Hillfoot Hill and Castle Campbell

These two routes explore Hillfoot Hill to the north of Dollar with one route offering the option to visit Castle Campbell. This route includes some grass / dirt paths which can be a bit muddy at times but the Hillfoot Hill route is entirely on landrover track.

Start / finish: Dollar (Community Woodland). Small car park at grid ref NS 970 992 on the “back road” between Dollar and Muckhart.

Hillfoot Hill Circuit

Distance: 3.2 miles / 5.1 km
Ascent: 985 feet / 300 m
Terrain: Forest tracks, unsurfaced paths

Hillfoot Hill and Castle Campbell

Distance: 3.1 miles / 5 km
Ascent: 850 feet / 260 m
Terrain: Forest tracks, unsurfaced paths

Note: Timber felling during early 2022 may affect these routes.

Route Map

Start from the community woodland car park at grid ref NS 970 992 on the back road between Dollar and Muckhart. From the car park go right along the road for a short distance until you reach a track on your left heading up the hill. Go up this track to the point where it splits. Keep to the right passing through a gate on the landrover track following it up the hillside.

The track does a sharp hairpin bend to the right and you can stay on the track walking round this bend. However, a short cut can be taken on a dirt / grass path. Look out for where the path crosses over the track and turn right up the hillside on the path through recently planted forestry. The stand of pine trees to your left marks the position of “Paradise Pool”. If you don’t mind the rough ground, you can make a detour over to it. Follow the path until it rejoins the landrover track further up the hill and turn right.

The forestry around here has been felled which although leaving a bit of a mess on the ground does mean that there are excellent views south over the River Forth to the Central belt. Eastwards the views extend to the Lomond Hills in Fife and beyond.

When you reach a T junction at a solitary tree go right to follow the track in an anti-clockwise direction around the hill.

Hillfoot Hill (purple)

Stay on the landrover track which will circle around Hillfoot Hill taking your through a spruce plantation. At the back of the hill the views open up and you can look down on the Glendevon right of way to the north. As you come around the hill the views then open up to the west. Continue right around the hill until you return to the track junction. From here head back down the hill the same way as you came up.

Hillfoot Hill and Castle Campbell (magenta)

When you reach the start of the forestry on your left hand side take the path to your left at the red arrow marker post. Follow the grass / dirt path along the front of the forest with open views to your left over to the River Forth. Towards the end of the path some fallen trees are easily negotiated. By now you will have views to the hills ahead of you. When the path meets up with the landrover track go left downhill to reach a bench at a corner. From this corner take the grass/dirt path to your right which starts to go downhill through young spruce trees.

The path will eventually meet the Glendevon right of way path at a blue marker post. Go left at this marker post (don’t follow the arrow) continuing downhill towards Castle Campbell and Dollar Glen. When you reach a metal gate, go through the gate if you want to visit the castle. If you are not bothered about the castle you can take the path to the left of the gate. Assuming you go through the gate you will join a road at a house (which used to be a scout hut for outdoor activities). To detour to the castle, turn right and walk downhill to reach the castle. Otherwise go left on the road through another gate and past a small car park.

After the car park, go left up a few steps on another grass / dirt path. To your right is the small summit of Gloom Hill (Castle Campbell is also sometimes know as Castle Gloom). The path that was to the left of the gate before the castle, joins from the left hand side. Cross over a broken wall following the path, keeping the wall to your right. The ground on the other side of the wall used to be part of the policies of Hillfoot House, hence the rhododendrons. Soon the path will rejoin the landrover track where you turn right to follow it back down the hill to your starting point.