Conic Hill & Balmaha, Loch Lomond

Conic Hill sits directly on the Highland Boundary Fault, and from the air you can see the geology: a chain of islands — Inchcailloch, Torrinch, Creinch — continuing the hill's line straight across Loch Lomond. It is one of the most legible 'story' shots in Scottish drone flying. Start from the large Balmaha car park and either fly from the lower slopes or carry up the West Highland Way path for 30–40 minutes to launch near the shoulder, where the panorama opens south over the loch and north to Ben Lomond. Sunset from the hill, with the islands silhouetted in a silver loch, is the classic. The caution flags: this is a busy honeypot — West Highland Way walkers stream over the hill year-round and the summit area gets crowded on any fine weekend, so TOAL away from the path and never overfly groups. The national park has no byelaw banning recreational drones (the camping byelaws don't cover them), but fly considerately as access rights depend on responsible behaviour. Glasgow Airport's FRZ is roughly 25km south — well clear, though transiting helicopters use the loch corridor, so keep your scan up. Inchcailloch is a nature reserve with nesting birds in spring; give the island shoreline height and distance March–July. Wind accelerates over the fault ridge more than the forecast suggests.