Exploring landmark hill tower in Angus built by an astronomer and once inhabited by a hermit

The tower crowning Kinpurney Hill is one of the most prominent landmarks in Angus and can be seen for miles around.

It’s a short, steep hike to reach the 345m summit but well worth it – especially if, like me, you’re on a mission to combat vast festive overindulgence.

I parked up in Newtyle and set out along North Street, walking west, away from the village, and along the road in the direction of Glamis.

When I reached Denend Farm, with its huddle of cottages and outbuildings, I turned right to follow waymarked steps leading to a gate and path beyond.

This atmospheric wooded section is known as ‘The Den’, and is populated by a rich mix of trees.

Picturesque gorge

The path follows the enchanting Edderty Burn upstream as it crashes and tumbles over rocks, into a series of pools and waterfalls, and cascades through a picturesque gorge.

A series of steps, bridges and wooden boardwalks led me to a kissing gate and I paused on a nearby bench to catch my breath and drink in the cracking views.

Emerging from the Den, I headed uphill through an area of scrubby gorse and out into open farmland.

A gate in a fence gives access to a plantation of native trees, and a grassy path, which can be muddy in places, weaves through it.

Keep dogs on leads

The ground here is often grazed by cattle and sheep, so keep your wits about you, make sure any dogs are on leads, and shut any gates.

As I climbed higher up the hill, the views of Strathmore Valley and the distant Angus Glens opened up before me.

Continuing up the grassy western shoulder, I spotted a lone tree, and then the top of the curious tower materialised on the horizon, above another bench.

I was too excited to sit down and instead marched onwards towards a cluster of windswept larch trees in front of the tower.

It was an almost euphoric feeling to reach out and touch the bizarre stone edifice and listen to the wind whistling through its walls.

I couldn’t help wondering if anyone down below had their binoculars out and was gazing up at it – perhaps they could see me?!

Anniversary year

The name Kinpurney was recorded in 1317 as “Kylprony” and has been described as “enigmatic”.

It’s a particularly special year for the tower: it marks its 250th anniversary.

Landowner James McKenzie of Belmont and his friend, Dr James Playfair, who was minister at Newtyle and then Meigle, had it built in 1774 to house an observatory.

They were both keen astronomers and the tower surely acted as a terrific viewpoint for studying the starry skies.

Hermit inhabited the tower

There’s also a fascinating tale about a hermit-cum-poacher named David Gray who once inhabited the curious building.

Gray allegedly agreed to live inside the tower walls in solitude for the sum of £100.

How long he was confined here exactly is unknown – accounts range from a “year and a day” to seven years.

He’s said to have whiled away the hours by imitating the calls of birds and catching rabbits, hares and birds such as grouse to eat.

The story goes that he finally emerged from his incarceration frail, having lost the power of speech, and possibly insane! He passed away soon after. Poor man!

Fell into disrepair

Abandoned in the mid-19th Century, the observatory quickly fell into disrepair. It faced demolition in the early 1970s but, thankfully, was considered worthy of preservation and was restored.

Today, the tower stands as a roofless, windowless, shell on a rather bleak, airy hilltop, but it still affords decent shelter from the elements.

It’s ringed by an iron age fort, and the remains of the vitrified walls and a large ditch can be seen beside a trig point.

A viewpoint indictor is useful for picking out hills from the Angus Glens and Grampian Mountains to the Lomonds in Fife.

Bring a picnic

There are breathtaking views in all directions and it’s worth bringing a picnic up here – be sure to include a flask filled with a hot drink – so you can hang out at the top without getting hypothermia.

If you’re keen to blow off the cobwebs, burn some calories, and check out a bit of Angus history, then Kinpurney Hill is the perfect adventure.

The sweaty climb will shift even the heaviest of hangovers, or most bloated of bellies, and the summit is the ideal spot to sit and reflect on the year ahead.