Cochno Hill

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Come to Cochno

Get a taste of upland wilderness on this grassy peak above Greenside Reservoir, just a stone’s throw from central Glasgow. It’s a fairly strenuous climb to the reservoir along Loch Humphrey Burn but your rewards are a surprising sense of remoteness, as well as spectacular views over the city and across Scotland’s central belt. On a clear day you can see the Pentland Hills beyond Edinburgh to the east, and Ben Lomonds and the Trossachs to the north.

There’s about a mile (1.2km) of tracks leading up to the reservoir and back, which are a mix of forest road, stone paths and rough grassy tracks. There are some steep slopes and it can be very wet in places. Although it’s so close to Glasgow, you should expect upland conditions as you explore the Kilpatricks: make sure you are prepared.

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Life’s essentials

Find public toilets, and plenty of places to eat, drink and shop at nearby Clydebank.

Walking trails

Cycling trails

Mountain biking trails

History on the hill

If you venture up onto the slopes of Cochno Hill, high above the reservoir, look out for some ruined buildings. They are all that’s left of sheiling huts – summertime homes for farming families, who would bring their stock up into the hills for the good grazing.

Discover the Kilpatrick Hills

Cochno Hill is in the heart of the Kilpatrick Hills, which lie to the north of the River Clyde overlooking the historic towns of Dumbarton and Clydebank. They’re only 9 miles (14.5km) west of the centre of Glasgow, and easy to reach by rail, road, bus and bike, but you can find a real sense of wilderness and spectacular views here.

Commonwealth Woods

The Kilpatrick Hills were one of fourteen Commonwealth Woods, designated as part of the legacy of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, that provide outdoor spaces for you to enjoy free events and activities, get active or just go for a walk in the fresh air. The network of green spaces around the city includes a mix of well-established and newly-planted woods, and a new riverside park created out of derelict land opposite the Commonwealth Games athletes’ village.

Contact: Scottish Lowlands Forest District

Address: Five Sisters House, Five Sisters Business Park, West Calder

Postcode: EH55 8PN

Telephone: 0300 067 6700

Email: scottishlowlands@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

How to get here

Cochno Hill is at the northern end of Cochno Road, off the A810 near Faifley.

Park at Auchnacraig car park, owned by West Dunbartonshire Council. Take the Cochno Road turning off the A810 just west of the Hardgate roundabout (beside the Goldenhill pub). Continue for about ½ mile (800 metres) until you reach a fork in the road. Take the right fork for the car park, about ½ mile (800 metres) further on at grid reference NS 503 740. The left fork leads you up to the start of the track to the reservoir at grid reference NS 497 737.

Using SatNav?

G81 6PU is the nearest postcode for the car park.

Public transport

There are regular trains from the centre of Glasgow to Clydebank, and buses to Faifley from Glasgow via Clydebank. Find details at Traveline Scotland.

Nearby places

At Overtoun House you can explore lovely Overtoun Glen, wander through a new native woodland or head higher up towards soaring Lang Craigs for stunning Clyde views. Kilpatrick Braes has tracks winding through heathery hills to Loch Humphrey, with spectacular views over the Clyde, Glasgow and beyond.

The Saltings Local Nature Reserve, near the Erskine Bridge, has a range of easy trails suitable for everyone through woodlands, meadows and wetlands busy with wildlife.

Visit Dumbarton Rock and Castle to find out more about this ancient stronghold beside the Clyde and about ship building on the river at the Scottish Maritime Museum at Dumbarton.

Woodland Trust Scotland has been working with the local community to establish a new native woodland on the moorland beneath Lang Craigs. Some 20,000 trees are being planted to create new habitats on the hill and attract lots of native wildlife.