SCOTLAND is not short of great hill walks. We are spoiled with the likes of Conic Hill’s stunning views of Loch Lomond or the Trossachs ’ “mountain in miniature” Ben A'an, but one hill that overlooks one of the country's most famous landmarks could be flying under a lot of budding hikers' radars.
Although it is no secret spot and is popular amongst hillwalkers across the Forth Valley, Dumyat’s lure doesn’t seem to reach many people outside the Stirlingshire area.
I often speak with friends who are looking for fun spots to walk over the summer, and the 418-metre-tall hill never seems to make their shortlist despite it, in my opinion, being one of the better family-friendly options for a day out on Scotland’s hilltops.
A colleague of mine had recently asked for recommendations for “beginner-friendly” hikes, and I was surprised that they hadn’t come across Dumyat following their research.
I was also surprised that the Ochils' most arguably famous peak didn’t seem to feature in many of the “Scotland’s best hillwalks” lists that I found, which regularly featured the likes of Arthur's Seat, The Cobbler and Ben Nevis.
So, with it being around a year since I last took on the hour-ish trek, I decided to revisit the hill that overlooks my hometown and see if Dumyat is still the hike that I loved growing up.
I arrived at its main car park, just up from the reservoir and via the back entrance from Dunblane, on a warm summer’s evening last week. To my surprise, the site, which is usually full to the brim, leading to cars having to park on the surrounding verges, was almost empty.
You are met with an information board and a small gravel track which leads you to the main path up the southern side of the hill.
The board retells Dumyat’s history and how it was home to an ancient tribe known as the Maeatae, from which the hill lends its name from “fort of the Maeatae”.
The path is well-looked after and is flanked by grassy verges on both sides.
It’s not long into the hike that you are met with the first sort of viewing platform, which offers the most stunning view of the Wallace Monument and the city of Stirling in the backdrop.
Although the route is mostly gravel underfoot, meaning you can do most of the walk with just a pair of trainers, there are a few slightly rocky sections which will need a small amount of scaling.
The incline itself isn’t too bad either, with a few joggers and even a cyclist zipping past my friend and me, while we slowly meandered to the top.
It’s certainly steep enough to feel like a proper hill walk but not overly demanding, so an almost perfect blend for beginner hikers.
At around halfway there’s some taller grass on the verges straddling the path with scores of thistles poking above the foliage.
I am no seasoned hiker, but even I am able to hike Dumyat without too much huffing and puffing or any sort of soreness in my legs.
When you reach the main summit, you are met with the most breathtaking views of the Forth Valley with the River Forth snaking around the surrounding areas.
You don’t realise just how high up you are until you see how small the likes of Stirling Castle and Wallace Monument look below.
The views stretch as far as the Forth Road Bridge and the start of the Trossachs, and my friend and I spent much longer than I would like to admit pointing out all the places we used to haunt in Clackmannshire growing up.
Some of Scotland’s most recognisable mountains are also viewable from the north-west of Dumyat, including Ben Ledi, Ben Lomond, Ben Vorlich and Stùc a’ Chroin.
For those who enjoy a nice “selfie spot” for when you reach the top of a hill, Dumyat has both a white painted triangular marker and a beacon filled with rocks from other climbers.
There is also a circular stone memorial bench along with another light blue memorial for those in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders during the Second World War.
We watched the warm summer sun dip below the clouds, and with a steep drop in temperature, we decided to start the hour-long descent back to the car park below.
Normally I find going back down the hardest part of any hike as it usually puts a lot of force on my knees, but due to the forgiving gradient on the trek, it’s not too bad at all.
The well-kept gravel paths help with descending easily, with the small rocky stages not too difficult to traverse as well.
Although we took on Dumyat on a warm, dry day, I have hiked the route in less favourable weather, and the path does get quite muddy, but it isn’t too slippery underfoot.
After my two-hour round trip, Dumyat safely reaffirmed to me why I think it punches well above its weight as one of the best easy hikes Scotland offers.
With it located just outside Stirling and easily accessible by car, there is a bus stop right at the foot of it, but it would add another hour to the journey; it does make me wonder why it isn’t in the mix as one of the best short hikes the country has to offer.
I guess until it starts popping up on more people’s radars, now is the best time to try out what could be Scotland’s most underrated hillwalk.
