This walk begins another of Scotland’s long distance walks – ‘The River Ayr Way’ which starts at Glenbuck and ends in the town of Ayr. It is actually easier to do the whole walk since transport along the way is inconvenient to put it mildly. If you are doing sections along this linear route you either need two cars; or find an alternative route back; or do as we did walking a ‘lollipop’ with a long ‘stick’ and a very small ‘lollipop! I was assured by at least two people that if we all walked out, turned round  and all walked back  the same way no-one would notice and so it proved.

The walk turned out to be one of the easiest we’ve ever done.  Glenbuck Loch is lovely and surrounded by daffodils, the sadly-over-snowdrops, but with splashes of marsh marigolds and with spindly-legged lambs it was looking spectacular. Note that the beginning of April is lambing and not the best time of year to do this walk. We had the farmer’s permission but anyone doing this walk should perhaps plan to go later in the year. Please also read the ‘Notes’ about walking with sheep!

Park at Glenbuck Loch, which is just into East Ayrshire. Your satnav for ‘Glenbuck’ will take you there – otherwise follow these instructions. To get there, take the M8/A74 motorways south.  YOU MUST COME OFF the M74 ON THE B7078, JUNCTION 11, CLEARLY MARKED FOR HAPPENDON SERVICES. There is no exit south or north from the M74 on to the A70. Take the slip road down to the roundabout and continue straight on towards the Services. You may wish to use the toilets here as there are none at the car park. Take care on exiting as you have to cross a dual carriageway (the old A74) to continue south. At the large roundabout beyond the Services, turn right on to the A70 and go under the motorway towards Ayr. Continue across the next roundabout on the A70. It is now 6½ to Glenbuck, past Douglas and Glespin.

When you (eventually) come to a small loch and then a larger loch on your right and a huge brown ‘Welcome to Ayrshire’ sign with ‘Welcome to East Ayrshire’ in white underneath on your left, begin to slow down. There are a number of black and white chevrons as you go round a series of bends, then a low red brick wall on your left. Now look for a road on the right with a very small notice ‘Glenbuck Loch Fishing’. Turn right up this road.

(If you miss the turn right, continue on until it is safe to turn round and come back. This time the hamlet has a proper sign ‘Glenbuck’ sign and you turn in left.)

Drive up the road, turn right at the ‘Shankley Memorial’ and continue up to an idyllic car-park over-looking Glenbuck Loch. The smaller car park by the Information Board may be full, but if you turn left through the stone gate posts there is a larger car park up and right.

The Walk

The walk starts in a beautiful spot  looking down on Glenbuck Loch where, in addition to the beauty of the scene, there are information boards about ‘The River Ayr Way’ and a ‘Sculpture’ path. It is well worth going down one of the several well-made paths to the loch-side partly to see the rather dubious ‘sculpture’ which marks the beginning of the Way; partly to look at the possibly more attractive Totem Pole of wild life, labelled ‘Muirkirk’; partly to go along the loch edge to the bird hide where the River Ayr way officially starts; but mostly just to admire the loch! If you take the path back up to the top car-park you will have completed a small interesting, and very beautiful  circuit. You might even have the good fortune to meet with the unofficial guides who will be delighted to tell you, and show you photos, of the history of the area.

Then follow the metalled road down the hill to the ‘Memorial to Bill Shankley’ which is worth reading even if you are not a Liverpool supporter!

Carry on taking the obvious road to the left and t the entrance to a farm  with a notice understandably saying ‘No Parking’ take the off-road path between a hedge and a fence which keeps you away from a dangerous bend on the A70. This comes down to the crossing of the A70 and a kissing gate with a River Ayr logo. The path goes off to the right and soon joins the route of the old railway.

The next 3½ miles simply take you through the valley on the disused railway line. The railway track bed makes for easy walking and enjoyment of the views towards the hills on the Ayrshire/Lanarkshire border, including Belt Knowe, Brack Hill, Little Cairn Table and Cairn Table. The route passes numerous ruins, for example the old Glenbuck Railway Station, and evidence of the industrial past of the area, with the huge opencast mine on the other side of the road a reminder that Ayrshire is still a major supplier of coal to Scotland and beyond. Where the path crosses tributaries of the young River Ayr there are sturdy bridges; and where the original railway bridges have been demolished, new paths down and back yp to the railway line have been created.

The route briefly leaves the railway line at Crossflat, heading right down the road for a short distance, then up the minor road towards Aldhouseburn before turning right through a fenced pathway. This route is now a filled-in canal and continues across open countryside before regaining the railway path just before Kames where you might stop for lunch.

On the way back you can take a slightly different route, just for a variety. This also uses an old railway line and takes you to and around Auldhousburn Farm before you regain the outward path. It is the ‘blue track’ on the Information Board at Kames, called the ‘Railway Walk’, To follow it retrace your steps, but where the River Ayr Way turns left, go straight on through a metal gate. This soon brings you to Auldhouseburn farm with large poultry sheds on your right. The path curves round to the left, by-passing the farmhouse itself, and brings you back to the River AyrWay and the route home.

Glenbuck Loch

The Loch was created 1802 by James Finlay for his Catrine Lace Mill and powered turbines there till 1967: the water also powered a dozen other water mills downstream. The dam’s creation largely drained the valley downstream and thus allowed the road to be relocated into the valley floor along the route of the modern A70 and paved the way for the adjacent railway line around 1839. Railway enthusiasts considered the Loch – dissected by the 1830 line – to be an exceptional place to photograph trains with still water either side of the line and many photos, well known to steam buffs exist. The last local train through Glenbuck station and over this dam was in 1964. The first steam railway in Scotland was between Troon & Kilmarnock had iron rails made in Glenbuck Iron works.

For other information about Glenbuck click below:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenbuck#Glenbuck_Loch

Bill Shankly

 William “Bill” Shankly, OBE (2 September 1913 – 29 September 1981) was a Scottish footballer and manager who is best known for his time as manager of Liverpool. Shankly came from Glenbuck, one of five brothers who played football professionally. He played as a ball-winning right-half and was capped twelve times for Scotland, including seven wartime internationals. He spent one season at Carlisle United before spending the rest of his career at Preston North End, with whom he won the FA Cup in 1938. His playing career was interrupted by his service in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He became a manager after he retired from playing in 1949, returning to Carlisle United. He later managed Grimsby Town, Workington and Huddersfield Town before moving on to become Liverpool manager in December 1959.

Shankly took charge of Liverpool when they were in the Second Division and rebuilt the team into a major force in English and European football. He led Liverpool to the Second Division Championship to gain promotion to the top-flight First Division in 1962, before going on to win three First Division Championships, two FA Cups, four Charity Shields and one UEFA Cup. Shankly announced his surprise retirement from football a few weeks after Liverpool won the 1974 FA Cup Final, having managed the club for fifteen years, and was succeeded by his long-time assistant Bob Paisley. He led the Liverpool team out for the last time at Wembley for the 1974 FA Charity Shield. He died seven years later at the age of 68.

The Lochs and Glens Hotel, which gives this walk its title, is aptly named since you’ll be passing Lochs Drunkie, Venachar and Achray and looking across and up to at least five hills and mountains listed below.  Originally, this was a glenda-white-cobbled-together route but in fact  good paths and signposts have sprouted everywhere! There’s a totally-new route through to Brig o’ Turk and an alternative path up Ben Venue. Indeed,  it was all getting so boringly unadventurous that an  exciting assault course through the forest has been included The photo on the website was taken from this track. This is a lovely walk among the mountains!

Park in the Ben Venue car-park at Loch Achray. The Postal Code for the Loch Achray Hotel is FK17 8HZ.

To get there take your favourite route to Canniesburn Toll. At Canniesburn Toll take the second exit (avoiding the first exit to Bearsden and Drymen etc) and go round to the exit to Milngavie and the A81. The A81 takes you through the east end of Milngavie (past what was the East Dunbartonshire Council Buildings and is now a hotel); round the roundabout at Homebase, etc. Take the road sign-posted to Strathblane; go past the waterworks; on to Strathblane, Dumgoyne, Gartmore House to the roundabout outside Aberfoyle. Here turn left and continue for a mile into Aberfoyle itself.

You may wish to turn left just before the TIC to use the toilets which are next to the TIC since there are no toilets in the car-park.

Then continue to the end of the main road and swing sharp right and up the steep hill to the Duke’s Pass. Go past the entrance to The David Marshall Lodge, past the entrance and exit to and from the Forest Drive (all of which we have used before) and then down past Loch Drunkie on your right to Loch Achray in front of you. At the bottom of the hill swing left with the road and go past the Loch Achray Lochs and Glens Hotel (hence the title of our walk!) Swing right with the road this time, cross the picturesque bridge over the Achray Water which we will be following for much of our walk. The car-park is sign-posted on the right (50 metres) but is (obviously!) on the left. (Turn right and you’ll be in Loch Achray.) The journey is 30 miles from Glasgow and will take about 1¼ hours including the toilet stop.

At the time of writing Forest Enterprise was charging £3 for a day’s parking.

The Walk

There are two exits at the back of the car-park but take the one on the left with your backs to the loch. There is a slight climb and then the most stupendous views up Ben Venue in front and Loch Achray behind. Continue on an idyllic path till you come to a metalled road complete with signpost! Turn left to the waterworks (marked ‘Private’ but this is for vehicles) which is signposted for Ben Venue and waterworks. (We all drink our water from here!) An easy walk follows along the lovely sparkling Achray Water. At the (signposted) hump-back bridge to Ben Venue,  go left to take this. (Alternatively, you can continue  to and over the dam at Loch Katrine. Initially, this is very easy, but there are stone, leaf-rot-covered, steps up the other side, then an easy path, then a fallen tree which is awkward and wet to get round. You should come down to a very substantial stile. Make sure that you continue forwards to join the path (which goes right up to Bealach nam Bo) and left back down to the hump-back bridge. 

 The hump-backed bridge comes up to join the LRT. At the first junction take the LRT to the right sign-posted Brig o’ Turk and Ben Venue. This follows round, losing the path to Ben Venue but sticking with the path to Brig o’ Turk. Ignore the first LRT to the left which goes nowhere and continue across a sturdy bridge and then on with fine views of Bens A’an, Venue and Vane. (You can argue about this but I think Ben Lomond is out of sight and you’re looking at two out of three of Beinn a’ Chroin, Beinn Chabhair and An Caisteal behind us; and Ben Ledi behind Ben Vane in front.) Ignore a tempting LRT to the left and down to the road and continue  up to an excellent path  down to and across the road, signposted to Brig o’ Turk.

Once across the road you have a choice. At the Forest Drive, and on your left going north, there are two short-cuts: one which goes straight down to Loch Achray and one which takes a slightly longer route. These are easy and well-marked. On your  right  the Forest Drive continues south (marked with a cycle symbol on the map). If you take this YOU MUST FOLLOW YOUR MAP CAREFULLY TO MAKE SURE YOU’RE NOT ON A DEAD END.

However, if you need a little excitement  go straight on! Be warned warned that there are three windfalls at the beginning, close together, which are very easy.  The fourth windfall is slightly more difficult but you can crawl underneath although it may be wet. The fifth windfall, a little further on. The fifth windfall has a crack in the middle which you can squeeze through. The sixth windfall is prickly. You can get round it on either side but it is a little more difficult.

Your reward for all this is the loveliest view of Loch Venachar you’ll ever see. It’s so unexpected. One minute you’re watching you’re feet and the next you’re lost in the view. There’s a lovely path down (which disintegrates a little at the end) and you emerge on a fine LRT part of the Forest Drive). Turn left here and  follow this past the Swiss–looking Loch Achray Farm.

 At the junction of paths,  leave the route to Brig o’ Turk and turn left to continue along Loch Achray on an excellent track. At the junction with the main Forest Drive turn right (actually straight on) down and over a foot bridge which emerges on the road. The footpath at Blar Loisgate appears to have been lost so you need to take to teh road for a short stretch.   However, just after the Loch Achray Hotel but before the bridge over the Achray Water there’s a splendid easy footpath along the Water, round the side of the hotel, on to a LRT on the right which crosses the Achray Water and leads back up to the hump-backed bridge you came over at the start of the walk. Alternatively, you can make your way back along the metalled road,  to the car-park. The total walk is just over 8 miles: 9 if you add-on the dam; 6 if you take the short-cut; five if you also make for the car-park along the road!

There are many delightful walks within Mugdock Country Park, and almost as many which take you out of the park in all directions, allowing for an extended walk.  This  route makes for the South Lodge car-park and exit before taking in the Milngavie Reservoirs, Drumclog Muir, part of the West Highland Way and the Boards walk. It avoids the dangers of the Khyber Pass and, at just over seven miles, is mainly on very firm paths.

Park at the car-park at the Visitors’ Centre in Mugdock Country Park. To get there:

Take your favourite route to Milngavie. This is generally either:

• Great Western Road or the Clyde tunnel to Anniesland and then the A739 (the Switchback) through Temple and on to Canniesburn Toll; or
• Queen Margaret Drive to Maryhill Road, then Canniesburn Toll.

At Canniesburn Toll take the A81 to Milngavie. If you come from Maryhill Road you don’t actually reach the roundabout but take a slip-road to the right; if you come from the Switchback, go right the way round (second exit) ignoring the first road to Bearsden. The A81 takes you through the east end of Milngavie (past what was the East Dunbartonshire Council Buildings and is now a hotel); round the roundabout at Homebase, etc (sign-posted to Strathblane) and past the waterworks. On a straight stretch, with Dumgoyne looming ahead, a brown Tourist Board signpost points to a road on the left to Mugdock Country Park. At the T junction turn right and keep going past the first car park and on to a more imposing entrance with a well-laid out car park, sign posts and buildings etc.

The Walk

Your walk begins from the Visitors’ Centre where you take the eastern (or left) side of Gallows Hill, past the Play Area on your right on a broad LRT sign-posted to Craigend Castle. This curves round and continues to and round the end of Mugdock Loch and down towards South Lodge car-park. At a T junction  turn left, as signposted and come down to a second T junction just before the actual car park which you don’t enter. Instead a slight dog-leg right and left leads to a short but lovely off-road path along and across a little nameless burn which runs down from Mugdoch Loch to the Allander water.

This path emerges on Ellangowan Road where there is now a pavement. Take this to the gates of Mugdock Reservoir, where you cross the road to enter on your left and then turn immediately right to continue beside the water to where a gap allows access to Drumclog car-park.

A very firm path exits the rear of the car-park by an excellent Information Board and map. The broad path continues to a broken sign-post where you turn left. (The indicators are missing but the path to the left is well-made and obvious whereas the path straight on is narrow and muddy. ) Turn left here and, with splendid views across Glasgow, go downhill to the West Highland Way where there is a blue bench and a sign-post pointing in all directions!

Turn right and follow a broad LRT with a packed surface along the lovely Allander. There is also a narrower path which is worth following occasionally since not only is it nearer to the river but is also free from cyclists. This comes out at Craigallian Bridge where you dogleg slightly left then right to continue the track towards Craigallian Loch. At the far end of Carbeth Loch we turn right, around the loch, and then take the track which leads up to the Boards Walk. This is the only steep bit on the walk.

At the T-Junction,  turn right which brings you, eventually, on to the Khyber Pass. Turn right and either take the short-cut on the left-hand side of the road or walk a short distance along the road and turn left into the Khyber car-park. Turn immediately left, opposite the car-park, and make  your way back to Craigend Castle and back to the Visitors’ Centre.

This is a cultural/historical gander as you wend your way from the 2^nd century (the Antonine Wall) to the 21^st (café, toilets, play-park) via two battles of Falkirk (one under William Wallace on 22^nd July 1298 and one under Bonnie Prince Charlie on 17^th January 1746). And there’s a 19^th century chateau built in French Renaissance style complete with family mausoleum and a 19^th century coal-owner’s estate. You begin with the Antonine Wall and eventually make for the Union Canal via a circuitous route through Callendar Woods. A detour takes you up into the Bantaskine Estate and the monument to the Battle of Falkirk Muir before you return via Falkirk High station. In addition to the picturesque woods, canal, and attractive views of the Ochils and the House, the walk clocks up more miles on the John Muir Way. You’ll recognise the logo on signposts and lamp posts but don’t try to make sense of this route since it divides for walkers and cyclists and we do a bit of both.

It might help to think of the geographical area in five distinct parts. You begin with the Antonine Wall to the north, under the care of Historic Scotland. The next section including the House, lake, café, play-park etc. has been restored and preserved by Falkirk Council. The third section, Callendar Woods, is part of Forest Enterprise while the Union Canal is maintained by the Forth and Clyde Canal Society. The final section, with its network of paths, is again provided by Falkirk Council although the Woodland Trust has contributed some link paths. All combined you are provided with a circuitous route of 9.5 easy miles. Most of the paths are very firm: one through the woods was muddy in places. There are two tunnels, one long and friendly and the other short and scary! In addition to a myriad mapped paths the locals, usually a boon and a blessing, have trodden down endless short-cuts so it might be wise to keep an eye on where you are!

There are at least two good cop-outs and many smaller escapes . The first is to turn left where you otherwise exit Callendar Woods and make straight for Callendar House. The second is to return via Falkirk High when instead of continuing to the Bantaskine Estate and the Battle of Falkirk Muir Monument. There is plenty to do besides walk. In addition to viewing the House itself (free to visitors), there is a museum with illustrations of and artefacts from the Antonine Wall. There’s a snack bar in the grounds and a café in the House, and two sets of toilets, again with one in the House. And you could even have a go on the chutes in the Play-Park!

Park in the main car-park next to Seaton Place at Callendar House. The postal code FK1 1YR works well with the satnav.

This is an easy and fast 26 miles from the church to Callendar House and should take under 45 minutes. (MY SATNAV took me this fast, but longer route, but you could come off on the A803 from the A80 or the A883 from the M876. If you know the way to Junction 6 on the M9 start reading from ‘Junction 6’ below!)

Take the M8 from Glasgow towards Edinburgh and then the M80/A80 off to the left, sign-posted Stirling/Kincardine Bridge etc. Follow what is now a motorway towards Stirling/Kincardine Bridge/Perth for about 20 miles. Just past the road to Denny you’ll see the first signpost for the M876 to Kincardine Bridge/Falkirk/Grangemouth. Keep in the inside lane and you’ll automatically go off on the M876 (while the middle and outer lanes go on to Stirling and Perth). Stay on the M876 for about 6 miles, and when it automatically joins the M9 get into the middle lane. (The inside lane goes off to the two Kincardine Bridges leaving you in the inside lane of the M9 going towards Falkirk and Grangemouth.)

IGNORE the A883 and continue to Junction 6, (with ‘The Kelpies’ on the right-hand side) to take the A905 signposted ‘Callendar House and the Mariners’ Centre’. Get into the right-hand lane of the slip road ready to turn right at the T junction and traffic lights.

Turn right into the middle lane (the dedicated inside lane goes off to Grangemouth) and continue to the large roundabout. Keep in the middle lane to take the third exit (A904) signposted Falkirk/Callendar House etc. Pass the entrance to ‘The Kelpies and the Helix’ on your right and at the next roundabout (Westfield) go straight over ignoring the sign to Callendar House on the left.

At the next junction (with traffic lights and a dedicated left hand lane) turn left on the B8080 Bellsmeadow Road. Go straight over the next roundabout into Estate Avenue and straight on into Callendar House Park. (There are blocks of high rise flats to the left and a car-park to the right.) Park in the car-park beyond the barrier on your right.

The walk

Begin by walking from the car-park down Estate Road, past a golf course on your right and the Club House, Snack Bar and Play Park on the left. Continue on towards the house and you’ll come to a signpost on the left, pointing left, to the ‘Antonine Wall’ with its the earthen ramparts and vallum.

Turn right to walk along the wall but you can see it coming in on the left from the car park where you left the cars and it’s worth pausing to admire it. At the end turn right again (notice the Roman Temple on your left) and come down to a simply stunning view of Callendar House. There’s a John Muir Way (JMW) logo here. Turn left here (yellow and blue posts) to walk firstly along the good path by the lake but soon go down to the path at the water’s edge which is more attractive. At the end of the lake turn right with the path but at the T junction of paths go left up on to the main path again. (There are two signposts here: Forest Enterprise ‘Callendar Woods’ and ‘Callendar Woods Path Network’ Scottish Rights of way Society). On the main path, by the signposts, go right and then take the main path to the right to go past the Mausoleum which is on your left. After the mausoleum you want to be on the path to the south on the left-hand side of the path you’re on. There are two short-cuts. The path above the blue footprint and beside the ‘M’ of mausoleum on the OS map is overgrown but the next path on the left is much easier! This takes you to the junction at the ‘W’ of Wood. Turn left here and then first right. This good path peters out a bit through attractive woods and is fairly muddy in patches. You can skip it if the weather is very poor.

At the end of this path turn left, climb a little to gain good views of the Ochils and the Forth, and at a junction turn right on a clear path. This crosses a drive not marked on the map (a local entrance from Hallglen), but your path continues with a dog-leg to the right and then left. It continues winding through the woods to the main, sign-posted path, down to Woodend Farm. You now join up with the JMW again.

The track by-passes Woodend Farm (on the right) and curves round to go down to a country road. Turn right here and then left on a very pretty path sign-posted to the Union Canal with a JMW logo. There’s a really scary little tunnel under the railway here after which you immediately emerge on the Union Canal.

Turn right and follow the canal bank to the Callendar Tunnel built to hide the barges on the canal from the Forbes family in the House. The tunnel, if you haven’t done it before, is long but well lit and with a broad path beside the canal which is separated by a railing. You would have to try really hard to fall in! You can see the end of the tunnel from the start. It’s good fun!

At the end of the tunnel is a signpost to Falkirk High railway station and a short cut to the car park. The main walk continues along the side of the canal to a bridge signposted to Bantaskine Estate and the Seagull Trust. Cross the bridge and enter the Bantaskine Estate. The Estate was once the home of the famous coal master John Wilson, one of Falkirk’s best known and most influential Victorians.

The path either continues along the opposite side of the canal or climbs a little up past an allotment making for Lionthorne car park. At the end of the allotment is a clear path running along the edge signposted ‘The Battle of Falkirk Muir Monument’. Follow this and at the burn turn left to come to the Monument itself.

Retrace your steps but this time go straight on instead of turning right to the allotment and the way you came up. On the way down towards the canal, at a fork, take the left-hand path and emerge on the canal bank. Continue towards Glasgow but at the first bridge and road, go down to the road, turn right underneath the canal and right again to come up the other side, this time returning to the Edinburgh direction. Go back along the canal bank to the exit to Falkirk High Station.

 Exit to Falkirk High Station and back to Callendar House

There is a signpost on the canal bank pointing to Falkirk High Station just after (or just before) the Callendar Tunnel. If you’re taking the short-cut it will be on your right; if you’re coming back from the full walk it will be on your left. Follow the short path across some shrubby ground and you’re soon at the station. Don’t turn right to go up immediately on to the platform but turn left to go through the tunnel underneath the railway. You emerge by the car park on your left. On the right is a set of steps, or a ramp, going up to the station forecourt. There are JMW logos on the railing showing the way. In the forecourt, with the station on your right, go to the far end where there’s a roundabout with a pillar in the middle. Turn left here (JMW sign) and then immediately right along a ‘No Through Road’ between some bungalows. The JMW sign is on a lamp post on the right. At the end of the road, at a set of traffic lights, turn left and then right into Kemper Avenue. Where the road swings to the left, ;eave it on a path (signposted) into Callendar House estate. Turn left over a pretty bridge and you come up to the Snack bar. Turn left for the cars (note the monument to the Battle of Falkirk in 1298 and right for the toilets, Callendar House etc.