Muirshiel Country Park, Lochwinnoch

6 miles / 10 km

The short climb of the 950 feet / 316 meters high Windy Hill from the Muirshiel Visitor Centre is one of the funniest walks in Renfrewshire. The Windy Hill bit of the walk is a 1.5 miles / 2 km long round trip. If you have a car parked at the visitor centre, that is fine. I would still argue the case that adding the walk down the glen to Lochwinnoch and over to Lochwinnoch train station is adding a lot of extra fun (and better health) to this walk. This part of the walk, downhill and flat all the way, is very funny and scenic. Lochwinnoch itself is a great village and the Calder Mill Waterfall just before the village is a nice bonus too. A great walk, indeed. Good shoes and plenty of drink are required on this walk.

Pretty Easy

A steep climb up to the top of Windy Hill followed by 5-6 miles / 9 km of a descending and flat path/road. The surface is firm even on the final 200 yards/meters to the top of Windy Hill.

Public transport... Well, there is none. Take the train from Glasgow/Paisley to Lochwinnoch 2 times an hour. Taxi, Johnstone Taxies, the 8 miles from the train station to the often closed Muirshiel Visitor Centre. Cost somewhere between £ 12 and £ 20.

The walk starts at the (mostly closed) visitor centre. Cross over the road to the Windy Hill signpost and climb the good path through the forest until the path emerges on a moor. Windy Hill is now straight ahead.




The walk to the bottom of the steep hill is scenic. The climb is vertical and best done by almost crawling up the mountainside. The climb ends up on a plateau which has to be crossed on a good path before the short climb up the mountainside to the real top of Windy Hill.



The views are great in all directions, as the next two pictures prove.







It is a good idea here to descend on the far more gentle north slope of Windy Hill and then rejoin the path at the bottom of the mountainside. Follow the path back towards the visitor centre to the top of the forest. At the crossroad at the top of the forest, take the good path to the left. This path takes you back down to the road again. The views from the top of this glen are very good.



The road now descends through the glen down to the Kilmacolm - Lochwinnoch Road. Just after 50 yards/meters after reaching this very busy road, take the small "Not suitable for HGV" signposted road to the right and follow this down past the Calder Mill Waterfall down to Lochwinnoch. After visiting this village, walk past the end of Semple Loch to Lochwinnoch Railway stop.

Train from Lochwinnoch to Johnstone/Paisley/Glasgow 2-3 times an hour.

Enjoy the walk !!