that be village rectangle?) which is now bisected by the A827. On the shorter sides there are two gateways: a little arch into the grounds of Kenmore Church at the west end, and the contrastingly enormous entrance to Taymouth Castle to the east. Wander south alongside the main road to open up superb views along the loch. Look carefully and you should be able to make out a conical roof about half a mile away. This is a reconstructed crannog, and the main part of the excellent Scottish Crannog Centre: the area's most interesting manmade att

Perth & Kinross | Glen Lyon | Half day walk | ★★★ [Loch Rannoch from Garbh Mheall, beyond Meall Buidhe] Of all the Munros in the Central Highlands, Meall Buidhe above Loch an Daimh involves one of the longest drives from Scotland's cities to get to the start, including a tortuous 550 metre-high pass if the direct route is taken (to be avoided in winter). Once you've set off on foot, reaching the summit is surprisingly quick and straightforward in good conditions, and the hill is often combined with Stùc an Lochain on the other side of the glen, returning to the car in the middle. We're in no rush, so our route instead includes a mile's extension to the basic there-and-back hike: adding the subsidiary summit of Garbh Mheall accesses the very best views of Loch Rannoch, in addition to the vast panorama over Rannoch Moor which can be enjoyed from Meall Buidhe itself. [Loch an Daimh] 📌 Walk: Meall Buidhe - going the extra mile ★★★ Start / finish just below Lo