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I really needed a fairly mindless wonder at a familiar place and this route seemed just perfect. I walked the usual path to Loch Humphrey several times with friends so knew it can be a straightforward, easy, mind cleansing. It is a popular place, so I expected to see others, which makes it ideal for solo walk for a beginner too.
I decided to do the full route this time and it did not disappoint. There is enough ups and downs to have some challenge, bit of bog hopping even though it'd been a rather dry spell. I really like the Old Kilpatrick walk because you can choose a slightly different path and angle every time. There are steep hillsides but usually there is a way to go around them too. Here is where I dare to go pathless just cut across the field and this is how I found wild blueberries one year. Delicious!
This time the fern was just about to open fully, having all sorts of shapes
This time getting off the train was already an experience, being mid- May, the station smelled of all sorts of flowers.
Followed the signs to Kilpatrick walks, turning left after the bowling field, cross the road, under the motorway and here it is. I chose to do the steep uphill walk, and a shortcut, so turned right just after the gate. It is a comfortable and clear, path on the grassy hillside, up to the top. There were plenty of path crossings, so had to look into the map few times.
From here there is slim and there are slight ups and muddy- boggy downs until get to the descent to Loch Humphrey. I got shouted at by wild geese for bothering their afternoon nap - in the middle of the walking path! - but we cleared the misunderstanding and carried on.
Not sure they were completely happy though
The path behind the loch was new to me. The beginning few hundred meters was very muddy and boggy (again, it was after a rather dry spell, so I can only imagine if it wasn't) but cleared once upwards again. The path climbs first up to middle Duncoln, with a short and steep descent on the other side before goes up to The Duncoln. Although it was cloudy, there was good visibility all the way to Loch Lomond. The wind got up and brought clouds and a little drizzle-mizzle so started putting layers on. I begun the walk being too warm in short sleeves but suddenly three more layers felt just right.
Loch Lomond close up (Klick on the pic to zoom)

The view from Duncoln, Loch Lomond on the left and Lily Loch and Burncrooks Reservoir on the right and happy to be helped out with the mountains in between (Klick on the pic to zoom)

The walk back is the same way with going around the peaks all the way to Loch Humphrey. From here just follow the wide pebbly road back to Kilpartick, with great views over the Clyde Estuary and Glasgow in the distance. Whilst on the path after the loch I was completely on my own, it gets busier again once back.