Is there a walk straight from Crieff town centre?

Yes — the Knock of Crieff, a 279m Marilyn reached from the car park above MacRosty Park a few minutes from the High Street. The waymarked loop through Douglas fir and beech to the viewpoint and back is under 4km, doable before lunch or after dinner.

Why is Ben Chonzie recommended for Munro beginners?

The Glen Lednock approach from Coishavachan avoids scrambling or exposed ridgework — a track followed by a clear path onto a broad, grassy south ridge, gaining 700m over roughly 13km return. It is one of the least technically demanding 900m-plus summits in Scotland, though the plateau still deserves full winter kit when snow lies.

What is the Sma' Glen and is it worth visiting without climbing a hill?

The Sma' Glen is the narrow pass the A822 threads between Crieff and Amulree, associated with the poet Ossian in local tradition and with fine river scenery regardless of altitude. Auchnafree Hill and Ben Chonzie's northern approaches both start from its car parks, but the glen itself makes a pleasant short drive or roadside walk on its own.

Can I reach Crieff's hills without a car?

The Knock is walkable from anywhere in Crieff. Everything else is a stretch: Stagecoach buses reach Crieff itself from Perth, but Glen Lednock and the Sma' Glen trailheads have no onward service, so Ben Chonzie and Auchnafree Hill are effectively car-only days from the town.

Perthshire

Walks Near Crieff

30 hills within 30km — 4 Munros, 5 Corbetts, 14 Grahams, 7 Donalds. Sorted by straight-line distance.

Crieff has a hill of its own before the car even gets loaded — the Knock rises straight from MacRosty Park at the edge of town — and beyond it Strathearn opens onto genuinely serious ground: Ben Chonzie, one of the gentlest Munros in Scotland, and the Sma' Glen corbetts and grahams that ring the town on three sides. Fewer visitors reach this cluster than the equivalent hills further north around Pitlochry, despite the walking being every bit as good.

No railway reaches Crieff — the branch line closed in 1964 — so Stagecoach buses from Perth (about 40 minutes) or Stirling are the public transport option, both dropping in the town centre a short walk from the Knock. Glen Turret and Ben Chonzie's Coishavachan layby are a 15-minute drive north; the Sma' Glen car parks for Auchnafree Hill are the same distance west on the A822. A car opens up the full Strathearn hill list within half an hour.

4Munros 5Corbetts 14Grahams 7Donalds

Top walks near Crieff

Knock of Crieff

The town's own Marilyn — a woodland loop from the small car park above MacRosty Park through Douglas fir and beech to a viewpoint over Strathearn, then back past the old quarry and bluebell woods. Under 4km and barely half an hour's walk from the High Street.

2km from Crieff

Ben Chonzie

Perthshire's gentlest Munro at 933m — a Land Rover track then a clear stalkers' path up Glen Lednock from the Coishavachan layby near Comrie, gaining the broad south ridge without any real difficulty. A good first Munro, and a fine winter one when the summit plateau holds snow.

13km from Crieff

Auchnafree Hill

A Sma' Glen Corbett reached from the Newton Bridge layby — estate track through forestry and heather, then open grass onto the south-east ridge to a quiet, unfussy summit cairn. Allow 5–6 hours; the glen itself, associated with Ossian in local legend, is worth the drive alone.

10km from Crieff

When to go

Strathearn sits in a rain shadow east of the main Highland bulk, so Crieff's hills run drier than Perthshire towns further west — a real advantage on a changeable forecast. Ben Chonzie's broad plateau is a popular winter target when snow lies evenly and safely, though white-out navigation on featureless ground catches people out; take a compass bearing seriously. The Knock is a genuine any-season walk, muddy after rain but never closed. May and September give the clearest views west to the Trossachs and the first Highland peaks; the Sma' Glen's birches turn gold in October.

All hills within 30km of Crieff

Hill	Type	Height	Distance
Auchnafree Hill	Corbett	787.4m	10km
Meall Reamhar	Graham	617.8m	12km
Beinn na Gainimh	Graham	729.3m	13km
Ben Chonzie	Munro	930.4m	13km
Meall nan Caorach	Graham	623.7m	13km
Mor Bheinn	Graham	640.3m	15km
Beinn nan Eun	Donald	631m	17km
Creag na h-Eararuidh (Stuc na Cabaig)	Graham	708.3m	18km
Creag Uchdag	Corbett	878.8m	19km
Shee of Ardtalnaig (Ciste Buide a' Claidheimh)	Graham	758.2m	19km
Creagan na Beinne	Corbett	889.1m	19km
Meall Dearg	Graham	690.3m	19km
Blairdenon Hill	Donald	631.9m	20km
Uamh Bheag	Graham	665.8m	20km
Uamh Bheag	Donald	665.8m	20km
Creag Ruadh	Graham	712.3m	20km
Innerdownie	Donald	610m	21km
Creag Each	Graham	673.7m	22km
Ben Cleuch	Graham	721m	22km
Ben Cleuch	Donald	721m	22km
Meall na Fearna	Corbett	810m	22km
Tarmangie Hill	Donald	645m	22km
King's Seat Hill	Donald	648m	23km
Ben Vorlich	Munro	985.3m	24km
Stuc a' Chroin	Munro	973m	25km
Creag Gharbh	Graham	637.4m	26km
Beinn Each	Corbett	811.2m	27km
Sgiath a' Chaise	Graham	644.2m	29km
Meall Greigh	Munro	1000.7m	29km
Meall Buidhe	Graham	719.2m	29km

Distance is straight-line (as the crow flies) from Crieff city centre — not drive or walk distance. Radius: 30km.

Current conditions near Crieff

Daylight Today

18h 21mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 05:04
Sunset: 21:40
Civil dawn: 04:11
Civil dusk: 22:32

NOAA Solar Calculator · 25 July 2026

Frequently asked questions

Is there a walk straight from Crieff town centre?: Yes — the Knock of Crieff, a 279m Marilyn reached from the car park above MacRosty Park a few minutes from the High Street. The waymarked loop through Douglas fir and beech to the viewpoint and back is under 4km, doable before lunch or after dinner.
Why is Ben Chonzie recommended for Munro beginners?: The Glen Lednock approach from Coishavachan avoids scrambling or exposed ridgework — a track followed by a clear path onto a broad, grassy south ridge, gaining 700m over roughly 13km return. It is one of the least technically demanding 900m-plus summits in Scotland, though the plateau still deserves full winter kit when snow lies.
What is the Sma' Glen and is it worth visiting without climbing a hill?: The Sma' Glen is the narrow pass the A822 threads between Crieff and Amulree, associated with the poet Ossian in local tradition and with fine river scenery regardless of altitude. Auchnafree Hill and Ben Chonzie's northern approaches both start from its car parks, but the glen itself makes a pleasant short drive or roadside walk on its own.
Can I reach Crieff's hills without a car?: The Knock is walkable from anywhere in Crieff. Everything else is a stretch: Stagecoach buses reach Crieff itself from Perth, but Glen Lednock and the Sma' Glen trailheads have no onward service, so Ben Chonzie and Auchnafree Hill are effectively car-only days from the town.