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All posts by Glenda A. White
Kirkintilloch, Torrance and Birdston
This is a pleasant if unexciting walk linking up a few rivers, canals, places and footpaths which you will sort-of know. The canal is lovely, although the metalled bit is sore on the calves. Cadder Church and graveyard are a treat as is the walk alongside Cadder Golf Course. The walk along the River Kelvin is geographically enlightening and the route through Torrance and along the railway line is fine with open farmland on both sides, unfortunately accompanied by the dubious smell of rotting sprout stalks. At Hayston Golf Club you can opt out for the delights of Kirkintilloch. Otherwise you take a circuitous route to Birdston, which officially gives this walk its name, and a tedious walk along the Glaizert River. The path is almost entirely flat and firm underfoot apart from an occasional short muddy stretch.
Despite calling itself a ‘Walker-Friendly’ town, Kirkintilloch has no convenient car park which will allow you to park for more than three hours and you really need longer than that, especially if you are stopping for coffee or food anywhere along the route. We parked at ‘The Stables’ restaurant, and the notes below assume you are parking nearby. There is a layby on the main road (and you might be lucky to get a drink from a mobile van here). Opposite the layby and across the canal from The Stables is a large overspill car-park. If you are eating at The Stables afterwards, as we did, you might ask permission to park in their car -park.
To get there
The postal code for The Stables Inn (G66 1RH) worked well but takes you along the M8 towards Edinburgh, then off at Junction 15 towards Springburn and the A803. Follow the A803 straight through Colston and Bishopbriggs. At the roundabout at Cadder take the first exit (i.e. go straight on) and at the next roundabout (with Torrance and Lenzie options) take the second exit i.e. continuing on the A803 along Kirkintilloch Road to Kirkintilloch. You will see the Stables Inn on your left as you go over the canal. The layby is on the right, before the canal; and the overspill car park on the left.h
The walk
The walk as described here begins immediately in front of the Stable Inn, where you turn right towards Cadder, Bishopbriggs, the Leisure Centre etc. The canal can be joined from the main 803 on either side. Just BEFORE Cadder Church (up to the right, and a particularly picturesque spot) turn right up the hill, with the church on your left. It is worth stopping to look in the graveyard – and especially at the two railed graves and the heavy iron coffin ‘lid’. to prevent grave-robbers stealing the bodies. The road becomes a path and levels out through the Kelvin Valley. Once past Cadder and then Keir Golf courses (keeping going straight on a narrow path), at a bridge on the left, and sign-post right to Torrance, take a good track right along the River Kelvin.
The path comes out at a set of pedestrian traffic lights on the A807, Torrance Road, and you should cross the road and turn left up towards the Torrance roundabout and the main street of Torrance. Go up to the second bus stop on the right, just by a little children’s play-park. Go through the park taking a path on the left which then straightens to take an old railway track across farmland. At a disused railway bridge, turn sharp right and at the next corner, signposted Kirkintilloch and the Forth and Firth Canal, go sharp left. At the end of this track you reach Hayston.
You can turn right here, sign-posted Kirkintilloch and make your way back down to the canal. A path to the right leads onto a bridge which you will cross over to take you onto Hayston Road. At the end of the road cross over and head to the right and join Campsie View. At the end of this road there is a path leading to the canal with another small bridge to cross leading to a short steep hill to the canal. Turn left and return to Kirkintilloch or right to return to The Stables.
If you’re doing the whole circuit, go diagonally left (not the main track sharp left) up a red path towards the Hayston Club House where you turn left to take the driveway down to Campsie Road. You have to turn left here and walk along this country road for about 300 yards and there is no pavement. It is normal to face oncoming traffic (i.e. walk on the right) but you are going slightly uphill at first so I suggest you stay on the left so that you can see the traffic more easily, and then cross over when it is safe. You come to a very dodgy set of wooden steps on the right going down to the railway line you were on before. There is an equally dodgy hand-rail until the bottom where you are left to your own devices. At the bottom is a path to the right going round Kirkintilloch Golf Club! At a very sharp left-hand turn, turn left on an improved path and this leads up to a huge kissing gate and a T junction on a track with Wetshod Farm to the right.
At this point you could be seriously lost, since the map goes blank and the East Dunbartonshire notes leave you stranded! However your bold reccéist followed her nose and with the help of the USA satellites, turned right and eventually emerged on Birdston Road. Turn right here, cross the road, and at the bottom of the hill continue, as signposted, towards a Heritage cycle track. This bit was short but attractive. You reach an astonishing bit of railway industrial architecture with information boards about same and then turn right along what turned out to be the Glaizert Water. I found this bit boring, but it isn’t long and you eventually reach a foot bridge across the River Kelvin. Cross this, and continue on to pedestrian lights at Kilsyth Road (and the Indian Cottage if you’re still with me!). The path continues (dog-leg right) on the other side and emerges at the Hillhead roundabout. Take the second exit to the right (NOT up Canal Street – I got lost here) on the Peter D. Stirling Road and then almost immediately turn left into the grounds of the Nursing Home. Just before the tunnel, take steps up on the left to the Firth and Forth Canal and turn right towards Kirkintilloch. Cross the Barleybank car-park and the main road and continue along the canal, noting the John Muir Information Board as you go down the steps. Continue to The Stables.
About 9 miles: almost entirely flat and therefore boggy in winter!
Failford to Stair
The River Ayr Way has never really taken off, partly because the locals know nothing about it (!); partly because the necessary buses ignore it, following their own rural pathways; and partly because maintenance is subject to an apparently very limited budget. Nevertheless, the bit between Failford and Stair is acknowledged to be the loveliest (even, at the time of writing, with a major diversion around Stair itself) and an alternative route I found back to Auchencruive is equally attractive. Those who followed the ‘official’ route instead of the one I made up were quite late getting back so be warned to add half-an-hour if you’re doing this again. The main walk is just under 9 miles: taking the red route will add a couple of more-difficult miles.
Park on the road to Auchencruive Industrial Estate
If you’re doing this on a Saturday you may be able to park in either the Visitors’ car-park (if the barrier is up) or the car-park for the disabled (if the barrier is down) at what was the old Auchencruive Agricultural College. Otherwise, you should use the official car-park which is half-way down the road on the right. It makes no difference to the length of the walk but it will take you longer to get to the bus stop.
To get there (Satnap postal code KA6 5HW)
Begin by taking your favourite route to the Kingston Bridge and the M77 where it’s a straightforward journey down the M77, following the signs to Ayr, to the Prestwick Roundabout, (take the dedicated lane to Ayr on what is now the A77). Go straight over the roundabout signposted Mossblown and Annbank. A little further on take the left turn signposted St Quivox. This takes you out to the junction with the B743 opposite Auchencruive college gates with a bus stop on the corner. Do a dog leg right on to the B743 and then left to follow the signpost to the Business Park and a brown signpost to Auchencruive Woodland walks. Turn left into the college car-park or drive on further down the road and turn right into the official car park. On the way back you have to turn left on the main road (B743) and go down to the Whitletts Roundabout.
The Main Walk
NB The River Ayr Way (RAW) symbol is a dancing pink walker on a blue path!
Take the bus from the top of the road to Failford. The walk begins more-or-less opposite the bus stop, on the right of The Failford Inn. The path goes straight down to the River Ayr, and an information board. The path straight ahead goes nowhere so you have to climb up steps to get high above the river. You’re now on a level path which eventually drops down to the river again. This time, at a junction, go straight ahead to see Peden’s Pulpit. If you haven’t seen this it’s worth the short detour to visit an impressive remnant from Scotland’s ‘Killing Times’. Retrace your steps and climb gently up again, turning left at the top to continue above the river. At a junction, the Way clearly drops down steeply via wide steps to the River Ayr Gorge, but if you’ve had enough going up and down keep to the high path. You’ll reach the joining of the two ways at a fence, seat, and litter bin. The next bit is very straightforward easy walking. At an obvious stile, just before Stair, there is a ‘temporary’ diversion across a field, round Daldorch Farm and out on to the farm road. Walk up the hill (away from the farm) and bend round to come out on the country road to Stair where you turn left. At Yett turn left again (really going straight downhill). Ignoring the road to Pierhill on the right, continue on down the hill to a path on the right with the RAW signposted and what must be a fenced permissive path. You’re soon on the river bank and another dry lovely stretch below Enterkin House. Go underneath the railway bridge and reach the road (B742) via a very upmarket exit at Gadgirth.
Here cross the road (not the bridge) going slightly to the right and pass under the first of two ‘Dangerous Paths’ notices! The path is fine until long after the second ‘Dangerous Path’ notice when, just as you enter Annbank there’s a steep bit where the steps have washed away. It’s only a few feet but it’s muddy and slippery. Once past this stroll into Annbank at Dunlop Avenue and straight into the Spar Shop. (Awfy nice people and with ice-creams etc.)
Here you have a choice. You can either turn right and walk up the Main Road to Brocklehill Avenue. Turn left here and pick up the path at the end. This goes through a lovely avenue of trees and down to a concrete slab across a burn. Cross the burn (don’t take the path before the burn) and turn left to follow the path towards the River Ayr again. At the top of an obvious rise, go right, downhill, and at the river turn right through a broken down wall. You’re now back on the river again and it’s gorgeous. Hug the river, through a kissing gate and out along a broad track with Oswald House towering above you. At Oswald’s Bridge go back up the road to the car park.
Alternatively
The official RAW turns left in Annbank, opposite the Spar, and goes downhill. It is completely unsignposted. At a lamppost with ‘Fishery’ on it go left down Mill Road which, at a house in front and a lochan on the left, becomes Priven Mill Road. Stay with the road as it bends round to the right and then follow the hand-made notice down to the river’s edge. Turn right along the river and a lovely stretch. At one point the path disappears but follow the obvious course up a slight rise and through a gate and it becomes a path again. A little further on, opposite the second of two islands (I think!) is a set of steps going up and round where the path and the river merge. According to a local the steps are apparently quite steep and slippery. We stayed with the river and it was fine. The tricky bit is no more than 20 yards. The path resumes its onward progress, emerging at a road bridge. Turn left here (no pavement) crossing where suggested and re-entering woods on the opposite side of the river. This stretch was very muddy but soon became part of the local network of paths and emerged at Wallace’s Seat. Here the RAW turned left at a clear sign and I followed this. It was muddy and overgrown and I suspect most people now take the clear well-made path on the right emerging right on Oswald Bridge. Turn right here for the car.