Glasgow West End: Hill climbing diary by Helen Rose: Little

Little Hills December 2000

I thought that you might like to hear about some of Scotland's 'Little Hills'. Apart from the Munros, there are other categories of hills known as Hewitts, Corbetts, Donalds and Grahams. Also Marilyns which go rather well with Munros. I'd love to hear from anyone who knows the definitions of these categories. You can e-mail me at: helenrose52@hotmail.com

My plan for a trip to Ullapool had to be cancelled due to inclement weather and as the opportunities for climbing bigger hills are limited at this time of year, with the short daylight hours, I am going to write about three delightful little hills near Glasgow. Although they are all around 1,500 feet and have good paths, I have known them in winter to require full gear of ice axe and crampons. The three hills I have chosen are: Dumgoyne, Conic Hill and Ben An

Dumgoyne

Dumgoyne sits at the western end of the Campsie Fells and is visible from the westend of Glasgow. It has been described as a reclining sentry dog guarding the 'Dear Green Place' from invading Highlanders! Glasgow means Dear Green Place and although you may think it surprising for a large city to have such a name, Glasgow is noted for the number of parks within the city boundary.

Dumgoyne is the plug of a former volcano and the whole of this area was formed by volcanic activity, which ranged across Scotland's central belt leaving distinctive igneous features - such as the plugs on which Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument stand. There are several routes up Dumgoyne but my favourite is from the Glengoyne Malt Whisky Distillery, where you can have a tour of the Distillery and a wee dram on the way back.

The route follows a farm track for a short way through a forest and then on to open ground, across a stile and a burn leading to a good path up the hill. The path is steep and eroded in places so good stout footwear is advisable. At the summit there is a large stone erected by the Fintry Rotary Club to mark the Millenium and it is topped with a metal plate inscribed with the local points of interest such as the Arrochar 'Alps', Ben Lomond, Loch Lomond etc.

To the south there are fine views of Glasgow and beyond. This is a good introduction to hill walking but takes only about two and a half hours for the round trip. The walk can be extended over the Campsies and you are unlikely to meet other people once you leave Dumgoyne. Peace, tranquillity and solitude and all within less than thirty minutes of Glasgow.

Conic Hill

If you walk the West Highland Way from Glasgow to Fort William you can take a short detour onto Conic Hill which overlooks Loch Lomond. A much shorter route is from the Visitors' Centre at Balmaha - the West Highland Way is 92 miles long! The path from the Visitors' Centre is through forest opening on to fields and the approach to the hill. The path is excellent and leads upwards gradually to a flat summit shared with sheep. The reward is wonderful views over Loch Lomond and its many little islands and to Ben Lomond, which is the most southerly Munro and only an hour[base ']s drive from Glasgow. From the top you can watch the hikers on the West Highland Way and wonder if they are going to attempt to come up Conic Hill with their full heavy packs on their backs. It is worth spending some time in the Visitors' Centre as there is interesting information on the local flora and fauna. Conic Hill is one to be recommended - fine views with very little effort.

Ben An

Ben An is in the Southern Highlands at the Trossachs and set in the midst of beautiful scenery. It is a gem of a mountain at only 1520 feet high. There is a good path starting from Loch Achray to the summit and the views unfold well before the top. The start and finish of the path are quite steep but it is not a long walk so you can take your time and savour the views. The walk starts through the forest of larch and spruce but soon you reach Ben An's rocky summit cone.

When the path emerges from the forest, the views are to Loch Katrine, which holds Glasgow[base ']s water supply, and over to the craggy slopes of Ben Venue. From the top there are spectacular views to the Arrochar 'Alps', which are a set of Corbetts and Munros less than an hour's drive from Glasgow, with excellent opportunities for rock climbers and hill walkers. The panoramic view takes in Ben More to the north, which is one of the higher Munros at 3,800 feet.

This is a very popular hill and very busy. It gives the feeling of climbing a real rocky mountain albeit a very small one and the views are better than from some Munros where considerably more effort is required to reach the top!

Remember to e mail me at helenrose52@hotmail.com with all your mountain chit chat.

I am off to South America for seven weeks in January touring Chile, Patagonia, Paraguay and Brazil. Mountain walking is not featured in the trip but I hope to have the opportunity to climb at least one mountain! In my absence there will be previous trips to St. Cuthbert's Way and Everest Base Camp featured in the Diary in January and February.

Thanks again to Tom Addie for the never ending supply of photographs!

Tell a friend about this page

Contact Pat

[Register for the newsletter]