Conic Hill is a really pleasant hike to see a vast amount of the landscape in Loch Lomond. I took a train from Glasgow one morning which only takes about an hour and is very reasonably priced at about £6. You then take a bus, 309, to Balmaha Car Park. The bus route is quite long but you pass through a lot of scenery and see villages as you pass. The buses also have USB phone charging points which is helpful.
At Balmaha carpark there is an information centre where you can have a chat about trail conditions or any help you need to finding the start up to Conic Hill. I had a nice chat with a lady who explained the walk up would be quite icey and that part of the path was closed due to refurbishment. There are also bathrooms available on site.
Loch Lomand
I made my way onto the trail which was still quite quiet, having arrived at around 10am. The weather was clear and the air crisp and icey. I was jubilant to be back out hiking after having a break. I really prefer long-trail hikes but only had a day so thought Conic Hill would be a great substitute. Also, it was the first time I had ever visited Loch Lomond so I was super excited to see some of the islands around the loch!
Making my way up to the top the path was very icy and slippery, but manageable without crampons. I didn’t have hiking poles which I usually use, as it was just a day hike. The temperature was -8 in the evening and in the day around 0C so it could snow at any point.
A couple of hours in, it did begin to snow a little and the wind picked up in places. My face hurt from the cold so I recommend having thick thermals if you do this in Winter like I did. The view of Loch Lomond was wild and untouched. I really got my first glimpse of some beautiful Scottish scenery. I was really pleased I made the journey and super grateful it wasn’t raining, even if freezing.
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