Conic Hill

Conic Hill rises above the east bank of Loch Lomond near the village of Balmaha. Its sharp summit sits on the Highland Boundary Fault, a line that divides Scotland’s Highlands from the Lowlands. A small cairn marks the top, and many walkers pause at a lower summit 361 metres up. The hill’s Gaelic name, còinneach, means moss, hinting at the damp ground below. From the village a clear path leads uphill through woodland before opening onto open slopes. The views from the top reward every step. Loch Lomond stretches away to the west, its islands scattered across the water. On clear days Glasgow appears to the east, while the jagged peak of Goat Fell on Arran looms 80 kilometres to the southwest. Sometimes the distant cone of Ailsa Craig rises above the Clyde Estuary like a dark pyramid. The hill also forms part of the West Highland Way, a long-distance route walked by thousands each year. The walk can start from Balmaha where ferries and buses arrive, or from the car park at the foot of the hill. Rangers guide groups such as Deafblind Scotland up the slopes, showing how the path changes with the seasons. Lambing in late April keeps dogs out of two enclosed fields on the east approach, but the Balmaha route remains open. The rounded outline of the hill and the wide loch below make it a fine place to stand and look across the landscape.