Local Walks

From the village square, go downhill and turn left at the Post Office to follow the quiet Gartness Road. At the bottom of a flight of steps, cross the busy Drymen bypass road with care, watching out for fast traffic. Follow the quiet road opposite, and just before a sharp right-hand bend, turn left at some steps to follow the West Highland Way over fields back up to the main road.

Cross the road with care to a group of red sandstone buildings. The one set back from the road was the original Primary School, and the taller house on the left was the School House, built in the early 19th Century and extended when amalgamated with the ‘Industrial School’ in 1892. Turn left and walk back to Drymen on the path that runs behind the hedge parallel to the road.

When you reach Buchanan Smithy, turn left and follow the narrow pavement alongside the main road back to Drymen. Walk single file, and take care to watch out for fast traffic.

Alternatively, you could take the bus back to Drymen. Services run approximately once every two hours.

When you reach Buchanan Smithy, turn right at the main road, then first left onto a track through woodland. Before you reach the first house, turn right onto a faint path that leads through woodland and across a burn.

The path then bends left and follows the stream on the left called the Doghouse Burn. There are a few small hump-backed stone bridges over the burn that date back to times when this glen was landscaped, although the path on the far side is now overgrown.

There are ruins of a small stone summer house on the right. Stay on the right-hand side of the burn, and you come to a road.

Turn left and cross the Duchess’ Bridge. This road used to link Buchanan Castle with the North Lodge on the road to Balmaha.

At the next crossroads carry straight on to pass the postbox. From here, follow the description for Route 3 to return to Drymen.

The West Highland Way is a long distance trail that runs from Milngavie, near Glasgow, all the way to Fort William, and it passes close to Drymen.

The Rob Roy Way starts in Drymen and ends in Pitlochry. This route allows you to follow both Ways for a short distance. There are some lovely views across the rolling Stirlingshire countryside on the return downhill.   

From the village square, follow Stirling Road past the Spar shop. Just before the road meets the Drymen by-pass, start following the West Highland Way marker posts.

A little further on, turn left at the marker post and follow the West Highland Way up through forest to the Old Gartmore Road near a Forestry Commission car park.

Turn left and follow the road downhill back to Drymen. It is a quiet country road used by people following the Rob Roy Way, but watch out for occasional traffic.

From the village square, go downhill past the Buchanan Arms Hotel to reach the Drymen by-pass.

Cross the busy road with care, and follow the pavement on the far side to the bridge over the Endrick, enjoying the views over the Endrick floodplain to the Luss Hills.

Continue on the pavement, which crosses to the other side of the road then back again. You come to the village of Croftamie, formerly the location of Drymen’s railway station.

A railway used to run through here from Balloch to Stirling and Aberfoyle, but the line was closed to passengers in 1951.

Follow National Cycle Route 7 and along the line of the old railway to the ‘pipe bridge’ over the Endrick (cyclists should dismount).

Turn left onto the route of the West Highland Way. There are views over an old gravel quarry to Loch Lomond. To the east you can see the long crags of the Campsie Fells, formed from ancient lava flows erupted from volcanoes that existed here about 300 million years ago.

Cross the Drymen bypass with care before climbing the steps to return to Drymen.

This is an ideal short introduction to Drymen and the surrounding area, and you don’t even need special footwear. It is a lovely spot to visit on a warm summer’s evening as the sun is setting.

From the village square, go downhill to the Buchanan Arms Hotel. Opposite the hotel, climb the steps and follow the short path up to the viewpoint.

From here you can appreciate why Drymen derives its name from the Gaelic word Druiminn, meaning ‘on the ridge’.

The area to the right was once used as a cattle market. Ahead of you, looking west, you can catch a glimpse of Loch Lomond and its islands with the Luss Hills beyond.  

Turning towards the right (northwest), Conic Hill is a distinctive ridge with the summit of Ben Lomond (3195 feet / 974 metres) visible to the right of it. The Campsie Fells are in the opposite direction (southeast), with the prominent lump of Dumgoyne (a volcanic plug) towards the right.