It’s after work on a Friday evening and we decide in the spur of the moment – lets go out! Not to a bar or a club as others probably would but out to explore the outdoors. In celebration of National Parks Week here in the UK we decided to climb a hill for a view of our local nature spot; Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park and our trip did not disappoint!
Our visit to Duncryne Hill (“The Dumpling”)
After a recommendation from Visit Scotland’s community pages we chose to head to Duncryne Hill also know as “The Dumpling” due to its unusual shape. Only a half hour drive from home, we thought this would certainly make the most of the evening as the sun was getting low in the sky. Not too difficult to find, the entrance to the path up the hill starts from a layby on Duncryne Road and meanders through some woodland and across a field before heading upwards. Look out for the siding and the little gate with an unusual sign.
Despite Andrew being a little poorly, we made a good pace but be warned once its starts heading up it doesn’t level out until you reach the the top. With a good path though and not too steep, there are good views of the surrounding farmland even as you ascend.
Once you’ve made it up the path and through the slightly overgrown sections nearing the top, nothing quite prepares you for the spectacular views that welcome you once you hit the peak!
We ended up spending quite a while up Duncryne Hill just soaking in the views in every direction but of course the views over the loch and the mountains beyond are truly breath taking. While actually only a little hill (465m about sea level) from here views include the Cobbler, Ben Vorlich and Ben Lomond as well as many of the islands of Loch Lomond.
Last minute plans don’t always work out but I think we can definitely all agree that this one was perfect.
How to get to Duncryne Hill
The easiest option is, as we did, to drive to the dedicated parking bays along Duncryne Road. There isn’t a lot of space here so you do need to be considerate so that if others come along there is enough room for perhaps two or three vehicles. As this is a narrow and country road it’s worth ensuring you are well off the road so cars (or tractors) can easily pass in both directions.
Public transport options to Duncryne Hill are rather limited but there are also a number of buses which pass through nearby Gartocharn which generally working out of Balloch. The nearest train station is also located at Balloch and connects to Glasgow or further afield.
Pin it for later
