History and wildlife found on interesting routes
Duncanrig Ramblers headed to Perth and Kinross for two walks between Comrie and Crieff and enjoyed a nice, dry and sunny day.
The high walk started at the entrance to Auchingarrich wildlife centre and walkers passed Nissan huts of Cultybraggan Prisoner of War Camp.
During World War II this was POW Camp 21 and housed Italian and later German prisoners of war.
This ‘black’ camp, which held ardent Nazis, became infamous after anti-Nazi German POW Wolfgang Rosterg was lynched there by fellow inmates.
The perpetrators were hanged after the war for the act. Rudolf Hess was imprisoned within the camp overnight. The camp hit the headlines when a former inmate left his fortune to the village of Comrie.
The group’s route then passed through the wildlife centre on a right of way. Leaving the centre, the walkers followed paths through lovely oak and birch trees and then a pine forest before reaching a single track for a 393-metre climb to the summit of Torlum Hill.
Ramblers enjoyed the views from the summit before descending down through Torlum Wood joining a light rail transit (LRT) leading through a forest before reaching a minor tarred road that runs between Muthill and Comrie.
They then made a short climb uphill on the road before turning onto a woodland track and a small climb up onto to the summit of Knock Mary Hill.
This hill was the location of a Scottish clan battle fought in 1511 between the Clan Murray against the Clan Drummond and Clan Campbell. Descending the hill the walkers had High spot some fine views over to the town of Crieff.
The final stretch of the walk descended down some woodland and into the car park at the Crieff visitor centre where the coach was waiting.
The alternate walk started on the edge of Comrie close to the site of a Roman camp.
In 79AD the Roman General Agricola chose what are now the outskirts of Comrie as the site to build a fort and temporary marching camp, because of the area’s strategic position on the southern fringe of the Highlands.
The fort is one of the line of so-called “Glen blocking” forts which runs from Drumquhassle to Stracathro and includes the legionary fortress of Inchtuthil.
The walkers followed a track for a mile to the entrance of Auchingarrich wildlife centre.
As the ramblers passed through the centre, they caught a glimpse of the animals before gradually climbing uphill through the lovely oak, birch and pine forest with great views of the Perthshire hills.
After walking on a minor tarred road, the walkers joined a woodland track then ascended to the summit of Knock Mary Hill. The group then descended down through the woodland and into Crieff where they enjoyed their social hour.
The ramblers will next embark on two walks down the Clyde coast at Largs this Sunday.
Visit www.duncanrig.com for details on all club activities.