Glasgow Visitor Guide - Colin Baxter Glasgow Insight Pocket Guide

 Kilpatrick Hills

Milton Crags
Rough Guide Scotland Lonely Planet, Walking in Scotland


Photographs of  The Crags Route

- a circular walk around the Lang Craigs and Doughnot Hill

  in the Kilpatrick Hills above Milton on the River Clyde

Lang Craigs above Milton

Lang Craigs above Milton

The "Crags Route" is a circular, signposted walk.

The walk yields fine views over Dumbarton,

the River ClydeLoch Lomond

and Ben Lomond.

The area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest ( SSSI )

and home to many rare plants.

   




Lang Craigs in the Kilpatrick Hills above the River Clyde

Lang Craigs above Milton

from the Southern Bank

of the River Clyde




Lang Craigs in the Kilpatrick Hills

Lang Craigs above Dumbarton






Lang Craigs in the Kilpatrick Hills from Dumbarton Golf Club

Lang Craigs in the Kilpatrick Hills

from Dumbarton Golf Club




Lang Craigs in the Kilpatrick Hills from Levengrove Park at Dumbarton

Lang Craigs in the Kilpatrick Hills

from Levengrove Park

at Dumbarton



 
Middleton Farm above Milton

Luss Hills

beyond Middleton Farm

 above Milton
 



 
Dumbarton Rock and River Clyde on ascent to Lang Craigs






Path through Pine Woods to Lang Craigs

Path through Pine Woods

 to Lang Craigs

 



 
Frozen Greenland Reservoir on route to Lang Craigs

Frozen Greenland Reservoir

on route to Lang Craigs

 



Greenland Reservoir

Greenland Reservoir






 
Black Linn Reservoir on route to Doughnot Hill

Black Linn Reservoir

on route to Doughnot Hill

 




Doughnot Hill from Black Linn Reservoir

Doughnot Hill

from Black Linn Reservoir





 
Campsie Fells from Trig Point on Doughnot Hill


 



 
Snow-covered Ben Lomond from Lang Craigs

Snow-covered Ben Lomond

from Lang Craigs

 



Ben Lomond from Lang Craigs

 Ben Lomond

from Lang Craigs




 
Loch Lomond from Lang Craigs

Luss Hills and Loch  Lomond

from Lang Craigs



Lang Craigs on descent route

Lang Craigs

on descent to Overtoun House





Overtoun House on descent from Lang Craigs

Overtoun House

on descent from Lang Craigs


Overtoun House
was designed by

the Glasgow architect James Smith

in the Scottish Baronial style.

It was built for the industrialist James White

and completed in 1862.





Overtoun House on descent from Lang Craigs

Overtoun House

on descent from Lang Craigs

The Overtoun Estate is located on a hillside
 overlooking the River Clyde,

 above the village of Milton
 and the town of Dumbarton.






Overtoun Bridge






Gatehouse of Overtoun House

The Gatehouse of Overtoun House


Map of Lang Craigs in the Kilpatrick Hills



Route Map of Lang Craigs in the Kilpatrick Hills

Route Map of Lang Craigs

in the Kilpatrick Hills




Map of Lang Craigs in the Kilpatrick Hills

Map of Lang Craigs

in the Kilpatrick Hills



LANG CRAIGS - ROUTE DESCRIPTION:


Location: east of Dumbarton
Map: 0S Landranger 64 ( GR446776 )
Distance|: 5miles ( 8km )
Time: 2hours
Terrain: tracks and paths

Woodland Trust Scotland is in the process of transforming the skyline above Dumbarton by planting more than 200,000 trees around the Lang Craigs, the cliffs dominating the western edge of the Kilpatrick Hills. The organisation bought the cliffs and surrounding moorland in 2011 and has lost no time in getting to work. This has meant some upheaval on the main path and changes to moorland access due to a large deer fence to protect
the saplings. However, Lang Craigs remains one of the bestwalks in the area. It’s wet and muddy in places. so sturdy footwear is essential.
The route starts from Overton House above Milton which can be accessed by car or via paths and walking routes from
Dumbarton, the most interesting of which follows the Gruggles Burn from near the West Dunbartonshire Council offices.
South of the house, follow the tarmac track north through woodland to a new gate and Woodland Trust sign. Go through to moorland and there are two choices. The established path continues ahead and is a bit churned up in places with tree-planting machinery, but it is drier than some of the paths out on the Kilpatrick moorland.
An altemative path avoiding the work follows signs pointing right and climbs to the high ridge below the crags to meet a deer fence which lt follows to join the previous route.
After the routes join, continue to a gate out of the deer fence. Anyone wanting to climb to the prominent trig point of Doughnot Hill ahead should turn left before the gate and follow the fence to a gate in the far-right corner which gives access to the hillside. For Lang Craigs go through the gate and on to the old gate beyond. Turn right here and follow the forest edge above the crags on a small path which improves with height.
The views over the Clyde and
Dumbarton are magnificent as you traverse the crags south then north-east to their very end, from where it is possible to descend easily to sheep pasture and cross this diagonally left. heading for a gate on a track. Follow the track right to a small ford ( crossable upstream if the water is high ) and continue to where a signposted path heads off right at a metal gate. The route now descends through fields via metal gates to gain the quarry access road. Turn right and descend to the main road and follow that back right to Overtoun House.






Route  Map for Lang Craigs in the Kilpatrick Hills

Route Map for Lang Craigs

 in the Kilpatrick Hills


LANG CRAIGS - ROUTE DESCRIPTION 2:

Location: Dunbartonshlre
Map: Ordnance Survey Landranger 64
Distance: 5 miles / 8km
Time: 2-3 hours
Terrain: Easy woodland walk



Lang Craigs was purchased by the Woodland Trust in 2011.
Starting at the sign along from Overtoun House, a striking mid-19th century building, join the circular path in the direction of the crags.
The track leads up through fields and woodland, with glimpses of the crags on the right, until emerging into a flat grassy clearing.
Various paths lead from the clearing but the circular route crosses directly over and up the opposite slope, from where the first panoramic views of
Lang Craigs can be seen.
The route follows a gently rising curve which runs parallel to the crags on the right and the gorge cut through the landscape by the Overtoun Burn,
unseen but babbling noisily, to the left.
The route is easy to follow but can be slippery in wet conditions.
As the path climbs and follows the hill around to the back of the crags it's a delight to watch the ever-changing scenery, as higher ground
allows for more and more expansive views down to the Clyde and north to the Arrochar Hills and Ben Lomond.
The terrain also changes, shifting between bracken moorland and reedy marsh.
The best-known local landmark, Dumbarton Rock, indulges in a bit of playful hide-and-seek; one moment visible, the next obscured as the route
turns a bend or passes behind a grassy hillock.
As the path approaches the higher slopes it passes through a gap in the deer-fence and leads up into Forestry Commission woods.
The enclosed woods are an immediate contrast to the wide open slopes, but pleasantly so, with birdsong and the sounds of scrunching
pine-needles and twigs cracking underfoot.
A few metres on a sign invites walkers to choose between the continued circular path and the crag-top walk described here.
The circular path continues through the woods, fairly quickly joining a wide forestry track with routes off to near-by Doughnut Hill and Loch Humphrey.
By contrast the first 20 metres or so of the climb to the summit is extremely boggy.
To be sure of at least semi-solid ground it's necessary to stick close to the trees lining the path.
After a short, squelchy scramble through mud and over springy moss the trail emerges into a clearing a short distance from the crag-tops.
Walking along the top there are more spectacular views of the Clyde and the distant mountains.
The scenes below; patchwork farmland ( complete with what looks from this distance, like toy tractors and sheep ), moorland and scattered
woods, both ancient and new, are pretty too.
There's a sturdy fence between the path and the crags most of the way but at times the path nears the drop, allowing for some breath-taking glimpses directly down the
rock-face, and of the trees and scrubs determinedly growing out of the nooks and crannies.
There's more to the walk than impressive views. Between the many varieties of fungi, wild flowers and colourful heathers and
mosses, the overhead cries and caws of buz-aards and crows, and the occasional butterflies and bees buzzing about there's plenty of
wildlife to admire too.
The path finally weaves its way downhill into farmland and towards the forestry wood, meeting the circular path again at the foot of the
hill. It's worth a wee detour from here to visit the two tranquil - and clearly well-stocked - reservoirs just inside the woods.
Soon after the track exits the woods a sign directs walkers to a fenced-off path which passes through the working farmland.
The route runs alongside a burn and Middleton Wood and passes Middleton House in the distance, before joining a track edged with
hedgerows bursting with brambles, rose-hips and the occasional wild reap, and finally meeting the Milton Brae road.
The final, short walk from here back to Overtoun House ( which incidentally has a nice wee tearoom ) is pretty, with colourful, overhanging
trees and continuing views across the farmland to the crags.



Route:
Start and finish at the car park 100m from Overtoun House { GR426762 }.
Turn off the A82 at Milton and continue up the minor road for 2.5km to Overtoun House.
Follow the Lang Craig Circular Path sign up a farm track.
Pass through a gate, cross the clearing and follow the trail round to the far end of the hill behind the crags.
Go through the gap in the fence and follow the sign up into the woods.
Follow the next sign to the crag tops { or alternatively take the lower circular path }.
Walk the length of the crag tops before descending towards the woods next to a stone dyke wall.
Follow the signs along the track towards Milton through a series of farm gates until you reach the wide farm track which curves round to meet Milton Brae.
 Take a right to return to the car park a mile along the road.



 Lang Craigs Gallery Photo Gallery :: Clyde River Walkway Photo Gallery

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Glasgow Visitor Guide - Colin Baxter Itchy Insider's Guide to Glasgow Glasgow Footprint Pocket Guide Glasgow Insight Pocket Guide Glasgow Guide Pub Companion Glasgow Scotland's Highlands & Islands - Rough Guide Scotland - Rough Guide

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