Duncryne

4 February 2015

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Duncryne, 142m/465'

This one goes into the folder titled "Humps, Tumps and Bumps", small hills that are not in the main bagging lists but are notable in some other respect, usually for being superb viewpoints.

Duncryne is the small volcanic plug that overlooks the village of Gartocharn on the south shores of Loch Lomond and is well known for providing an unequalled vista of the southern part of the loch and its islands. It is also famous as the hill that Tom Weir climbed most days and it features in a lot of his writings.

I was expecting a sunny day but got a mostly bright one instead; there was a layer of high cloud to the north so my photos were not as good as I had hoped. Not to worry, I pass the hill regularly on my trips to the hills of the west and it is only a matter of minutes to climb. There is space to park at its foot and a path up. Sign at start, John Groome was a local man who voluntarily looked after the hill for many years and who lived to the great age of 101.....

On the path up.....

Looking south to Earls Seat in the Campsies from part way up.....

And again from the summit.....

A panorama of the Luss hills round to Ben Lomond.....

Luss hills and Ben Lomond.....

Close up of the Luss hills.....

There was still lots of time in the day so I drove round to Balloch for a walk in the Country Park then on to the tourist monstrosity that is Loch Lomond Shores where I had a plate of soup. Nothing to beat a hard day on the Scottish hills!