Where to go · Renfrewshire

Forest bathing at Rannoch Wood

Tall beech and sycamore above Johnstone, one of three old castle woods the town simply calls the woods.

Rannoch Wood is a mature woodland of tall beech and sycamore on the edge of Johnstone, looked after by Forestry and Land Scotland. With neighbouring Bluebell Wood and Windyhill it was once part of the grounds of Johnstone Castle, and locals call all three simply the woods. In autumn the beech and sycamore turn yellow, orange and gold.

There is no car park, so most people walk in from Beith Road, Rannoch Road, Elm Drive or Tower Road. Paths are mostly wide, smooth and flat, on gravel or grass, with a few short steep sections, and they get muddy after rain. For a longer outing, Bluebell Wood on the hillside above the town has about four and a half miles of paths and the Craigbog Burn, and Windyhill has birch and oak, the Brandyburn waterfall and views over Paisley and Glasgow.

Practical

Managed by
Forestry and Land Scotland
Parking
No car park; usually on-street parking nearby
Terrain
Mostly wide, smooth, flat gravel or grass paths; some short steep sections; muddy after rain
Nearest station
Johnstone, about 15 minutes' walk from the Tower Road and Beith Road entrances
Facilities
None on site; shops, cafés and public toilets in Johnstone
Opening and entry
Open access, free
Official page
forestryandland.gov.scot

Last updated 4 November 2026. Paths, parking and access can change, so check before you visit. Spotted something out of date? Please let us know.

Guides nearby

Three guides within 15 miles of Rannoch Wood

More woodlands in Renfrewshire

All venues in Renfrewshire
Path through the trees at Boden Boo, near the Erskine Bridge, RenfrewshireBoden BooRiverside woodland on the Clyde under the Erskine Bridge, with easy pathsPath through Parkhill Wood at Castle Semple, LochwinnochCastle Semple and Parkhill WoodLochside path into old estate woodland at LochwinnochThe Craigie Linn waterfall on the Knockindon Burn in the Glen, Gleniffer Braes, PaisleyGleniffer Braes Country ParkWooded glens, moor and reservoirs above Paisley, with a waterfall in the Glen

Photos: Boden Boo, wfmillar (CC BY-SA 2.0); Castle Semple and Parkhill Wood, Richard Sutcliffe (CC BY-SA 2.0); Gleniffer Braes Country Park, Rosser1954 (CC BY-SA 4.0).