Conic Hill (from Gaelic "còinneach" meaning

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular plant, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic phylum, division Bryophyta (, ) ''sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Wilhelm Philippe Schimper, Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryo ...

) is a prominent hill in

Stirling Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

Location and description

It is on the east bank of

Loch Lomond Loch Lomond (; ) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault (HBF), often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Central Scotland and the Highlands.Tom Weir. ''The Scottish Lochs''. pp. 33-43. Published by ...

, beside the village of

Balmaha Balmaha ( Gaelic: ''Baile Mo Thatha'') is a village on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond in the council area of Stirling, Scotland. The village is a popular tourist destination for picnickers and day trippers from Glasgow as well as walkers on ...

. It is a sharp little summit which is on the

Highland Boundary Fault The Highland Boundary Fault is a major fault zone that traverses Scotland from Arran and Helensburgh on the west coast to Stonehaven in the east. It separates two different geological terranes which give rise to two distinct physiographic ter ...

. There was a tiny cairn at the top (); there is only a scattering of stones to mark the "true" summit.''Conic Hill''
at www.hill-bagging.co.uk. Retrieved 25 May 2017. Most visitors also stop on a sub-summit at .

Views

From the top, it offers impressive views over Loch Lomond and towards

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

; on a clear day it is even possible to see Goat Fell on Arran, about southwest. In addition, the rounded outline of Ailsa Craig in the Clyde Estuary is sometimes visible.

Ascent

It is accessible for walking, and forms part of the

West Highland Way The West Highland Way () is a linear Long-distance trail, long-distance route in Scotland. It is long, running from Milngavie north of Glasgow to Fort William, Highland, Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, with an element of hill walking i ...

. During the lambing season, dogs are not allowed in the two enclosed fields on the east approach to Conic Hill, even if they are on a lead. The season normally lasts for around three weeks at the end of April and early May. However, this does not affect access with a dog to Conic Hill from the Balmaha direction. The hill is accessible by public transport, with buses and ferries arriving in Balmaha. There is also a car park at the base, allowing those with vehicles a place to park before climbing the hill. In August 2013, 8 members of Deafblind Scotland ascended the hill with help from rangers and guides.

References

External links

{{commons category-inline, Conic Hill
Walk Highlands ReportWest Highland Way Route over Conic Hill
Marilyns of Scotland Geography of Stirling (council area)