The Craigs
The Craigs Trail
Distance: 5km/3miles
A memorable route along a cliff top path,returning through attractive ash woodland. Parts of this route are steep and slippery, and in places it goes very close to the cliff edge. Not suitable for timid walkers, small children or vertigo sufferers!
Start at a track opposite the entrance to Wester Craigend. Take a narrow path steeply uphill through young birch trees. After about 300m the angle relents and at this point you might just be able to make out the remains of an Iron Age dun, or small fort, on a little knoll at the edge of the cliff.
Continuing along the top of Sauchie Craigs, the route winds it way through spruce, birch and beech trees, always staying close to the cliff edge. The views from here are lovely, with the wooded valley of the Bannock Burn beneath your feet and the Perthshire mountains dominating the distant skyline.
After a mile or so the path crosses a forestry track. Carry on for another mile until you start to swing left above Windy Yet. This looks like a small glen from above, but is actually a col linking Sauchieburn and North Third. It is aptly named, being a natural wind funnel for the prevailing southwesterlies.
Once down in Windy Yet look up to your left. The point where the cliffs end on the skyline marks the site of an Iron Age fort (see the Lewis Hill walk). A steep path leads up to the fort, if you are feeling energetic, otherwise continue to the reservoir (beware of fishermen casting their lines)and back along paths and forestry tracks to the start.
