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Corlic Hill and Windfarm loop

Corlic Hill and Windfarm loop


Postby aj69dude » Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:39 am

Date walked: 05/04/2021

Time taken: 1 hours

Distance: 4 km

Ascent: 90m

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Corlic Hill (sometimes referred to as Corlick Hill) is a hill that offers fantastic views and some great walks in the surrounding area. Most people who visit Inverclyde tend to only walk the Greenock Cut and the hills within this boundary, often Corlic Hill is overlooked. However, that has all changed since lockdown and the inclusion of the newly complete windfarm on this site.

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Start of the windfarm track looking up toward Corlic Hill


There are several ways you can walk to the summit of Corlic Hill but I wanted to highlight the easy and now accessible walk which all the family can enjoy. This is an ideal walk for kids and adults as an introduction to hill walking and can be extended to include other trails within the local area. From Port Glasgow Train Station it is just under 1,000ft and around 3 miles from there to the summit with good paths all the way.

At the start of this walk there is a small car park located just off the Kilmacolm Rd around 400 metres south of Knocknairshill Reservoir, within the windfarm site. From here the walk up to Corlic Hill Summit is just over 1 mile from the car park. When we walked this route we followed the path anti-clockwise to avoid the final steep climb when walking the other direction.

I've walked this route several times with my kids aged 3 and 6 at the time and they both managed this walk. The underfoot conditions are compacted gravel which can be tricky for kids unless they have the appropriate footwear. The kids really enjoyed learning about the turbines and eating their lunch at the base of one whilst sheltering from the wind.

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Scale of the turbines


On the final approach to the summit you come off the gravel path onto the more natural terrain. Thankfully the contractors have manufactured a path which is easy to follow for the final climb where you can appreciate the spectacular views. On a clear day the views across Inverclyde to the North and beyond across to the Arrochar Alps and Ben Lomond are incredible. Looking South West you will have a clear view across to Arran and Goatfell beyond the other hills within the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park. Looking West the views into Glasgow are also very good.

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Summit of Corlic Hill Looking North


If you get your timing just right the sunset at Corlic Hill is one not to be missed. I've been lucky enough to summit the hill in time for this spectacular light show on several occasions and it's worth the effort. (Photo is from 2 weeks before this walk with the kids).

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Sunset at Corlic Hill


On the way back to the car park you can really appreciate the view towards Glasgow and the Gryffe Reservoirs. Around this area you can find plenty of history including farm ruins, hut circles and even the Roman Fort. All of which are not on this walk but if you have good navigational skills it will be worth the short detour off track.

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Looking down to the Gryffe Reservoirs


You don't need to go far afield to appreciate stunning views and still take in a challenging walk. Hopefully you enjoy this as much as we do.
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aj69dude
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