 |
| Jasper looking out over Bordie Loch (click/tap to enlarge) |
Devilla Forest is a large Scots pine forest near Kincardine in Fife that offers lots of walking opportunities and is a great place for Jasper and Tommy to have a good run around off the lead. It's also another excellent choice to visit in the autumn as it's ablaze with colour. It only has one way-marked route though: "The Red Squirrel Trail" and it's rather short at 1.2 miles. The wider forest contains four lochs and plenty of paths throughout but only the main path junctions have signs, so it's a bit tricky to find your way around a specific route without a map.
Our circular route is approximately six miles long and takes in most of the Red Squirrel Trail, along with all four of the lochs (Bordie Loch, Moor Loch, Peppermill Dam and Keir Dam). It's quite a long route to cover and so I've split the article into two parts.
Since Devilla is a working forest, do look out for and obey any signs and diversions that might be in place from time to time. The operators have put hardcore (large rough stones) down on some of the main forest tracks. Following numerous complaints, they have made these stones smaller but it is still advisable to wear walking boots or decent cushioned / sturdy shoes. Some of the route can be a bit muddy, though you can generally walk around the path edges to avoid it. There's also one little stone crossing over a burn, where you'll need to walk through a couple of centimetres of water.
I'll provide distances in respect of the directions but you should also use a map as it's easy to take a wrong turn. Maps, GPS navigation file and link to car park on Google Maps, can all be found at the end of Part 2 of the article. All images can be clicked / tapped to enlarge. Information is current as of our last visit in October 2022.
Our walk starts from the main car park. The car park is free and a decent size, though it does get busy during weekends and holidays. Most visitors stick to the squirrel trail however, so once you're out into the wider forest it's generally pretty quiet.
 |
| Devilla Forest Car Park is a semi-circle with additional spaces out of shot (click/tap to enlarge) |
Exit the car park through the wooden arches and head out on to the way-marked "Red Squirrel Trail" as per the below.
 |
| Take the "Red Squirrel Trail" to the left of the information board |
Our trip along the squirrel trail on Halloween was quiet and atmospheric. The autumn scenery was gorgeous and at times rather spooky too!
Stick to the main Red Squirrel Trail path for just over 3/4 of a mile, passing Bordie Loch. You can also take a short detour down to the loch, where you'll find a nice picnic spot.
 |
| Jasper hasn't quite mastered the art of hiding! |
At the T-junction, we leave the narrow path and turn right onto a main track as per the photo below.
 |
| Turn right at the T-junction |
Continue on the main track for 0.16 miles, until you reach a crossroads with another main track. Take the track left as per below photos.
 |
| Jasper and Tommy are trying to go the wrong way, so ignore them and take the track left instead between a pair of green posts! |
 |
| Take this track left between the green posts |
Stick to this main track for approx. 1/3rd of a mile. The track bends right and runs parallel to a row of electricity pylons, before arriving at another T-junction.
 |
| Tommy's still full of beans! |
At the T-junction with another main track, turn left as per photo.
 |
| Take the left path at the T-junction |
Continue on the track for approx. a 1/4 of a mile until a crossroads with another main track is reached at a green barrier.
 |
| Jasper: "Quick Tommy they're taking another photo, do a cool pose like me!" Tommy: "Yeh totally copying you bud!" Jasper: "You're doing something stupid with your tongue again aren't you?" |
At the crossroads with the green barrier, take the main track right as per below photo.
 |
| At the crossroads, take the main track right |
Continue on this track for a little under 1/4 of a mile until we reach another main crossroads.
 |
| "Are you sure it's this way? It looks a bit muddy!" |
At the crossroads, take the narrow right hand path that goes off into the forest as per below.
 |
| Turn to the right and walk to the green barrier |
 |
| Instead of following the main track through the barrier, take the narrow path to the right of the barrier into the trees |
 |
| Jasper and Tommy helpfully showing us which way to go! |
Follow the path a short distance through the trees until we emerge on the path running along Moor Loch.
 |
| As we emerge from the gloom of the trees, take the path left |
 |
| Follow the path left along the loch |
Continue along the loch for 0.17 miles until a T-junction is reached beyond the loch.
 |
| Jasper loving his splash about in Moor Loch. Best stay away from that swan though! |
The path leaves the loch and comes to a T-junction with a main track, where we turn right.
 |
| Turn right at the T-junction |
Follow the track for a little under 1/2 a mile until we reach a sign-post where the track forks. Along the way we have some nice views back down Moor Loch.
 |
| View back down Moor Loch with a boat house in the distance |
 |
| In a surprising turn of events, Tommy gets photographed on another bench! |
When we reach the point where the track forks at the sign-post, take the track to the left as per photo.
 |
| Follow the track left here |
Continue up the track for approx. 1/2 a mile to Peppermill Dam. The path bends right and soon joins another narrow path. You can take a detour here if you wish and get a better view down the dam. If you want to do that, take the lower narrow path running back to the left. The detour is roughly half a mile each way. Otherwise our route continues straight on, along the dam.
 |
| You can take the left hand narrow path here for a better view down the dam |
 |
| The view down the damn via the detour |
That's it for part 1. Click
here for part 2!
Hi do you know you can walk right round peppermill dam?
ReplyDeleteYes, I'd walked the circular route around the dam quite some time ago via the path behind the golf club. I couldn't remember if it was really muddy and I planned to revisit that route at some point. Do you recall what the path is like this time of year?
ReplyDelete