I'm always on the lookout for local hills to climb. A couple of years ago I scaled The Binn which overlooks Burntisland on the Firth of Forth. I was aware of another peak slightly further inland which turned out to be called Dunearn Hill and there appeared to be easy access from the A909. Susan Beech runs the excellent Fife Walking website and it furnished me with further details of the route to the top. At 700 feet it would be a quick tramp up and down but what what really sold me was the promise of unusual artefacts at the summit.
I had checked out parking locations while passing and - annoyingly - concrete blocks had been placed in the lay-by next to the fishery entrance at the bottom of the slopes. This would have been an ideal place from which to launch an assault on the hill. Fortunately there was a slender strip of tarmac a couple of hundred yards further down. Just enough space to get the car off the road. I hopped over a metal gate and picked up the vague grassy path that led to the hillside. Ground level offered nice views of Stenhouse Reservoir with Windy Hill looming behind the water. I soon started the sharp climb, initially under tree cover but quickly emerging on to the open slopes. Unless you're in tip-top physical condition, gaining height rapidly is always tiring and I took a few pauses to look down upon the surrounding landscape. There was no path as such, rather a jumble of faint tracks but the destination was obvious. It was simply a case of keep climbing.
Once the gradient eased I could see there was a choice of two peaks on either side of a narrow valley. Beyond lay a small body of water named Dunearn Loch. Susan's walk description recommended a circuit around the little lake. I decided to tackle the hump on the left as it looked higher than its counterpart and also easier to scale. I quickly reached the top which was covered in low whin bushes and a few trees. There were sufficient gaps to allow a trouble-free passage and enjoy views to the east. There was however no sign of the grand piano I had read about on the Fife Walking site. I paced around to no avail before heading back down. It must be on the other peak, I mused. However this looked rockier and less promising than the summit I'd just scaled. I googled the piano and found a few images. The presence of the Forth Bridge in the background confirmed I did indeed have to switch sides. But first, a stroll around the loch.
Strangely, an old cast-iron bath tub was sitting on the shoreline - full of rainwater and complete with taps! It must have been a tough job to transport it out here. My parents used to have this type of tub and - as a teenager - I tried to help an older relative lift the bath during renovation works. No chance! The only option was to break it up with a sledgehammer. If you ever do this then please wear ear protection as the clang is unbelievably loud. I'll never forget it. I had to cover my ears after the first hit as the noise was actually painful. As to why someone would deposit an intact bath tub on the edge of the loch, perhaps it was used as a drinking trough? Or maybe someone just has a wacky sense of humour. Either way, it's a quirky sight. There was also a canoe lying alongside so I guess the loch is used for paddle practice. Moving on, I spotted a gateway in the surrounding stone wall and doubled back towards the rocky peak. The climb was easy enough and I soon reached the top where I finally found the remains of the piano. It had obviously been up here for a while as it had collapsed and lay in a heap on the ground. Nevertheless, the instrument was still easily recognisable.
Now the brain really does go into overdrive, wondering why on earth a heavy piano was lugged up here. It must indeed have been carried as there was no conceivable way to drive a vehicle up the final slope (whereas, the bath tub probably came at least part of the way on a tractor trailer along the access road to the nearby communications mast). There were stunning views of the Forth Bridges although the position of the sun made it impossible to take a meaningful picture. Certainly a beautiful spot for a sing-song! The piles of broken stonework were - I assume - the remains of the fort which once stood upon Dunearn Hill. I took the direct way back to the valley floor which involved throwing my water bottle ahead of me and carefully levering myself between the gaps in the rocky outcrop. The route to the car was the reverse of the upward climb and I was very happy with my afternoon's exploring. My feet were wringing wet although I was wearing my trusty hillwalking boots. I think there comes a point where the waterproof coating is no longer effective and nothing breaches it more quickly than swishing through knee-high sodden grass. I'm sure there must be a spray that re-applies the seal. I hope so, as the boots are a very comfortable fit.
Over in West Fife, I have been steadily ticking off the relics within Devilla Forest and the excellent map produced by local historians Bob and Meg Smith in the 90s has been invaluable in my quest to track the historical locations down. A working forest changes over time and the map is now around 25 years old. It also isn't drawn exactly to scale but is nonetheless an essential resource for the exploration of this huge plantation. I recently stumbled across a webpage where someone had created a Scribble Map pinpointing the exact locations of the forest treasures overlaid on a Google aerial view. The main path network had handily been drawn in. I wanted to trace the remains of Keir House and also find Keir Well. I decided to approach from the Kincardine End and take a quick walk up to Peppermill Dam in order to get a proper picture of the old reservoir. I'd had to rely on my basic smartphone on my previous visit. The sun was out and I snapped a few shots before making my way around the top end of Moor Loch on the way back. It was relatively straightforward to find the site of Keir House as it was close to a main path and a gap in the trees provided a glimpse of some crumbling stonework. I pushed my way through the undergrowth for a closer inspection.
A rectangular compound was surrounded by a wall which had two or three gaps. My guess is this layout marks the property boundaries. The interior was overgrown but there were no other visible structures. I couldn't find any information online about Keir House, although Keir Farm is close by. Indeed, I saw several horses in a field. A bit of a mystery then. Plenty of evidence still standing but no real confirmation of the function of the house. At this point the rain came on and this necessitated a lot of lens wiping as I tried to take some presentable photos. Time to continue on my merry way and see if could find the old well. The shower turned out to be brief and the skies rapidly cleared. Neither the Scribble Map nor the excellent OpenStreetMap (which usually shows all minor paths) suggested an easy way of reaching the well. My strategy was to walk to a sharp bend reasonably close to the site and rely upon dead reckoning from there. Unfortunately the area I had to enter was extremely boggy and thick spiny bushes proliferated. I did manage to force my way in and stand on a tree stump. I scanned my surroundings but couldn't see any evidence of a water source.
I retreated to the main track and began heading in the direction of the car. Just as I was about to turn off at the next path junction, I noticed there was an easy passage into the woodland and it might be possible to take a longer angled approach to the well from the other side. Worth a shot I told myself. I noticed blue ribbons tied to some of the trees and I remembered how similar sashes had guided me to the location of the strange stone circles in another part of the forest (later research revealed them to be old shooting butts from the days of the Tulliallan Estate). I picked up the ribbon trail and was led right to the spring. Success! I followed the course of the brook back through the trees and soon caught sight of the Keir House remains - now glinting in the sun! I reached a field boundary and was able to stand on the dyke and take some better quality pictures of the old walled enclosure. Backtracking, I diverted on to a narrow path which led to the main forest road. It appears I found the well the hard way. Hindsight is 20/20 vision but part of the fun is finding these locations by hook or crook. It's so easy to walk by a narrow trail leading off a main route, particularly if the beginning is even slightly obscured by vegetation. Anyway, my mission was now accomplished.
Devilla truly is a magical place. There are many things to seek out and it offers much more than your typical Forestry Commission woodland. Not every find is worth the trek however. A couple of weeks previously, I'd gone in search of the remnants of the explosives testing centre and the ruins of Praybrae House. The test area contained little more than a couple of decaying concrete walls and I stumbled across the foundations of the old house among the vegetation. A curio if you happened to be passing but not really a worthy expedition in itself. I did see my first Devilla red squirrel in the vicinity which was nice compensation. Back in the here and now, I wandered towards the forest exit leading into the grounds of the police college. Tulliallan Castle was constructed in the 1820s (an older building had stood on roughly the same site) and was taken over by the police authorities in the 1950s as a training centre for new recruits. Many of these grand estates fell into disrepair as the 20th century progressed and it's pleasing this fate didn't befall Tulliallan. It's a pleasant walk through the college gardens and part of the Fife core path network. The Scottish Police Memorial commemorates the officers who tragically lost their lives while on duty.
The sun was falling upon the castle building and I didn't waste the photo opportunity. Another fruitful expedition to Devilla. I walked the final stretch back to Kincardine in a happy mood. I assumed at the time I'd completed the Devilla treasure trail but I've since read about another couple of locations worth checking out. It's like a gift that keeps on giving! No matter where we live, there is an incredible amount of history on our doorstep worth exploring. It's simply a case of getting out and doing it. I've been inspired by reading other people's blogs and and one of the main reasons for writing my own reports is to give something back.
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