NTS North Perthshire Ranger Service

18/10/2026

Is The Hermitage a beautiful location? ABSOLUTELY!

Is it worth risking your life, or the lives of others, to see it? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

When our CAR PARK FULL signs are displayed, they mean exactly that — our car park is full, and we cannot accommodate any more vehicles. Please drive on and return outside peak times, ideally before 10am or after 4pm, when spaces may be available.

Please remember that the A9 is a major trunk road, with traffic travelling at speeds of up to 60mph. Stopping, parking or attempting to cross the road in unsafe places puts lives at risk. No photograph or viewpoint is worth that risk.

🚫 For your safety and the safety of others, please:
-Do not queue on our slip road when car park full signs are on display
-Do not drop off or pick up passengers on our slip road.
-Do not stop or obstruct traffic on the A9.
-Do not park on verges or in nearby lay-bys and attempt to cross the A9 on foot.

Finally, a reminder: Our team is here to help and will always do their best to assist you. However, verbal abuse towards our staff will not be tolerated.

Respect the road. Put safety first. ❤️

16/10/2026

🍄‍🟫🐖 Fungi Friday 🐖🍄

Silky Piggyback (Asterophora parasitica)

🍄‍🟫 This awesome fungi was found at Killiecrankie, tucked into an old cap of what was most likely a Blackening Brittlegill. They get their name from the silky texture of their cap and appearing to ride or ‘piggyback’ the larger toadstool.

🍄 Piggyback fungi are saprobic (a fungi that rots things). However, and rather uniquely, they only rot toadstools of the Russula family. 🍄‍🟫This unique lifestyle means they are often overlooked as we pass by old smelly fungi without a second glance.

16/10/2026

🍂 VISITING THE HERMITAGE? PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU TRAVEL! 🍂

We’re delighted that so many of you want to enjoy our beautiful outdoor ‘office’!
However, we’re currently experiencing high visitor numbers, and we need your help to keep The Hermitage safe and enjoyable for everyone.

⚠️IMPORTANT PARKING WARNING ⚠️
🚗 OUR CAR PARK IS SMALL AND HAS LIMITED SPACES. WHEN IT’S FULL, IT’S FULL!

Please plan ahead and have a Plan B in mind if you’re travelling by car.

To help keep everyone safe, please remember:

🕗 Time your visit: Early mornings and late afternoons are generally quieter.

🅿️ Park responsibly: Use marked parking bays only. Please don’t park outside designated spaces.

🚙 Keep moving: Don’t stop or wait for a space. Please keep traffic flowing until a space becomes available.

🚶 Keep pavements clear: Pavements are for pedestrians, so please never mount them with your vehicle.

⛔ NEVER QUEUE ON THE A9: This is extremely dangerous for you and other road users. Please do not put yourself or others at risk.

🚌 Consider public transport: There are bus stops nearby, and the walk from Dunkeld & Birnam train station is a lovely way to reach us! Video directions can be found in our pinned Facebook post.

💚 A final reminder: Please be patient, understanding and courteous towards our team. We’re here to help, but verbal abuse towards our staff will not be tolerated.

Thank you for helping us protect this special place and making The Hermitage a safe and welcoming destination for everyone.

15/10/2026

We had the BEST time in the woods today on our Family Fungi Foray at Killiecrankie! 🍄🍄‍🟫 Such a cool bunch of humans joined us on a magical adventure - these keen-eyed young people spotted the teeny tiniest treasures 🔎🌲🌳

And what a treat to see the salmon leaping at Soldier's Leap! 🐟

15/10/2026

Check the latest local alerts for Craigvinean, including access issues, closures, route changes and important visitor updates from Forestry and Land Scotland.

14/10/2026

🍄🍄‍🟫 Thursday Fungi Foray 🍄‍🟫🍄

Just a reminder to all that we are running a fungi foray here at Killiecrankie tomorrow.

🍁 This guided walk will start at 2pm from the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre.

🍄 We will be slowly meandering through the woods as our rangers identify any fungi found. Each person will be given a fungi search sheet to tick off as we continue on the walk.

🍂 We have a few more spaces so sign up via Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/family-fungi-foray-tickets-2000965764466?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios&sg=f8f456a80db5bd20e9a78d334a5f0e44906840db4b264ec670bbc0c02b68af4cf5238ce563f188b644fe333ed236d0942edf68f2ee2cd70faad82b961d7238a0bb7c7d932a69e3aa3e7a4c0c56

🍄 This is a fantastic time of year for the fungi and we would love to see you here!

A fabulous treasure hunt to find glimmers in the woodland at Killiecrankie...

13/10/2026

📢 EVENT CANCELLED 📢

Sadly, due to gale force gusts of wind forecast for tomorrow afternoon we have taken the decision to cancel our Fungi Foray at the The Hermitage and Dunkeld NTS. We apologise for the inconvenience - those who have booked will receive automatic refunds.

We do still have spaces available for our Fungi Foray at Killiecrankie on Thursday, so we hope to see some of you there! 🍄

Booking link below ⬇

12/10/2026

🦋💚 Moth Monday!! 💚🦋

For this week's moth Monday, lets take a look at the Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxycanthae). We found this wee guy in our moth trap at Killiecrankie last Wednesday.

💚 As the we proceed firmly into autumn, this little moth offers a dash of colour. Most forms of this moth have a metallic chlorite-green body. Interestingly, the shiny greenness is less common in suburban areas where a duller, darker form seems to dominate.

🍂 This moth is an exclusively autumn-flying species, with October being the preferred month. You can find the larvae feeding in the spring moths on Hawthorn, although the moth can be found in a variety of woody habitats.

09/10/2026

💜🍄 Fungi Friday 🍄‍🟫🧡

Today we are looking at the wonderfully named Fruity Brittlegill (Russula queletii)

This funky little fungi gets its name from its rather pleasant fruity smell, reminiscent of gooseberries and apples. 🍎 🍏 However, this is certainly not one for eating as it is said to have a hot and bitter taste. 🔥

Brittlegills (Russulas) will easily break apart into tiny pieces. This is because unlike other fungi that are made from long fibres, they are made from spherical cells that detach easily.

You can find these lovely mushies around the Hermitage. This brittlegill seems to like damp mossy ground, especially near spruce trees.

06/10/2026

The ranger team have been busy with the chainsaws at Killiecrankie and Linn of Tummel this week ... 🪚🪵💪

Yesterday we were opening up viewpoints by Soldier's Leap which had become obscured by non-native trees, and today we cleared a Scots Pine that had come down across the footpath at the Linn. 🥾🌲

We love being able to get out and about taking care of our special places, keeping them beautiful and accessible! ♥️ 👍