Local Interest
Walking in Devilla Forest
The name Devilla is said to come from the Gaelic "dubh" and "eilean" meaning "black island". The forest has a long history of occupation and use. Prehistoric coffins, stone circles and Roman urns have been found in different parts of the forest. Devilla Forest is composed chiefly of Scots pine and has an extensive network of paths and forest roads.
Walk 1 – Round the Moor Loch
Enter the Forest from Osbourne Drive. Instead of following the road into the forest, take a sharp left down a narrow path. The path leads across a small stream and up onto one of the main forest trails leading to the Moor Loch Boat house on the right and the Police College on the left.
Take a Left and then immediate Right. You will pass heavily wooded tall pine trees. At the first junction – continue straight ahead. Right takes you to the Moor Loch Boat house, left takes you to the old ruins Ice House.
Follow this road for about 20 minutes – this road can get very muddy. You may pass several joggers in this stretch in the mornings – they are mainly students from the Police College. You will pass 1 road to the left – leading to farmers fields and 1 to the right – leading to the Moor Loch Dam – well worth a side trip. You will see several views of the Moor Loch on the main path – particularly nice in the Spring and Autumn.
Just after some fields on the left, you keep right as you pass a large tree (on the right) and another junction to the left – this leads to the Peppermill Dam. You will now leave the loch and head into heavier woods.
Another 10 minutes walk takes you through newer planted trees and a clearing with pylons. After this you turn right again taking you past lots of Rhododendrons and then Keir Farm on the left.
This path winds round several corners and again you pass under the line of pylons. Once more you take the next right leading through another area of younger tree’s, the sides of the path here a lined with Yellow Gorse. This is a good area to stop and look up as you get an excellent viewpoint for bird watching.
You are now on the home run, take the next right at the cross roads – straight on leads to the kennels and left leads to Westfield. This next path leads past the Boat House. Straight on at the junction and another 10 minutes returns you to where you entered the forest.
In all this walk should take about a hour and is slightly over 3 miles.
Walk 2 – The Three Lochs
Start at the second Lay-by on the A985 (Kincardine to Dunfermline high road) after Bordie Farm. Follow the path for some 10 minutes, and take your third left (at the second crossroads). After 5 minutes you will come to a slightly overgrown path on the left, beyond which is a nursery of younger trees. Take this path, which will lead you down to the Keir Loch and some very picturesque views.
A footpath on the right follows round the edges of the Loch (be warned – this get very muddy in winter) and across a stream at the Lochs end (again you have several photo opportunities here), returning you to the main forest path, where you turn right. This path is a popular dog walking and horse trekking area, so its worth watching where you put your feet.
At the next crossroads, turn right – this leads you past Kier Farm - there are usually horses in the fields and take the next left towards the Moor loch.
About 10 minutes walk through mixed ages of trees leads an old tree and a muddy path to the right. Carry on and take the next left to visit the Moor Loch Dam. The moor loch changes dramatically from season to season – almost completely dry in the summer, heavy reeds and foliage cover much of it in the spring.
Once you have seen the Moor Loch back the way you came and take the muddy path at the old tree to the Peppermill reservoir. This path will take a good twenty minutes and you pass fields on the left, circumnavigate a heavily wooden hill leading to the Peppermill – the largest loch in the forest.
An old boat quay gives good views of the reservoir – looking west – you will see the Dam. During the summer you can walk along the shores, though the rest of the year you have to take the right hand path which runs parallel to the water. Follow this path for 20 minutes to a 5 way crossroads and take the right hand junction. This takes you over a hill and returns you to the Kier Farm road after another 15 minutes.
At the second crossroads, turn left and after 15 minutes it will return you to the original road – a right turn - which leads you back to the lay-by.
This walk will take about 2 hours and is about 6 miles.