Peppermill Dam (4 miles)
Much of Devilla Forest in West Fife was once part of Tulliallan Estate with the castle at its western edge. Nowadays the Scottish Police College occupies the castle site and the Forestry Commission administers the woodland. This walk visits the largest of Devilla's four lochs and also traces part of the estate's surviving industrial heritage.
A map of Devilla Forest showing the main paths and places of interest opens in a new window here.
A free public car park is situated on Kirk Street next to Tulliallan Primary School. Head uphill and keep going straight on after passing a church. We swing right at another church and enter the grounds of the Scottish Police College. This is a core path but the authorities do have the right to challenge you. Turn right and stick to the access road, passing the police memorial.
Head into Tulliallan Wood at the green Forestry Commission sign. Bear left at the first junction and keep to this main path, ignoring a couple of routes going off to the side. You will see Moor Loch on your right and as we round its northern tip, we take the path heading away to the left. This route brings us to the edge of Peppermill Dam - a large body of water engineered as a reservoir for a paper mill. Between Moor Loch and Peppermill, a minor track splits to the right, signed for the pump house. Should you wish to take a look, the remains of the pumping station can be reached in a few minutes. The structure was built over a natural spring to supply Tulliallan Castle with piped fresh water.
Once at Peppermill Dam, double back on a narrower path which runs alongside the water's edge to the outflow lock. Admire the view stretching along the entire length of the loch. Take the path leading away from the outflow point and you will soon spot an elevated ruined building. This is an old mausoleum upon the site of an ancient chapel and it's worth scrambling up the rough track for a closer look. Headstones date from the 1600s and some are adorned with skull and crossbones motifs.
Return to the previous path and follow it round as we wind our way back towards the police college. Pass through the grounds and we are back at the entrance to Tulliallan Wood. Before heading back into Kincardine, it's worth searching out a couple of old buildings from the days when the place was a working estate. The minor path through the trees to your immediate left skirts the boundary of the police property and then parallels a field for a short distance before bringing you to the remains of a laundry house in a clearing. This diversion is 300 yards each way.
Back at the forest gate, walk into the woods and note the earth mound on your left after a very short distance. Scramble up and over. You should see a small earthwork which turns out to be the ice house that serviced the castle in Victorian times.
