Parking
Glenbranter Forest car park beside the Forest Office, signposted from the A815 between Strachur and the north end of Loch Eck. The green trail starts at the posts by the visitor centre; the nearest postcode is PA27 8DJ.
Overview
About Glen Eck Trail
Why go
- Views across Glen Eck toward Loch Eck, Beinn Bheula and Beinn Mhòr
- A compact loop with a clear ascent and descent
Heads up
- Long, steep slopes make the short distance strenuous
Glen Eck Trail is a roughly 1.7-mile loop from the Glenbranter Forest car park, climbing through open woodland below Creag Bhaogh. You get a long look across Glen Eck toward Loch Eck and the hills around Beinn Bheula and Beinn Mhòr. Pick it for a short, strenuous uphill walk with a view, not an easy forest wander. Allow about 1½ hours. The published 2-mile figure is rounded; the detailed green loop maps to about 1.7 miles.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this climb for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs map
Full mapElevation50–203 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Loch Lomond & The Trossachs alerts
- CautionA82 restriction near Kings House HotelThe A82 is restricted in both directions near Kings House Hotel, Glencoe, because of planned roadworks. - Temporary traffic lights are in place; follow the traffic management.Official details
- ClosureDaytime A827 closure at KillinThe A827 at Killin is closed during the day for roadworks from 28 September through 9 October 2026. - Closure hours: 9:30am to 3:30pm; avoid the route during those hours.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Tour Guide
Your drive to Glen Eck Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Glenbranter Forest Waterfall Trail0:00 / 0:26
“You're approaching Glenbranter Forest, where the Waterfall Trail climbs to the Allt Robuic gorge.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- When the Horses Left the Smiddy
- The Memorial Above Glenbranter
- The Horse in Loch Eck
- Glenbranter’s Botanical Trial
- 196 audio storiesacross Loch Lomond & The Trossachs’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Golden Eagle, Red Deer, Mute Swan, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 93 trails, 73 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Glen Eck Trail
Follow the green markersStart at the posts beside the visitor centre.
Start at the posts beside the visitor centre. At the first junction take the green route and pass a picnic bench. At the turning area, continue ahead and then take the green-marked path uphill, leaving the return track for later. It zigzags steeply through the trees with short flights of wooden steps. A bench and a memorial to Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee come as the woodland opens. Below Creag Bhaogh, a seat faces down through native trees toward Loch Eck. The trail climbs once more, then becomes a forest track and descends back to the car park; stay with the green markers when the other routes branch away.
Access and footingExpect long, steep slopes on firm but uneven gravel and grass, with short flights of steps.
Expect long, steep slopes on firm but uneven gravel and grass, with short flights of steps. The Glenbranter Forest Office has public toilets, and the car park has a picnic area. The car park is off the A815 between Strachur and the north end of Loch Eck; PA27 8DJ is the nearest postcode.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs
14 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
37 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
100 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
48 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
24 sightingsEurasian BeaverMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
37 sightingsEurasian Pine MartenMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Loch Lomond & The Trossachs. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
