Puck's Glen

Summary

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.

Please read the WARNING below before setting out on this route.

Grade

Bog Factor

4.5/5

Rating

Terrain

Clear waymarked paths. The walk up the glen has many rocky steps and some unprotected drops.

Getting there

Start

Puck's Glen car park, A815.

Public Transport

Buses run along the A815.

Start Grid Ref

NS146839

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Walk Statistics

Distance: 2.5km / 1.5 miles
Time: 1 - 1.5 hours
Ascent: 126m (Profile)

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OL37 Cowal East

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Walk Description

User reports (11)

WARNING

Puck's Glen remains closed following storm damage. Forestry and Land Scotland advise that it is unlikely to reopen in 2026.

The information shown above is the latest we have. If you have an update then please email us.

Stage 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 Tree walk and River Eachaig 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 (to your left with the main road behind you), now a wide forestry path, 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. 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.

Stage 2

The burn is broken by many small waterfalls, and the path edge above them is often unprotected so care is needed with children. The route climbs several short flights of stone steps whilst the steep and rocky sides of the gorge are heavily draped with mosses and ferns, as well as being shadowed by the dense forest.

Stage 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.

Stage 4

There are several more waterfalls; this section of the path involves less climbing than the lower part of the glen.

Stage 5

Continue ahead to eventually emerge into daylight at a forestry track at a junction. 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. 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).

Stage 6

This broad path gives some good views of the wide strath to the left at first before heading into 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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