Long Crags Traditional Cache
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Size: 
(regular)
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A nearly 5 mile long circular walk in the hills above Milton near Dumbarton encompassing a trek across open fields with views of the Lang Craigs from below, a peaceful walk through a pine forest followed by a long traipse across the top of crags with stunning views along the Firth of Clyde and up Loch Lomond to the north.
Allow at least two hours if you’re fit and three hours really if you don’t want to rush. It’s fairly hard going in places and quite exposed above the crags. Only take kids if they’re good walkers. No dogs I’m afraid.
I started my walk from the car park of Overtoun House at N55° 57.105’ W04° 31.371’. You can learn some of the fascinating history of the area and of the house from www.overtounhouse.com The Estate is open to the public but the barrier is raised at the entrance in the evening, as overnight parking is not allowed. It’s accessed from along Milton Brae, which meets the A82 down in Milton opposite the car garages. Be sure to stop at Loch Bowie on your way up, there was a family of swans there when I placed the cache.
From the car park I headed SW through the fields (full of sheep) meandering my way along approximately under the two lines of pylons. It’s quite boggy in places and there were some lovely yellow irises on show. Aim for N55° 57.000’ W04° 30.880’ where you’ll see an old piece of metal pipe, strike up from here. There’s plenty of ferns I’m afraid and you’ll just have to follow the animal tracks as well as possible to avoid wading through it too much.
Head towards the metal gate at N55° 56.855’ W04° 30.157’. This is the entrance to the Forestry Commission plantation of Auchentorlie. Follow the path through and you will soon come across the lovely but unromantically named Greenland Reservoir No. 3. Continue rising through the forest skirting the west of Brown Hill until you descend down towards and start getting glimpses of the Black Linn Reservoir through the trees, about 1½ km from the last reservoir. From here duck through the trees to the left of the fence post and after 20-30 metres take the path through the break in the trees to the left. This is a really slippery part of the walk and it is tiring as you’re walking along the side of the slope and continually having to correct your footing. After about ½ km you emerge at the corner of the woods near a metal stile at N55° 57.800’ W04° 29.938’. Don’t cross here unless you want a jaunt up to Doughnut Hill (the highest point in the Kilpatrick Hills) to bag the trig point. To continue the circular walk head up the slope with the trees to your left and the fence to your right.
As you get to the high point of the walk here the path opens up and you start reaping the benefits of all your efforts. Here is where you get the views up the Vale of Leven to Loch Lomond and out the Firth of Clyde and beyond. At some point on the walk above the crag be sure to go up to the left and get a view along the Clyde back towards Glasgow.
The cache is placed approximately a quarter of the way along the top of Lang Craigs and is about 20 m up the slope from the fence. It’s hidden behind the usual conspicuous pile of unnatural looking rocks! From here just continue around the top of the Craigs turning SE towards the forest gate. You can continue back to the gate and retrace your steps back to the car park or you could cut down across the fields towards the pylons to save a bit of effort.
It was bright at the start of my walk as you can see from the photo of the crags but got a bit overcast later on, didn’t get back to my bike until about 10! Any photos on a bright clear day would be appreciated. Enjoy the walk.
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