A £900,000 project on one of the most popular hills near Loch Lomond will see helicopters brought in and public access restricted.
Work on Conic Hill will start on October 31 and run until the end of March, before resuming next autumn.
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority says the path up the hill from Balmaha is used by ‘huge numbers’ of people every year – it features spectacular views of the loch and its islands.
In the first week of the work the path will be closed to the public while helicopters bring in 450 tonnes of stone to site to begin the upgrades.
Then between January and March the path will again be closed while the section from the ford to the forest boundary is upgraded, with timber steps being replaced by two metres-wide stone pitching.
A national park statement said: “We appreciate that path closures are never ideal.
“To help minimise inconvenience for both visitors and businesses, we are carrying out this work in the winter months when visitor numbers, including West Highland Way walkers, are much reduced.
“The path will remain open for all other sections of the upgrade works.”
The West Highland Way will also remain open throughout, but walkers will need to follow the low-level route down Creityhall Road to Milton of Buchanan and along the B837.
Contractors ACT Heritage Ltd will carry out the work.
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