Lomond Hills Regional Park

What it’s like

Free walking trails across nearly 6,500 hectares of hills, with geology and archaeology to hunt out along the way.

This is a proper stretch-your-legs place rather than a five-minute play stop. The park covers 6,474 hectares, so you're picking a chunk of it rather than doing the whole thing in an afternoon, and the paths take you across open hill country with plenty to look at if you download the leaflets first. There's geology and archaeology built into the walk itself, which turns a plain trudge into something you can actually point things out on with a curious eight-year-old.

It's free to get in, which counts for a lot when you're not sure how long a walk with kids is actually going to last. Dogs are welcome but need to stay on the lead. There's no booking involved, you just turn up and pick your route.

Worth knowing before you set off: the toilets at Craigmead are closed until November, so plan your pit stops around that if you're bringing a toddler who can't hold on. The Fife Coastal Path section between Aberdour and Burntisland is also closed at Starley Falls because of a fallen tree, so that stretch is off the list for now if it was on your route.

Younger kids will manage the easier, flatter paths, but the sheer scale of the place means it suits older children and adults who can handle a proper walk better than a toddler who tires after ten minutes. Bring your own snacks and water since this is open hill country, not a visitor centre with a café on tap.

Facilities

Need to know

Dogs

Keep dogs on leashes

• Download the geology and archaeology leaflets before you go, they make the walk more than just a walk
• Craigmead toilets are shut until November
• The Starley Falls stretch of the Fife Coastal Path is closed for now
• 6,474 hectares is a lot of ground, so pick a route rather than trying to see it all

Plan your visit

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