Newtyle Hill

Newtyle Hill

Well, that was a fair bit of effort just to complete this small hill. My one tip to anyone contemplating this route is do it in the winter or spring before the undergrowth flourishes. Although I enjoyed my walk overall I can’t say that I enjoyed the final section, more to follow.
The weather forecast of fog to low levels around Dalwhinnie, along with high winds and rain, changed my plans for today, instead I opted for Newtyle Hill, a sub 2000 at all of 317m so should be fog free.
The winds were battering the static van all night, I thought the big storm not due for 24 hours, clearly wrong. Still after a good roll of Lorne slice from MacDonald's the butcher I was ready to go. They do cut a large slice of sausage, same goes for the well hung ribeye for my dinner tonight.

River Tay from Dunkeld Newtyle hill behind

Arrived at Dunkeld early on a Sunday morning and the place was rammed with cars, no obvious spaces to be see, where to park? Eventually I drive back over the bridge to Little Dunkeld and just stopped in the road, no warning signs. There also seemed to be an awful lot of cyclists around considering the weather forecast but as I was to find out on my hill, an MTB enduro event with over 300 participants was on today, hence no easy parking.
Still at this stage it was a pleasant enough morning as I wandered back over the bridge, no salmon leaping, and waited a moment or two to try and get a bit of sunlight on the island in the Tay. Then into Dunkeld and a quick right took me up the steep brae, that got the breathing going. Some lovely properties around and a communal garden area to keep the community spirit high.

Go left here

I followed the tarmac road until I came across the signs for the Loch of the Lowes trail, turn left and follow this and before long reach the egg hutch with an honesty box. 

I was intending to buy some but it was  empty of eggs, no free range scrambled eggs tomorrow. There was money inside so just too late, probably all those bikers got them.
A pleasant forest walk, trees and ferns going orange, leads you to a big gate, the workers route to the transmitter ariel. The other track is the lower level loch walk. Go through the side gate and follow this track up the hill.

Autumn colours

At the first bend, on your left, there is a stile crossing the deer fence. Feel free if you are a masochist, if the terrain is similar to the last section is anything to go by good luck. I continued up the track and reached the next fence at the deforested war zone terrain.

Deforistation ahead

Now that I am out of tree cover and onto the exposed area the wind gusts are significant, the rain is getting stronger and Birnham hill has just disappeared in the gloom. It is however very warm and I change my heavier shell top to a lighter Gore-Tex jacket.

Left or nothing

At the junction there is no option other than to follow the zig-zag trail as the bike route is taped off and a very obvious yellow sign. As I walk the trail I realise that there are a lot of bike tracks so I am staying alert for a fast descending MTB. I am also aware of hearing the odd voice on the wind, close or far.
A flash of blue is spotted in the undergrowth, it is a race marshall, cold and wet. We have a chat, the bike racers are coming this way, over 300 of them. 

Pushing uphill

I continue towards the starting hut mentioned in a previous report and am now being passed by quite a few bikers , more of them walking than cycling which surprised me or maybe not it is a long way up to cycle. It then transpires when chatting to some that the only timed section is the downhill run.
I reach the hut mentioned in a previous report and walk on looking for the stile, no track now and going through some pretty heavy undergrowth, a machete would have been helpful, this can't be right. 

This does not look or feel right

The rain is hosing down so the phone out and the online OS map briefly examined. I retrace my steps and it transpires I must have misread the report as there is a stile before the hut not after, probably missed it as too busy looking out for bikers.

1st style

I attempted to follow the brick wall which has a new deer fence alongside but the undergrowth is pretty hard going. Deforested tree debris are well hidden in the large heather growth. Ferns at chest height to negotiate and new trees are blocking the obvious walking. I keep the wall as close as feasible, the wind and rain also combining to hinder, this is unpleasant. After my previous camera malfunctioned/died after getting wet via the zoom lens retracting back into the dry body, my new one was now firmly in a dry bag, hidden away so no more snaps today.
I found and clambered across the last style with difficulty, using the wire fence more than I should have. Not as robust as the previous one. Using a previous report on the phone I kept going (life without 4g?), without it I probably would have just turned back. Using their snaps I got to the small cairn and no hanging about to fight my way back through that stuff.

River Tay & Dunkeld

Back on the track it was now constant bikers of all ages, sexes and sizes. Apparently this was only one of 6 stages today, a very tough day indeed. I got so immersed with them that I continued down a trail that I did not realise was there to finish up at the main road, now with a longer tarmac walk back to Dunkeld. There were many areas to stop and watch the bikers fly through. I also MTB but this was a skill set up for me, particularly as I watched a few painful looking crashes.
Still an enjoyable day, the rain was now off. Wildlife barren as the weather except some bullfinches, a good few months since I last saw one. Don’t think that I will be rushing to return to this hill.
Looks like hurricane Ophelia will be altering my last two planned days as well, the joys of Scotland.

Distance: 5.84 miles (9.40km)
Ascent: 1076ft (328m)
Time: 2 hr 48min