This is a great cycle and follows some of the West Highland Way after Killearn for a few kilometres until the hamlet of Gartness. From Milngavie train station follow the road uphill to Mugdock village and then the Old Mugdock Road down (!!) to Strathblane. Join the main drag to Blanefield and take the small foothills road (the old waterworks route, Campsie Dene) beneath the fells which leads car-freely beneath some old volcanic forms all the way to Killearn.
The old waterworks route, the Campsie Dene, from Blanefield to Killearn. Here, looking north to the bosky knolls of Dumgoyach on the left and its smaller counterpart on the right.
Approaching Killearn, looking back at Dumgoyne.
Killearn
From Killearn, after musing at the giant obelisk to the 'prince of poets' George Buchanan, head downhill and join the WHW path towards Gartness. From Gartness keep on the WHW for a few hundred metres before breaking off onto the sustrans path to Balloch (the WHW continues on the road to Drymen).
Cross the rather exciting 'rope-bridge' (Dalnair House visible to the left) and head onto Croftamie. Shortly after Croftamie the sustrans railway path reverts to quiet country road, and it's about 6 miles or so winding these beautiful back roads until Balloch. Along the way, there is the opportunity to venture up the 'dumpling' aka. Duncryne Hill, where Tom Weir cut his teeth as a boy before more adventurous sorties. It is without a doubt one of the finest small hills in Scotland, mostly because of the aperture at its summit (all of 142m). Ascending from the south, one has little idea of what to expect other than the fact that Loch Lomond is on the other side. It'll take you 30 minutes of a detour to get up and down, and should not be missed. The view from the top is incredible!
From Duncryne, then, to Balloch is a few kilometres, and has a beautiful entrance through Balloch Country Park and some gigantic trees. It's all quietly downhill from here to the station.
Looking north from the 'rope bridge' to Conic Hill et al.
Looking north over Loch Lomond towards the Highlands from the summit of Duncryne Hill.
In Balloch Country Park some very large and remarkable trees!
A short video of the view from the summit of the dumpling (taken in summer 2012).
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