📌 Glen Shee, Perth & Kinross
★★★
Duchray Hill (also called Mealna Letter) straddles the Perthshire / Angus border between Glen Shee and Glen Isla. Topping out at just over 700 metres, it’s surrounded by higher summits including Mount Blair, Monamenach and the Ben Earb / Meall Uaine ridge, but still offers extensive views along Glen Shee and further into the Cairngorms to the north and west. Tracks from near Dalnaglar Castle make light work of (most of) the ascent, but those with waterproof boots can descend towards Loch Beanie on the back of the hill, returning via the Cateran Trail long distance path.
📷 Chronological photo guide
Ascent track 
Looking back over Glen Shee from the top of the forested area 
Mount Blair from Cairn Derig 
Broad ridge to Duchray Hill 
Glen Lochsie from Duchray Hill 
View west from Duchray Hill summit 
Looking north 
Start of the descent to the northeast 
Loch Beanie from the descent 
East end of Loch Beanie 
Frogs 
Track along the south bank of Loch Beanie 
Track along the south bank of Loch Beanie 
Bridge over the Allt Mòr 
Allt Mòr 
Descent to Invereddrie 
Re-crossing the Allt Mòr on the Cateran Trail 
View back up Glen Shee 
Creag na Bruaich 
Toad ball 
Creag na Bruaich from near Dunmay
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at track junction on minor road to Dalnaglar Castle, 1 mi northeast of A93 / B951 junction at Lair, Glen Shee
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NO 149644
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.763762,-3.392880
🚌 Extremely infrequent bus stops at A93 / B951 junction (1 mi)
🚗 Verge parking – don’t block access
📝 Key info
▶ 13 km / 8 mi | ▲ 480 m | ⌛ 4-5 hr
Features: △ Duchray Hill / Mealna Letter (702 m, “Torbett”); 💧 Loch Beanie
⬤ Tough | Good track for most of the ascent & return along the Cateran Way. Elsewhere, mixture of faint paths & pathless sections – navigation skills needed. Section along Loch Beanie is very boggy.
Download file for GPS➡️ Anticlockwise circuit: start – track to top of forestry at 540m contour – Cairn Derig – Duchray Hill – Loch Beanie southeast edge – follow southern shore of loch – cross footbridge at 🧭 NO 151684 – join track at Invereddrie – Cateran Trail to start
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Hundreds of frogs mostly around Loch Beanie, and thousands of toads along the Cateran Trail! A jay, an unidentified bird of prey & a hare which almost ran into us on the ascent. Sheep, rabbits, lizards, pheasants, lapwings, oystercatchers, butterflies.
Weather: Sunny though fairly breezy at times, 15°C at the finish. A few snow patches high on Duchray Hill & on surrounding higher areas.
March 2022
