Hi. I hear it's usually very wet up there but with all this sun it's probably going to be drying out a bit. Can anyone recommend any good routes please or anything else fun in this area? Thanks. I already know about Carron Valley.

Anyone been up these hills?

I live at the bottom of them. On the campsies themselves there's not a great deal exciting. Lennox forrest (near lennoxtown) used to have some good stuff but it's been mashed by the FC.

Most of the good stuff is around Mugdock Park and the surrounding hills.

It's not that wet normally, but the routes are generally a bit damp.

Ok thanks. I've spotted a few tracks heading up so maybe I'll try them out soon. I've done a bit of cycling in Mugdock but not the surrounding hills so I'll have to check them out too. I'm fairly new to the area and I'm gradually finding new places to ride.

Sanny from this parish knows these hills well I believe – passed on a couple of routes to me when I lived in Glasgow which I never got round to doing…. 🙄

OK thanks.

There's a nice wee route you can stitch together from the tracks round Milton of Campsie for an hour or so – I tend to use it for dog walking more than anything, but I've been round it on my bike and the tyre tracks suggest others bike it as well.

You might have to explore to find them though, as some of the nicest bits of singletrack don't appear on the OS maps, even at 1:25,000 scale. If i get the chance, I'll see if I can sort out some gird refs and post them on to you.

Ok thanks. I've spotted a few tracks heading up so maybe I'll try them out soon.

I've ridden along the tops and down at a couple of spots, none of it was interesting TBH, even the off-piste down I decided to try was dull, and the ups are painful and grassy boringness. Still, if you find anything decent let me know!

All the interesting stuff I've seen and been told about by locals have been out north-west of mugdock, and there's apparently a half-decent route up near dumgoyne, but I've not seen it yet,

Sanny is an encyclopaedia of routes up there. I'm a bit rusty but I'll try to describe a couple we used to do. One was a climb round the back of Big Al's, cross over the steep road (Crow Road) at a big parking and head west up to the top of the campsies, and then descend down to the back of Lennoxtown. Seem to remember the descent being pretty good, steep and fast. There was a path marked on the map.

There's a good route climbing to Earl's seat as well. That descent was great, it cuts down west of Dumgoyne and was really steep in places. The route was pretty convoluted, maybe Sanny will be along in a bit to advise.

Get an OS map and get out exploring! There's loads to be found 🙂

There are a feww trails up into the hills from behind Wheelcraft in Clachan of Campsie but most of them don't really go anywhere…you can get right along the top but it's very dull and depending on time of year there will either be tussocks to stride over or 'damp' stuff to wade through (I say wade as when I did it a few years back one of the guys was up to his waist!)…not that exciting to be honest. Going from the Tak' you can go over Tomtain and head towards the reservoir but the trail soon disappears into a wade. A few trails around but most of them are slowly disappearing through complete lack of use.

DickBarton – Member

There are a feww trails up into the hills from behind Wheelcraft in Clachan of Campsie but most of them don't really go anywhere…you can get right along the top but it's very dull and depending on time of year there will either be tussocks to stride over or 'damp' stuff to wade through

I totally agree with Richard here – nothing much up there.

Best to head to CV / Meikle Bin area tbh. Sorry!

There is a route from Wheelcraft to the top of Meikle Bin – most of it is rideable but there will be a section (of about 1km) that might be too tussocky or damp…

You head up to the big car park above Wheelcraft then cross the road and climb up…once on top you head over towards the reservoir (not Carron Valley reservoir – Birkenhead (I think it's called)), then head over towards Meikle Bin…

The guy in wheelcraft that looks like Bill Bailey (I forget his name – sorry!) was telling me about a decent somewhere along there once that dropped into Kilsyth area (perhaps behind the school?). He might have some more routes if you ask him? Didn't strike me as someone who would be on a internet forum.

Despite the nay sayers, there is a lot of good stuff up there if you know where to look! 😆

Knockie Buckle – out and back from Wheelcraft or as a circular route that drops down into Lennoxtown. Very steep but multiple line choices for the fast descent back to Wheelcraft. As an out and back, it's terrific. Short and hard but plenty of descent for the return leg.

Dumgoyne – some nice stuff round the base of the hill. Gnadgery narrow singletrack. Dumgoyne itself as a carry up and ride down is pucka. Just don't fall off the cliff edge!

There is also a trail that takes you from just before Killearn all the way up to Earls Seat. It's a climbers dream. 100% rideable if you have the commitment and the legs for it. You can also ride across to Fintry on old quad bike tracks. Fairly easy to follow when there is no cloud cover with some cracking views over the Highlands.

Another favourite is to climb up the trail from Killearn then head across the quad bike tracks / sheep tracks onto Slack Dhu. There is a great descent off Slack Dhu heading towards Dumgoyne that connects up to the Cantywheerys track as Doug mentioned. I basically went up there and followed my nose. There is some nice sheep track that goes along the top of Slack Dhu.

Come along to GMBC in Milngavie (www.gmbc.org.uk) on a Wednesday night with a map and I'll happily mark it up for you. I'll be the loon on the white Turner.

Cheers

Sanny

Ok thanks a lot.

Come along to GMBC in Milngavie (www.gmbc.org.uk) on a Wednesday night

Sanny. I think you might know my mate Myles who sometimes goes to Milngavie on a Weds night. I'll hopefully come along sometime this summer.

Thanks.

Some nice trails in MOC- keep you occupied for an hour or so.

Often head up the Campsies and aimed for the Meikle Bin last week (from Crow road carpark)- but the path vanished. Was still damp in places on Saturday.

Some stuff at Carbeth too, as well as Cambusbarron