Found this on forestry co.

Looks promising, ?

http://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/images/corporate/design-plans/Kilpatrick_Hills_Map_5.7.2_-_Current__Future_Routes.pdf

It does now!

Are they walkers paths? I’ve not read up on it at all.

I’ve only had a quick look, but it seems that the proposed paths will be of mixed use, with some being designed for ‘all abilities’…so maybe some will have a shallower gradient.

So I don’t think that the proposed paths will be mtb specific…but maybe as it develops, they may wish to extend the paths from black linn reservoir along saughen braes and into the forests adjacent to knockupple…who knows?

But it’s a good start, nonetheless.

I think they still have to decide on the location of the visitor centre.
Maybe that and the car park should be up around carneddans wood.

I’m sure the forestry commission would value your input.

No new paths are needed up there , the place is running brilliant !

Brilliant! This will open up the traverse to The Whangie which can be a bit vague at times. 😀

Always plenty of scope for new paths

Once you get on the saghen braes the going is very good, an intrinsically pleasant walk in itself, but to connect the eastern edge of the saughen braes to burncrooks reservoir and you have the makings of a killer loop, comprising
Burncrooks to kilmannan res.
Kilmannan to jaw/ cochno
Cochno to green side
Green side to loch humphrey
Loch humphrey to black linn res.
Black linn to saughen braes

Or can be done anti-clockwise
Likewise a path to lily loch is needed. It’s a really nice spot, but near inaccessible without waders!

Hi there im keen to do some riding up there,sounds great.where is the best place to park??
me and Mrs went walking up here earlier this year and when returned to car a local cyclist had chased
some toe rags away from braking into our car at bottom of road near the electricity station!!

Bookmarking this. Always drive past the OK’s and think ‘ I need to ride up there’ but never do.

Park at the bowling club just off mount pleasant drive , much safer there

Definitely this^ do not park on the side of the dual carriage way nearest the hills.

Enjoy **** Off Hill 🙂

Sanny – Member

Brilliant! This will open up the traverse to The Whangie which can be a bit vague at times.
Thats an understatement. Me and Pistol Pete did it in the snow about 1991, that was a grand day out.

I don’t drive, but probly best to park at overtoun house..I hear that there’s a tea shop there and the gradient past the ‘Lang craigs’ isn’t too taxing.

There’s always the option of parking at the filter station near burncrooks/ kilmannan res.

There are parking facilities on cochno road, but I can’t vouch for the security.

Another popular parking spot lies at the (gas?) substation just north of old kilpatrick train station…but I’ve heard mixed reports about security.

Another popular parking spot lies at the (gas?) substation just north of old kilpatrick train station…but I’ve heard mixed reports about security.

That’s where i was talking about, seen several break-ins there

Don’t park at the top car park on cochno road , better parking at goldenhill pub

Ive always parked at the top car park on Cochno Road and its been ok touch wood.

That map certainly looks interesting. I would suggest a path from Duncolm to Burncrooks would also make sense. The last time I did the route it was vague in the extreme!

Anyone feel like guiding a group ride out so some of us can see a big loop around the hills? 🙂 I’ve seen a section of trail that’s fast and fun and runs in roughly a northward direction from up the hills somewhere; can’t find it on strava just now but I know mates have liked it. Any ideas?

@glasgowdan

At this time of year there probly isn’t enough daylight to complete a loop.

Perhaps best to acquaint yourself with the various stages viz, riding from black linn reservoir to the slacks then down to green side reservoir and descend back to glasgow via faifley.

Then on another day the part from burncrooks/ kilmannan to cochno/ jaw reservoir and descend back to cochno road/ bearsden.

Sorry, can’t provide any ‘guidance’ as virus makes my health a bit unpredictable.

So it’s best at this time of year to do your reconnaissance in chunks, until you get more daylight as a lot of those hills have fairly nasty cliffs on them.

And as there’s still no path from saughen braes to burncrooks reservoir, that leg of the loop (like going from 12 o’clock to 3 o’clock) is very waterlogged to put it mildly.

Even if you shorten the top part of the loop by heading out to duncolm, the remaining leg from lily loch to burncrooks is very wet.

However a look on google earth suggests that it might be possible to descend from duncolm (avoiding the cliff face) and join the forestry road into kilmannan forest via the recently cleared forest immediately to the east of duncolm.

I wouldn’t really welcome any professional trail development up there. I don’t think it needs it, and would detract from the feeling of remoteness. It’s bad enough already with all the additional access road that the pylon contractors have put in. IMO, of course, and I’m probably just being protective of my home turf.
In any meetings and conversations with the FC I’ve had, they’ve never said they had any grand plans, or budget, for MTB development up there anyway.
The proposed Kilpatricks section of the John Muir Way is more likely to open up the interior of the hills for MTB access, I reckon.

Cheers Murray. I ride the dh tracks off the slacks relatively often but haven’t been inclined to go a pedal because things, in my experience, have always turned into bogs. Might keep it in the diary for next spring though.

Many of the coloured paths on that map already exist but are bogfests much of the time. The area feels to be in two halves at present. Improvements to existing surfaces plus a well surfaced link path or two spanning from Lang Craigs / Loch Humphrey past the three Duncolms to the Burncrooks / Whangie side would open it right up. Just as long as there aren’t more godawful pylon roads.

Dan, we do a fair bit of XC up there, but Gordy is your man for that. He knows the trails really well.
Most of the stuff once you get well into the hills, away from the main trails, is really boggy at the best of times.
Had some day long nightmares up there on bikes…

@glasgowdan, you could do what I did last year and do a wee night ride on the shortest day of the year. See Singletrack 87, page 10 for two numerics titting about in the dark in the Kilpatrick Hills.