Conic Hill

Conic Hill is a 2.5-mile (4-km) out-and-back from the back of Balmaha’s public car park to the 358-metre viewpoint ridge and back. Allow two to three hours. The distance is modest, but this is a proper hill climb: the path rises steeply, long stone steps take over on the hillside, and the final ridge is rocky. This mapped route ends at the named 358-metre view summit, the classic place for the Loch Lomond panorama. The 361-metre high point lies farther along the ridge and is a separate extension, not included in this distance. You do not have to reach the top for a worthwhile view. Loch Lomond first opens out about a third of the way up, which makes that a sensible shorter turnaround if the climb is enough.

Start at the information board at the back of the public car park beside Balmaha Visitor Centre. The signed approach runs through trees on a broad track. After about 250 metres, take the left fork onto the West Highland Way. The path continues uphill under the trees, then passes a gate into open hillside. It gets steeper here, with many stone steps; a wide, roughly two-metre path now covers much of the former eroded climb. A false summit makes the top look close before the route climbs again. Stay on the built line across this protected hillside instead of cutting up loose, eroded ground.

The West Highland Way bends around the hill’s northern side. When the clear path branches right toward the ridge, take it for the summit view; continuing on the Way bypasses the viewpoint. The last section is rougher and rockier than the wide climb below, but it is a short, obvious spur. This is a steep walking route, not a technical scrambling itinerary. Turn around at the view summit and retrace the same path to Balmaha; there is no road section or second trailhead to arrange.

The first glimpses arrive behind you as the trees thin, so turn around occasionally on the climb. From the ridge, Loch Lomond’s islands spread across the foreground, with Ben Lomond and the rocky Arrochar Alps beyond. Look south as well: the fields, shelterbelts and woods make a softer pattern than the Highlands to the north. Conic Hill and the islands sit along the Highland Boundary Fault, a line that helps explain that sharp change in landscape. At the top, frame the island chain with the distant hills behind it; a tight shot of the skyline misses the way the land and water line up.

The public car park and visitor centre are beside the start, with toilets at the centre. Balmaha village has a shop, coffee shop and restaurant for a separate stop; there are no food or toilet facilities on the path. The public lot gets busy in summer. Dogs are allowed under the normal access rules, but keep them on a lead around livestock. During the annual lambing restriction from 1 April to 31 May, dog walkers must use the signed alternative through the enclosed fields; it is stated to add no distance or time. Keep to the new route to protect the SSSI and avoid the eroded shortcuts.