I would like to say it was another sunny day that prompted us to try to find The Devil’s Pulpit, but in fact it was cold and rainy when we went. Located just 30 minutes from Glasgow, the pulpit is a hidden gorge just off of the A809 Stockiemuir Road.
The Devil’s Pulpit
The Devil’s Pulpit is a a short 70ft steep Glen near Drymen. Although many consider it a ‘hidden gem’, it’s really easy to get to and can easily be done on a boring Sunday afternoon. Why not get out and about, explore?!
The Devil’s Pulpit is not only great for a little walk/exploration, but it also holds a bit of Scottish history and culture. Legend has it that it was the meeting place of the ancient Druids and somewhere where Satan himself preached to the monks.
I’ve detailed how to get there below so I’ll dive right into showing you how spectacular the pulpit is. The steps down to the pulpit, also known as Jacob’s Ladder, are very very steep and slippery; so much so that people have left robes (and belts!) tied on to the trees for support (thank you kind people!).
Magic & Beauty
As you can see, on this particular occasion, the stairs were very wet and covered in slippery brown leaves. The way down was quite easy but I actually chose to use my hands on the way back up as I was struggling to get grip on each step. Now you might be thinking why the heck would I want to do this on my cherished Sunday afternoon? But believe me it is so worth it once you get down there. There’s an aura of magic that surrounds this beauty.
The bottom of the stairs take you to a small balcony area that allows you to get a great view of the gorge and water for an elevated spot. I spoke to family members who had visited here before and said it was always busy with tourists and photographers, but we were lucky enough to have it all to ourselves. (Or maybe we were the only ones daft enough to go on a soggy damp day!).
How To Get There
If you don’t know the area, it might be a bit tricky to find The Devil’s Pulpit as it’s not sign posted. But it’s pretty much a straight road. If you’re driving from Glasgow, follow the A809 road right out past Bearsden, Carbeth and Queen’s View until you hit the cross junction with the B834 (on your right hand side). At this T-junction there is a small layby where cars park to walk down to the pulpit (It can fit around 6-7 cars maximum). There is an even smaller layby on the A809 which you will have passed before you get to said T-junction, but it can only fit two cars at best.
Once you park up, head left back down the A809 road again for a two minute walk until you reach the bridge that tops the Carnock Burn. On your left, climb through the gap in the wall, that will lead you into the trees that line the burn’s banks. Now all you have to do is follow the path along the river away from the main road and you will eventually come to the steep staircase down to the pulpit. It had been raining heavily in the days leading up to our visit so it was very muddy. We also had to climb over a fallen tree and a bit of barbed wire (easily done) to get on to the path.
Need some more inspiration? Why not climb Conic Hill which is located in Loch Lomond’s Balmaha?
