Deservedly the most popular short walk in the region, Puck's Glen is a dark and atmospheric defile. A tumbling burn, criss-crossed by bridges, is enclosed by rocky walls heavily hung with mosses and overshadowed by dense trees.
Summary
Clear waymarked paths. The walk up the glen has many rocky steps and some unprotected drops.
Terrain
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1. Begin from Puck's Glen car park. There is an information board giving details of various waymarked routes; this description follows the Red route. It is also possible to link the walk with several others from different car parks, including the Big Trees walk and River Eachain circuit from the Benmore Garden car park, and the Kilmun arboretum walk from near Kilmun. Begin the walk by following the old road to the north, passing behind a large complex of wooden chalets. After just under half a kilometre turn right onto the start of the path up Puck's Glen beside an old mile marker post.
2. The path up Puck's Glen was built by the Youngers brewing family but fell into disrepair before being restored in 1986. This path starts up the right side of the burn at first but crosses it many times on footbridges. The burn is broken by scores of small waterfalls and the path edge above them is often unprotected so care is needed with children. The route climbs many short flights of stone steps whilst the steep and rocky sides of the gorge are heavy with mosses and ferns as well as being shadowed by the dense forest.
3. There are handrails on the steepest sections of the path which has been expertly constructed to wind its way upstream. Eventually a junction is reached, with a sign indicating the 'Lower Glen' just visited, and the 'Upper Glen' ahead, whilst a path off to the right short-cuts the walk by heading back to the car park. Continue into the Upper Glen, descending briefly before crossing yet more bridges. There was once an ornate hut known as Puck's Hut built in the glen to heighten the drama, but it has now been moved to the Benmore Botanic Garden where you could visit it after finishing the walk.
4. There are several more waterfalls; this section of the path involves less climbing than the lower part of the glen. At one point a flight of stone steps off to the right is blocked - this was once the return route before better paths were constructed. Continue ahead to eventually emerge into daylight at a forestry track with a four-way signpost. Straight ahead is the Upper Puck's Loop. A left turn eventually enables a link with the Big Trees walk; several other waymarked paths leads off to the left from this track enabling routes of various length before returning to the car park along the old road. A right turn enables a link with the walk at Kilmun Arboreturm.
5. For our route, turn right along the track at first. The waymarked return route soon forks off to the right (the rightmost of two paths going off to the right at the same point). Before taking this, however, it is possible to visit a wildlife hide giving the patient the chance to see some of the creatures and birds of the forest. To reach the hide, continue on the track passing under the pylons. A short distance beyond these a good path goes off to the left (with a single white marker post). This path zigzags gently uphill to reach the hide, overlooking some small forest bog pools. After visiting it, return to the track and take the red-waymarked descent path already mentioned.
6. This broad path gives some good views of the wide strath to the left at first before heading amidst the tall pines. After some descent a path junction is reached by a seat; the short-cut path from half-way up Puck's Glen comes in from the right here. Turn left to continue the descent, eventually crossing a hump-backed wooden footbridge and returning to the car park.
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