West Highland Way Stage 2 – Drymen to Rowardennan

Drymen to Rowardennan, the second stage of the West Highland Way tackles the infamous Conic Hill (361m) at the top of which you can revel in the ultimate view of Loch Lomond, one of the finest vantage points on the Way. A steep but short descent leads to the pretty loch side village of Balmaha, the half way point of today’s stage. At Balmaha you’ll teeter on the edge of the Highlands for this is where the Highland Boundary Fault crosses Scotland, a geographic divide that separates the Highlands and the Lowlands (see info box below). Bear in mind that some might want to carve this day up slightly. If you’re hoping to trek the West Highland Way 7 stages in 7 days then it’s not possible but when I trekked the trail with my 70 year old Mum because of the steep climb of Conic Hill, I actually added a day here so we completed Drymen to Balmaha in around 4-5 hours. The trail from Balmaha to Rowardennan runs approximately 8 miles along the loch side is a lovely stroll which take around a further 3.5-4.5 hours

The Drymen to Rowardennan stage takes between 6 – 7 hours of continuous walking (without stops).

Yesterday you will have walked over a bridge and passed where the WHW turns right at the start of stage 2. Drymen is actually a stone’s throw from the WHW route so the first part of your day is to walk back to the WHW route. It’s not necessary to re-trace your steps to where you turned off to Drymen the day before, you can pick up the trail quickly by turning up the road the deli and the Spar is on, passing Kip in the Kirk on your left and then Glenalva B&B. Shortly after there’s a signpost to pick up the WHW on the left hand side. This section is around 1km.

Drymen has a water re-fill point on the green near the bus stop where you could catch the bus to Balmaha. Don’t forget to either buy something for lunch – either at the small SPAR supermarket in Drymen or directly opposite in the fabulous Drymen Bakery & Deli or aim to eat the excellent Oak Tree Inn in Balmaha. There’s also a shop next to the inn in Balmaha which sells sandwiches and other lunch items.

Drymen to Balmaha

The second section of stage 2 is easy enough following dirt paths and tracks through the somewhat felled Garadhban forest. At at junction here you’ll see a signpost with the Milton variant (Balmaha via B837 2.5 miles) pointing to the left and Balmaha via Conic Hill – 3 3/4 miles straight on. Turn left to take the much easier Milton variant that skirts the base of Conic Hill avoiding the ascent. Note that during lambing in April and May no dogs are allowed on the stretch up to Conic Hill therefore hikers with dogs need to take the variant.

The path to Conic Hill ribbons onto open ground now and your arrival at the bridge over Burn of Mar marks the 8km point since Drymen. From here it’s a good 200m of steep ascent on a stony path until the path levels and traverses north west just below the summit. The WHW trail stays 30m shy of the summit – if you have the energy push up the extra few metres and enjoy the views from the top. The summit view is magnificent with Ben Lomond to the North, the Isle of Arran in the far distance beyond the loch and even the Arrochar Alps. Look for the four islands in a line, stepping stones into the loch that show the Highland Boundary Fault line (see info box below), the first island being Inchcailloch (a nature reserve). The fault line runs all the way to Goat Fell, the summit of the Isle of Arran fifty miles away. From the summit you can see an array of boats anchored marking the pretty village of Balmaha, still hidden from view.

At 23 miles long and 5 miles wide, Loch Lomond is a fabulous sight glittering in the sunshine. Fingers crossed you have the sunshine and clear views to enjoy this landscape in its true glory! Loch Lomond boasts the title of the largest lake in Scotland by surface area and second only to Loch Ness as the largest lake by water volume. The loch has 22 islands and 27 islets – most have been lived on at some point. Some are privately owned, others are open to the public. Many of the islands have ‘inch’ in their name which means island. Some of the islands such as Inchcailloch are dedicated nature reserves whilst Inchconnachan has a population of wallabies! The Countess of Arran released red necked wallabies on the island in the 1940s & they still roam wild. It is one of the only places outside Australia that an independent population of wallabies exist.

The next section of the Drymen to Rowardennan walk from Conic Hill is short and steep! Descend down and in the middle of the two humps, know that you are exactly on the fault line, with one foot in both the Highlands and the Lowlands. The lower route has now been re-surfaced with steep stone steps that descend quickly to a gate where the path runs through the forest before coming to an abrupt halt in the car park. Turn left to walk past the toilets and information board to come out in front of the popular Oak Tree pub on the shores of Loch Lomond. Next to the pub is St Mocha, a cafe selling coffee, ice-cream and sandwiches. They also own the well stocked shop next door which sells lunch items.

Balmaha to Rowardennan

The WHW trail from Balmaha to Rowardennan is a good 3.5 – 4.5 hours so expect it take all afternoon. Mostly the trail runs along the shore of Loch Lomond on good paths with a steep stepped section just before arriving in Rowardennan. The road runs parallel to the trail most of the way to Rowardennan and can be busy in peak summer with cars and caravans accessing the three camp sites that are situated car along this stretch of loch side and various car parks. Note however that even though there is a road to Rowardennan there is no bus. The 41 bus stops at Balmaha and returns via Drymen to Alexandria. You can however take a taxi to Rowardennan if you want to cut short this stage or in extremely bad weather.

Leaving Balmaha, opposite Balmaha Bunkhouse, you’ll pass the Weir’s Rest made up of a mountain garden, Tom Weir’s statue, information boards and a water re-fill station. Tom Weir MBE was a much loved Scottish climber, author and TV presenter. The view here is lovely looking out at the small colourful boats on the water.

The path runs parallel on the left of the road initially with splendid views of the loch before before turns left onto a lane at the whitewashed Passport Cottage before ascending some steps on the right hand side ascending to Craigie Fort viewpoint, a rocky outcrop giving good views over the islands, the Arrochar Alps and Ben Lomond. After the steep descent the trail once again hugs the shoreline winding through semi natural oak woodland around Arrochymore Point before arriving at a shingle beach at Milarrochy Bay carpark and toilets. Continue across the shingle beach then cross the road to pick up the trail passing Milarrochy Bay Campsite (accommodation option here in pre-erected safari tents).

The West Highland Way trail runs parallel to the road now dipping into the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park before picking up the road again to pass Cashel campsite. It’s a pleasant meander on this section with no particular difficult terrain. Continue on the path alongside the road to Sallochy before turning off from the road to enter back into the forest as the trail hits the loch shore once more. You’ll pass some lovely wild camping pitches on the loch side here. This is a camping management zone and is only permitted between select dates – for 2024 this is 28 March to 31 October 2024. You need to book in advance at Sallochy Woodland Camping.

Follow the path to a steep section and then another lovely section along the loch, especially a picturesque cove with a skinny jetty just near the Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment – a modern building, before hitting a steep 90m stepped climb. After the associated descent you’ll brush past the entrance to the charming cottage Little Eden (formerly named Mill of Ross) which was built around 1800 to service the hamlet of Ross as a grain mill. If you have the budget and want to stretch out your time on the West Highland Way then this cottage is available to rent through Unique Homestays and will set you back £1795 for a 4 night stay for 4 people. Ideal if money is no object and you want to explore the islands on Loch Lomond.

A short distance from Little Eden there’s a signpost to Lochan Maoil Dhuinne. This is a permitted camping area for only 5 tents each day. You can book your permit here only 4 weeks before (enter Loch Lomond into the search engine & Lochan Maoil Dhuinne will come up in their list for Loch Lomond).

From here the path undulates the short way to Rowardennan. The hotel comes into view first. The Clansman pub is attached to the hotel with excellent views from the large beer garden to the loch. It’s a good place to stop for a spot of lunch however expect it to be busy and quite chaotic. The last time I was there for lunch they were grossly understaffed and those on service seemed clueless. Expect wait times and try to be patient.

Further along on the shore is Rowardennan Youth hostel, a former Victorian hunting lodge. Ben Lomond Bunkhouse, the renovated former ranger centre, is a stone’s throw further on the other side of the trail.

Rowardennan accommodation is extremely limited. The ascent of Ben Lomond starts from here so beds are duly competitive between WHW trekkers and those intending to bag the Ben.

If Rowardennan accommodation is completely booked out when you are planning your West Highland Way itinerary then you could change your itinerary to stay at Balmaha – make Rowardennan your lunch stop and continue on to Inversnaid for the night. Alternatively it is possible to take the ferry from Rowardennan to Tarbet and book the Tarbet Hotel. You can also, as a last resort, get a taxi back to Balmaha to spend the night and then arrange for the taxi to drop you off again back on the trail at Rowardennan the following morning (20 minutes each way).