Beinn Dubh–Glen Striddle Horseshoe

Beinn Dubh–Glen Striddle Horseshoe is a 7.2-mile (11.5 km) loop from Luss, climbing the grassy ridge above Loch Lomond, crossing peaty high ground to Mid Hill, then returning on a minor road through Glen Luss. Allow 3.5 to 5 hours for about 725 m of ascent; 4.5 hours is a fair plan if you stop for the views. This is a hard hill walk, not a waymarked village stroll: the climb is sustained, the upper traverse is harder to follow, and the descent is steep on grass. The reward is a changing view of wooded islands below and the Arrochar Alps ahead. If you would rather skip the boggier circuit, you can turn back along the ascent for a shorter out-and-back; 7.2 miles describes the full loop.

From Luss Car Park, head toward the village centre, turn toward the primary school, and take the steps to the footbridge over the busy A82. On the far side, pass the kissing gate and stile and climb through a field to the path in the trees. The ascent continues uphill through woodland, with early glimpses across Loch Lomond and Glen Luss. At a gate, keep to the left path beside the fence before it swings uphill; the trees thin into bracken and open grass. The slope eases briefly, then steepens again as a fence joins from the left. Follow it to a stile and cross. Look back as you climb: Luss and the loch’s wooded islands spread below, with Ben Lomond across the water. A small cairn marks the ridge top, and soon the head of the loch and the pointed Arrochar Alps come into view.

Many walkers turn back near this first cairn to avoid the wetter second half. The full horseshoe leaves the fence as it descends right and continues on the high ground. The ridge becomes indistinct in peaty ground; bear left above the steep corrie and head for the cairn at the circuit’s high point. This is the section where a clear day and confident map reading matter: the path is faint, the ground can be wet, and the ridge is not a single obvious track. Here the Arrochar Alps and Doune Hill are ahead, while Loch Lomond is mostly behind you. The open uplands mark a transition between the lowlands and the Highlands; skylark and red grouse are among the birds that may be seen, though sightings are never guaranteed.

Continue past another cairn and across a shallow dip to Mid Hill. Its southeast ridge is easier to pick out, but drops steeply toward Glen Striddle on the left. The lower path can be wet underfoot. Loch Lomond and its islands return to view as you descend. For a photograph, turn back from the ridge and keep a strip of grassy slope in the foreground; it gives the islands and distant hills a sense of scale.

At the bottom, cross the fence by a stile and pass through a gate in the drystone wall to the minor road. Turn left, cross the bridge over the Striddle Burn, then follow the road for almost 3 km through Glen Luss. It is the circuit’s long, quieter finish after the open hills, so allow for it rather than expecting a shortcut back. Near a house, watch for the wooden footpath sign on the left; it leads back to Luss and over the A82 footbridge. The village car park is chargeable, and the exact fee was not confirmed. Toilets, a café, pub, and village shop are in Luss, not on the hill. Scottish access rights allow dog walking when dogs are under proper control; keep a dog in sight and away from livestock on this working land.