West Highland Way: Drymen to Balmaha

Directions

From NS482888 cross the A81(T) and head up a slope to reach a dead-end stub of an old road. Turn right for about ten yards to reach the end of the road and then turn left to join a path that is separated from the main road on the right by a hedge. The path ends at a gated track but a pavement continues on along the main road. Shortly after passing a farm entrance on the right, turn left through a wooden gate to join a path that runs northwards between fences towards woodland.

After the woodland starts on the left, go through a gate and continue on with woodland on the left and a fence on the right. After half a mile the path reaches a track junction at NS487898 within Garadhban Forest. Turn left along this track and follow it northwestwards through the woodland. After 0.7 miles it squeezes past a metal vehicle barrier gate to reach a road at NS480906.

Turn left to head down this the road for a few yards and then right up another track that leads back into the forest. It passes a small car park on the left and goes through another metal barrier gate. Stay on this good track as it winds westwards through the woodland for 1.8 miles; navigation is easy except for one point: when the track forks do not take a track that heads downhill, but follow the main track as it curves to the right. It crosses a couple of concrete bridges over streams and goes through a metal barrier gate to reach a triangular junction of three tracks at NS455912.

Here the route splits; a low-level route heads off to the left (see the alternative routes direction below), whilst the main high-level route climbs up towards Conic Hill. The main route crosses a track and takes the right-hand side of the junction to reach another track. This curves half-right to ascend northwards through the woods. It goes through a gate in a deer fence to enter an area of newly-planted trees (2011). The path winds around in a rough northwesterly direction with good views towards Conic Hill and the southern end of Loch Lomond. Cross a gate through another deer fence to leave the northwestern corner of the woodland. Turn right on the other side to head north along a rough track that crosses some moorland with a fence on the right.

The path soon curves to the left to head westwards across the moor with a ramshackle stone wall on the right. Carefully cross a footbridge over a stream and continue to reach a stile across a fence; the obvious path soon curves to the left to head southwestwards to descend steeply to reach the Burn of Mar. Cross the footbridge over the stream and continue westwards uphill along some steep steps. The gradient slackens as the rough path curves to the left to pass the eastern end of Conic Hill. It summits behind the hill before slowly descending as it heads southwestwards with the mass of the hill on the left.

Just before the path reaches a little hillock ahead (NS423918) it curves to the left to head down a zig-zag slope through the Bealach Ard before curving to the right to take a southwesterly course down some more steps. The gradient slackens before the path reaches a stupidly narrow clapper gate. Go through this to enter an area of forest; the path descends some steps before sloping downhill. After a quarter of a mile turn right along a track. This soon curves to the left to head south; as it turns to the right once more turn left to take a sloping path that heads south into a car park. Head through the car park, passing the visitors centre on the left to reach the B837 road in Balmaha at NS420908.

Alternative routes

To take the low-level route that misses Conic Hill, turn left at the forest track junction to follow a good track downhill. It leaves the woodland and continues southwestwards for a little over half a mile until it reaches the B837 in Milton of Buchanan. Here turn right and follow the road westwards for 1.6 miles; there is a pavement on the right. It enters Balmaha and meets the high-level route at NS420908.

Places of interest

Transport

Loch Lomond Bus Services Route 309 operates four services a day between Balmaha and Drymen. Note that the trail does not pass through Drymen, but does cross the A811 half a mile to the east.

As usual, Traveline Scotland is an excellent resource for planning public transport journeys.

Other walk accounts

This leg is mentioned in the following web pages:

• Drymen to Rowardennan (WalkHighlands)
• Drymen to Rowardennan (JButler)
• East Drumquhassle to Inversnaid (BritishWalks)
• Drymen to Adress (AdventureJournal)

Map information

Landranger (1:50,000)				Explorer (1:25,000)
Landranger 57 (Stirling & The Trossachs)	and	Landranger 56 (Loch Lomond & Inveraray)	or	Explorer 347 (Loch Lomond South)