📌 Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, Renfrewshire
★★★
Tracing a map of the Black Cart Water upstream from its mouth near Renfrew leads to an attractive set of large lochs sandwiched between the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park and lower hills to the east. This straightforward walk from Castle Semple Loch traces the shoreline before a short climb to the superb viewpoint at Park Hill. Paths then continue east to ruined Castle Semple Collegiate Church, with an old railway bed providing the link back to the start. RSPB Lochwinnoch lies at the southern end of the loch; it’s not attached this route but is well worth a separate visit.
📷 Chronological photo guide
Castle Semple Loch 
Castle Semple Loch 
Blackditch Burn 
Parkhill Wood 
Rhododendrons 
Pond in Parkhill Wood 
Folly, Parkhill Wood 
Park Hill 
View over Castle Semple Loch (left) & Barr Loch 
Start of the descent from Park Hill 
Eastbound woodland path 
Track to Castle Semple Collegiate Church 
Castle Semple Collegiate Church 
Joining the former railway line 
Return via an old railway line 
Castle Semple Loch from the return 
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at Castle Semple Visitor Centre, Lochlip Road, east side of Lochwinnoch
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 358591
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.796791,-4.621150
🚌 Bus to Lochwinnoch | 🚆 Lochwinnoch (1 mi)
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
▶ 6 km / 4 mi | ▲ 90 m | ⌛ 2 hr
Features: 💧 Castle Semple Loch; △ Park Hill (90 m); ⛪ Castle Semple Collegiate Church ★
⬤ Easy | Wide dirt or gravel paths, occasionally muddy, then tarmac cycleway for return. The ascent of Park Hill and descent to the church is waymarked by red arrows on boulders.
Download file for GPS➡️ Figure of 8 walk (anticlockwise then clockwise): start – Park Hill via lochside – Castle Semple Collegiate Church – start via disused railway line
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Mute swans, greylag geese, mallard ducks, goldfinches, wrens & other small birds. Cows and horses in adjacent fields, rabbits, probably a vole. Tall columns of loch flies.
Weather: Sunny, 20°C with little wind.
June 2023
