West Lomond

West Lomond

West Lomond is Fife’s highest hill at 522m, in the Lomond Hills of central Scotland. It is a Marilyn, Dodd and Donald Dewey, and a historic, administrative and current county top. The summit has a trig pillar and a large prehistoric burial cairn. East Lomond is a separate 448m hill to the east.

Routes

West Lomond from Craigmead: Ballo circuit

Start and finish at Craigmead car park (NO227061). Follow the broad track west, taking the longer curve around the summit cone rather than the steep direct shortcut. After the summit, the circuit descends south, then returns east past Harperleas Reservoir and Little Ballo, finishing with a short stretch of road to the car park.

Walkhighlands describes this complete circuit as 8km with 271m ascent, taking 2.5–3.5 hours. The southern descent is steep and eroded. Retracing the ascent is an alternative, but the circuit statistics do not describe that return. FCCT’s separate summit approach is listed as 3.8km and two hours each way; its figures must not be presented as a complete circuit.

Bunnet Stane, West Lomond and Devil’s Burdens circuit

Begin at the Bunnet Stane layby on Dryside Road (NO184081). Climb past the sandstone formation and across the northern slopes to the main summit path. The return descends southwest through Devil’s Burdens to Glen Vale, then follows the lane back to the starting layby.

Walkhighlands gives this full circuit as 9.25km with 421m ascent, taking 3.5–4 hours. It is more strenuous than the Craigmead route, with steep grassy slopes, faint paths and wet ground. These figures include the road return; they are not the distance to the Bunnet Stane alone. Neither circuit includes East Lomond.

Landscape and summit views

The summit is a basanite volcanic plug. Around it, Carboniferous sandstone, mudstone and limestone are intruded by a quartz-dolerite sill. The weathered dolerite at Devil’s Burdens differs from the sandstone Bunnet Stane. The Geological Conservation Review distinguishes these rock bodies and notes that their relative ages are debated.

On a clear day the summit outlook includes Loch Leven, the Ochils, the Firth of Forth, Arthur’s Seat and Bass Rock. Grass and heather cover much of the surrounding moorland.

Access and facilities

Craigmead lies on the road between Falkland and Leslie and has managed parking and picnic tables. As checked on 16 October 2026, FCCT’s facility information lists its daytime and overnight toilets as closed for the remainder of the 2026 season because of water-supply issues. Falkland has refreshments and public toilets at Back Wynd car park.

The Bunnet Stane layby has limited space. Glenvale car park (NO172069) is another western access point, but changes the route’s start and return. Do not obstruct the road or field entrances.

Moffat & Williamson service 64 serves Falkland and Gateside. Bus journeys require extra walking to the circuit starts; check the timetable and return arrangements.

Terrain and safety

The open slopes are exposed to changing weather. Use navigation suitable for mist, particularly on the faint southwest descent. Keep dogs controlled around grazing animals and ground-nesting birds. The broad Craigmead approach does not remove the steepness of the summit climb or the eroded southern descent.

History and name

Historic Environment Scotland records the summit cairn. Along the Craigmead approach, archaeological remains include a burial cist, hut circles and an early Christian carved stone.

The Fife Place-name Data entry discusses “beacon” and “bare hill” as possible origins of Lomond. The etymology remains uncertain.