Arrochar / Loch Lomond & The Trossachs
The Cobbler (Ben Arthur) & the Arrochar Alps — Parking
Succoth Car Park (Glenloin) · Grid ref NN 294 049 · G83 7AL · £1.20 per hour, £10.30 all day (Argyll & Bute Council, 2026/27) — argyll-bute.gov.uk, verified 13 Jul 2026
Quick facts
- Grid reference
- NN 294 049
- Postcode (satnav)
- G83 7AL
- Spaces
- ~80 (Glenloin No.1 and No.2)
- Cost
- £1.20 per hour, £10.30 all day (Argyll & Bute Council, 2026/27) — argyll-bute.gov.uk, verified 13 Jul 2026
- Surface
- tarmac
- Drive from Glasgow
- 1h 10m
- Drive from Edinburgh
- 1h 50m
From the car park
From the Succoth car park a signed path crosses the flats at the head of Loch Long and climbs into the forest, before breaking out onto open hillside below the Cobbler's distinctive three-peaked skyline. The path is steep and steadily rebuilt in zigzags up towards the corrie between the summits. The same start serves Beinn Narnain (via the Cobbler col or the direct Cruach nam Miseag ridge) and, further in, Beinn Ìme.
The walk
The Cobbler (Ben Arthur, 884m) is a Corbett that punches far above its height — the walk is around 10km return with 900m of ascent, and the true summit is a genuine, exposed rock move through the famous "eye of the needle", not a walk-up. It is the most characterful hill in the southern Highlands, gloriously placed above Loch Long. Beinn Narnain (926m) and Beinn Ìme (1,011m) add Munros to the day for stronger walkers, making Succoth a hub for the whole Arrochar Alps.
Facilities
- Information board
Busy times
The Cobbler is one of the busiest hills within easy reach of Glasgow, and the car park fills by 9am on summer weekends, with cars overflowing onto the A83 for hundreds of metres. Midweek and shoulder-season are far calmer. Because it is so close to the city and so train-accessible, it sees heavy day-tripper traffic in good weather — go early, or better, take the West Highland Line and skip the parking scramble (and the charge) entirely.
Getting here without a car
Excellent, and the reason to leave the car at home. Arrochar & Tarbet station on the scenic West Highland Line is about 1.5km from the car park — trains run from Glasgow Queen Street — and Scottish Citylink coaches on the A82/A83 stop at Arrochar too. Few Scottish mountains this good are this easy to reach without a car; for fares and times, this is TripSCOT territory. Walking from the station to the path start takes about 20 minutes.
Winter access
The A83 to Arrochar is a main road, gritted and usually open (though the nearby Rest and Be Thankful can close on the far side of the glen). The car park is at sea level and rarely a problem. The hills, though, are serious in winter: the Cobbler above roughly 600m becomes a proper winter mountain, the summit block a Grade II climb, and the Arrochar Alps see mountain-rescue callouts every winter for walkers caught out in summer kit. Ice axe, crampons and the skills to use them are non-negotiable in snow.
Overflow parking
Limited laybys on the A83 south of the car park, increasingly restricted by parking byelaws — not a reliable fallback. The far better answer here is the train: Arrochar & Tarbet station is about 1.5km away, making this one of the most genuinely car-free-able hill days in Scotland.
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 04:49
- Sunset
- 22:00
- Civil dawn
- 03:52
- Civil dusk
- 22:58
NOAA Solar Calculator · 13 July 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to park at Succoth for the Cobbler?
- Succoth (Glenloin) car park is Argyll & Bute Council pay-and-display, charging £1.20 per hour or £10.30 for the day in 2026/27. The all-day rate is high and has long been a sore point with hillwalkers. Given the cost, and that the car park fills early, many people take the train to Arrochar & Tarbet instead.
- Can I get to the Cobbler by train?
- Yes — and it is one of the best train-accessible mountains in Scotland. Arrochar & Tarbet station on the West Highland Line is about 1.5km (a 20-minute walk) from the path start, with direct trains from Glasgow Queen Street. It dodges both the busy car park and the steep parking charge. Check ScotRail times before relying on it.
- Is the Cobbler a Munro?
- No — the Cobbler (Ben Arthur) is 884m, a Corbett rather than a Munro. Despite that it is one of the most distinctive and rewarding hills in the country, and its true summit involves an exposed rock scramble through the "eye of the needle". The neighbouring Beinn Narnain (926m) and Beinn Ìme (1,011m), reached from the same car park, are Munros.
- Does the Succoth car park fill up?
- Yes, quickly. It holds around 80 cars across the Glenloin No.1 and No.2 areas and is full by 9am on summer weekends, with cars spilling onto the A83 verges. Arrive early, come midweek, or take the train from Glasgow to avoid the scramble altogether.
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