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ROUTE 3

Water of Ruchill

Start/finish	The Linn car park, Water of Ruchill near Comrie NN763200
Distance	14km/9 miles
Ascent	350m/1100ft
Approx time	4hr
Max altitude	Slopes of Ben Halton 320m
Terrain	Tracks, and a grassy meadow

A walk of parkland, moorland, and woods and fields above Glen Artney. There’s a rough pasture to descend between the two tracks, and a small swamp in Ruchillside Wood. It’s worth walking around this as feet will stay dry on the rest of the route.

Start back down the tarmac lane towards Comrie for 1.2km, first beside Water of Ruchill then between fields. At a right bend, turn back sharp left along a gravel driveway, signed to Aberuchill.

Oakwoods on the right-of-way track above Glen Artney

Before the grand house turn left through a white gate. The track runs uphill, slanting across a field, then up again through woods and past Tomanour onto open hill. Here a track turns off right; follow it for 100 metres to a sculptural grouse butt imitating the artist Andy Goldsworthy. Follow the main track uphill through a gate, usually locked – climb it at the hinge end.

The track runs gently uphill around the base of Ben Halton. After 2km it passes through another gate, now above Glen Artney and below Dun Dubh. A deer fence is just above. After 400 metres, just before a small quarry on the right, the wall below the track has a break where it becomes a railed fence. This is a convenient place to cross it. If you reach a gate through the high deer fence, you’ve gone too far.

Head south down rough pasture. When you see Dalclathick hut below, head directly towards it. However, the Allt Glas prevents you from reaching it. With a streamside plantation on your right, bear left to fenced sheep handling pens. From their back left corner, a green track runs down to a smooth gravel track at the valley floor.

Follow the track left, down-valley, gradually rising through woods. After 2km, it bends uphill towards Blairmore, but here fork right, slightly downhill, on a green track. After a gate it crosses an open field into a wood. Here it dips to cross a stream, then slants slightly uphill, becoming swampy and invisible under rushes. Recapture it beyond the swamp, where it emerges from the wood at a gate.

The track is clearer, and becomes a firm stony one. It slants gently down the valley side to Dalrannoch farm. Here it becomes a tarmac driveway, descending to pass The Linn car park.