On the Eastern bank of Loch Lomond, nestling snugly between the mountainous outcrop of Ben Lomond and the pleasantly quiet shoreline village of Balmaha, sits Conic Hill. At 358 metres above sea level it is small by comparison to its lofty neighbours, but its commanding position overlooking the Loch makes it a popular walkers' destination, if only for the solitude and the views rather than a demanding climb. Its popularity is helped by the fact that the route which is taken from the village of Drymen lies on the infamous West Highland Way, the 95 mile long trek from Milngavie (Glasgow) to Fort William.
The Route From Drymen to the Summit of Conic Hill
The most rewarding route by far leaves from Drymen because the climb to the top is gradual and gives walkers plenty of time to admire the view across the Loch towards Luss, Balloch and the Islands. Park your car in the dedicated car park just north of the village and begin your trek through the Garadhban (pronounced 'Garavan') Forest. The track is a wide forestry road which takes you through the densely wooded area and brings you out onto moorland on the eastern side of the hill. The route continues until you reach a fenceline with a dedicated walkers gate. Beyond the gate and the path transforms into a grassy track which undulates across the rugged terrain until it drops back down to a small wooden bridge over a burn (stream).
From there the path takes you through lower ground and over a second wooden bridge before the climb up Conic Hill proper begins. The route winds upwards around the hill from the eastern slopes to the northern side, but the climb itself is far from challenging. The obvious path provides clear direction to a point just shy of the summit, and here a walker is faced with a choice. It's possible to continue along the path and descend the other side towards the village of Balmaha. The alternative is to take the steeper climb directly towards the summit and enjoy a short and relatively easy scramble, and although the peak of the hill cannot be seen from this point, the distance left to climb is actually relatively short. Once at the summit walkers can see that there are in fact a series of peaks but the 'real' top is the peak directly in the middle and once you're standing there the 360 degree views are unparalleled.