How to get to the Kilpatrick hills
Start point: Make your way up Station Rd, Old Kilpatrick and you’ll come to the start point. Limited parking available. Also just a 5 min walk from Old Kilpatrick train station. Train times to Old Kilpatrick can be found here. Weather forecast for Old Kilpatrick can be found here. For those in Renfrewshire, the start point is just a 5 min walk beyond Erskine Bridge.
This is where we start! Kilpatrick, Station Rd, Old Kilpatrick, Glasgow G60 5LX
Walking the Kilpatrick hills and onto Loch Humphrey
I went to the Kilpatrick hills today with my dog Ruby on a cold February morning.  I was recommended this as a place to walk my own dog on the advice of a Erskine dog walker, I met near Boden Boo, who’s a bit of a local dog-walking guide. Spending a lot of time walking at the beach in Erskine I see the Kilpatrick hills every day and often wondered what it would be like to walk up there. I was surprised by how easy and how quick it is to get there from Bishopton – just 5 minutes once you get over the Erskine bridge, and you’re there. To get there is easy, either by train to Old Kilpatrick station or by car, parking on Station Road.
Before I set out, I checked the weather forecast, dry all day with the clouds breaking at lunch but the temperatures were low so I wrapped up, and put on my thermals, cashmere hat, scarf and gloves. But I shouldn’t have bothered! Walking uphill soon warmed me up and just 15 minutes into it I was getting too warm, thankfully I had my bag to put my gloves, scarf and hat in, but with a big heavy jacket, all I could do was unzip it to try to stay cool. Really, it’s just like walking up a flight of stairs for a couple of miles and a great form of exercise.
As we climbed up the hill the views were great with plenty of other walkers and walking groups around, we could see Bishopton, Erskine, Langbank, Clydebank, Glasgow and loads of other places. Near the top, the path gets steeper and it’s a bit of a killer getting up the last part but once it levelled out, I found that I was crossing over to the other side of the hill and now the clouds had gone showing Loch Humprey surrounded by hills bathed in sunlight.
At Loch Humphrey, I spoke to a walker who was sitting at the edge of the Loch having lunch. He was from Dumbarton and a very keen walker. He had been walking since the morning and walked up several of the hills including Fynloch which if you get to the top you can see Loch Lomond. Apparently, around 30 walkers had headed that way, but I wasn’t going that far. Loch Humphrey is a very beautiful place, and Ruby enjoyed her cool swim. I was tempted to walk on to the other hills, and Overtoun House is within walking range, but I wanted to come back better prepared for a longer walk.
The walk back was nice and easy and it was kinda funny seeing people going through the burn I had gone through as I walked up.
Some pics:
We’re here so let’s get going!
That’s where we’re going!
This path will take us all the way!
Ruby looks into a field!
A quick drink from a stream as we get going!
The view is amazing!
Near the top and this part is a killer on the legs!
Over the hill and we see the Loch ahead!
Loch Humphrey with Fynloch hill in the background!
These strange ice globules were all over the edge of the Loch!
Ruby swims in Loch Humphrey with Fynloch hill in the background!
Big jump!
Making our way back and that’s Langbank area in the background!
Waiting for me to let her through the gate as other walkers come our way!
Erskine bridge as seen from Kilpatrick hills
Ram taking it easy!
Walkers going up as we are on our way down!
Large tree on Kilpatrick hills
I used to climb that hill myself with my friends and family. It stood me in good stead for a life time of hard work. Since leaving Bradfield I have been a soldier, a firefighter and now at 62 im a police officer. Never struggled with fitness and can still clamber up a flight of stairs like a young thing. Loved those hills and still do.
Were you ever in the hill walking club when at Braidfield school?
I ‘m sixty eight years old and as children we knew every inch of these hills. We all came from big families and we spent hours with bread and jelly “pieces” and ginger bottles with NHS orange juice in them and we didn’t come home till dark. If you get the chance try and get over nearer to Dumbarton Behind the quarry and near Overton house this spring , the view is incredible and you will see the thousands of wild daffodils that were planted decades ago by the mother of Lord White also the absolutely fabulous rhododendron bushes……I’m a wee bit sad they’ve been “discovered” as we always kind of felt they were our own private playground.
As your rightly stated the hill that is you said is a killer gets called killer. Its known by my family as bagpipe brae because once you reach the top your wheezing like a bagpipe