9k Run Knowehead: Scenic Trails Around Cort-ma Law

Route Overview & Local Insights

This 9.4km loop through the Campsie Fells offers a quintessential Scottish hill running experience, blending steady climbs with rugged, open moorland. Starting from Campsie Glen, the route gains 346m of elevation, primarily during the initial ascent towards the summit of Cort-ma Law. Fellow runners should be prepared for variable terrain; while the grassy slopes are inviting, the plateau can become notoriously boggy, making technical footwear a necessity. After bagging Lecket Hill, the descent leads you back via a final 1.5km road stretch through Knowehead. It is a Category SL (Short Local) hill race style route that rewards the effort with panoramic views stretching across the Central Belt toward the Arrochar Alps.

The Campsie Fells hold a special place in the heritage of Central Scotland, historically serving as a "green lung" for nearby Glasgow. Running these ridges connects you to centuries of history, from the ancient volcanic activity that formed these distinctive flat-topped hills to the more recent traditions of Scottish fell running. Knowehead and the surrounding glen are steeped in local folklore, once providing a dramatic backdrop for Covenanters' meetings and later becoming a Victorian-era destination for those seeking the healing properties of the fresh highland air. Today, the trails between Cort-ma Law and Lecket Hill remain a favorite for local harriers looking to test leur lung capacity and agility away from the urban sprawl.