Marilyn · Perthshire
Knock of Crieff
The Knock of Crieff is the wooded knoll that rises immediately behind the town of Crieff in NN-square Strathearn. Its 279m summit, marked by an indicator pillar, looks south over the Earn valley to the Ochils and north into the Sma' Glen. The hill is managed as a community park and crossed by a network of waymarked paths.
Quick facts
- Height
- 279.2m/ 916ft
- Prominence
- 163 m
- Grid ref
- NN 87308 23394
- Nearest city
- Perth· 24km
- Dogs
- Dogs on lead required near livestockDog-friendly guide ↗
Height and prominence cross-checked against the Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY).
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Standard route
woodland paths 30% · heather moorland 50% · rocky summit 20%
Start from the small Knock Road car park above MacRosty Park. A clockwise round follows the blue-marker path through Douglas fir and beech to the viewpoint, then descends past the old quarry and through bluebell woods back to the start — under 4km in total.
Terrain
Managed estate woodland and gravelled paths — firm year-round, with one short steep pull through Sitka spruce on the south side. The viewpoint is on bare rock and grass.
In winter
A low community wood where deep snow is rare; the main winter issue is glaze ice on the gravel paths after a freeze-thaw, and mud after rain. Daylight runs short from November through January, so an early start is sensible.
Best time of year
Getting there
- Glasgow2h 45m
- Edinburgh2h 0m
OS maps: OS Landranger 52, OS Landranger 58, OS Explorer 047E, OS Explorer 368E
Mobile signal: Decent up top; solid on EE and Vodafone. Views across Strathearn.
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 05:13
- Sunset
- 21:31
- Civil dawn
- 04:23
- Civil dusk
- 22:21
NOAA Solar Calculator · 30 July 2026
Around Knock of Crieff on the SCOT network
Getting there, basing yourself, and what to do off the hill.
Getting there: Gleneagles station
Glen Devon; Ochil ridges; Auchterarder; PGA Centenary course access
12km from the hill
tripscot.co.uk
On TripSCOTBase yourself in Dunkeld
Southern Cairngorms gateway — Hermitage, Loch of the Lowes
25km from the hill
tripscot.co.uk
On TasteSCOTAfter the hill: The Glenturret
Crieff — Scotland's oldest working distillery; Famous Grouse Experience
3km from the hill
tastescot.co.uk
Knock of Crieff — common questions
- How difficult is Knock of Crieff?
- Knock of Crieff carries a 1/5 (easy) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Underfoot: Managed estate woodland and gravelled paths — firm year-round, with one short steep pull through Sitka spruce on the south side.
- What is Knock of Crieff's prominence?
- 163m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Knock of Crieff to the next higher ground. That drop is what qualifies it as a Marilyn — a hill with at least 150m of descent on every side.
- When is the best time to climb Knock of Crieff?
- March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Knock of Crieff. Beyond that window the high ground turns wintry: carry full mountain kit, be confident navigating, and check the SAIS avalanche forecast for the area.
- Is Knock of Crieff dog-friendly?
- Yes, but dogs must be kept on a lead — there is livestock or ground-nesting bird interest on the route.
- Is there mobile signal on Knock of Crieff?
- Decent up top; solid on EE and Vodafone. Views across Strathearn.
- Is Knock of Crieff safe in winter?
- A low community wood where deep snow is rare; the main winter issue is glaze ice on the gravel paths after a freeze-thaw, and mud after rain. Daylight runs short from November through January, so an early start is sensible.
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