Starting Point for the Walk:

Dalreoch Station car park – OS Reference NS 391 756.

Getting there: 13 miles/36 minutesv

Take the A82 out of Glasgow to the West.  Pass the Erskine Bridge and descend to a major roundabout at Bowling.  After a short distance, at traffic lights, turn left onto the A814 towards Dumbarton and Helensburgh.  Follow the road through Dumbarton and follow the signs to Helensburgh.  After crossing the River Leven, in Dumbarton, turn right into Dalreoch Station Car Park.  Parking is free.  There are regular train services to and from Glasgow.

The Walk:  Dalreoch to Balloch – 7.0 miles (11 km)

Exit the car park at Dalreoch Station onto the riverside path and turn right to go South.  At Bridge Street, cross over the road into Woodyard Road and then enter Levengrove Park at the corner of Levenford Terrace.  The park sits at the junction between the point where the River Leven meets the River Clyde and tea and coffee are available from an attractive shop in the park.  Exit the park to the North (retracing the outward route from Dalreoch Station) and then follow an excellent riverside walk along the River Leven.  The river has two unusual loops at Dalquhurn Point and Cordale Point.  A grassy path on each loop deviates from the main tarmac path for a closer walk by the river.  Rejoining the main path each time, the route passes Renton, Vale of Leven, Alexandria, Dalmonach, and Jamestown before reaching Balloch.

Take the train from Balloch Station to Dalreoch Station to return to the Starting Point.

This circular winter walk takes us to the old mining village of Annbank in Ayrshire. The walk starts from the village bowling green and heads north to Brockle Wood before entering the Auchincruive Estate and heading to the River Garden. After looping through the estate, we pass Auchincruive House (designed for the Oswald family by Robert Adam around 1764 but substantially modified before being built) before descending to join the River Ayr for a pleasant return walk to Annbank and the starting point.

Starting Point for the Walk:

In Brocklehill Avenue, Annbank, Ayrshire.  Park adjacent to the Annbank Bowling Club – OS Reference NS 407 233.  Alternatively, park on Weston Avenue.

Getting there: 36 miles/50 minutes

Take your favourite route out of Glasgow to join the M8 (south) and exit onto M77 (Kilmarnock).  At Fenwick continue onto A77 until the roundabout at Sandyford Toll.  Take the 1^st exit onto A719 but continue onto B742 (Mossblown).  At the off-set crossroads in Mossblown cross the B743 and continue on the B742 (Annbank).  After a sweeping lefthand bend and just before the railway bridge, turn right into Annbank (B744).  Continue for a few hundred metres and turn right into Brocklehill Avenue.

The Walk:  Annbank to Auchincruive Circular – 4.4 miles (7 km)

Head in a north westerly direction from Annbank Bowling Club taking a small path at the end of Brocklehill Avenue.  The path leads downhill through woodland and into Brockle Wood.  Bear right where a track and path meet and at a junction of paths turn left into Brockle Wood.  Then follow the path by the stream to the left and follow this pleasant route through woodland.  Continue on this path, veering away from the stream by ignoring a path to the left.  After a short distance take another path to the left that descends to the River Ayr below.  At the bottom, pass through a stone wall into the Auchincruive Estate.  Continue along this often-muddy path until the River Garden.  Turn right through a gate and head for The Bothy Café where there are toilet facilities.

Head west from the café and exit the River Garden through a walled gateway.  Take this hedged broad pathway past the croquet lawn which overlooks the rear of Auchincruive House (previously known as Oswald Hall).  At the crossing of paths continue straight ahead and follow a grassy path past an expanse of water on the right.  The path passes near an area of estate buildings and Oswald’s Temple before joining the main roadway into the Estate from the north.  Turn left and follow this roadway down past the front of Auchincruive House continuing down the old drive until reaching the locked gates close to Oswald’s Bridge.  Go through a pedestrian gate on the left and turn left onto the riverside path.  Keeping the River Ayr on the right, continue along the path until the River Garden.  Turn left, and instead of heading for the Bothy Café, turn right and at the edge of the garden, pass a house before exiting onto a driveway and turning right.  Go through the gate on the left and follow the rising path through woodland.  Keep to the rising path and ignore paths coming in from the left.  Continue on this path until it joins a track coming in from the left.  Turn right and after passing the descending path on the right (that was used on the outward route) bear left into woodland (a blue arrow sign indicating the way) and retrace the outward route back to the cars.

Our walk in this month takes us back to old haunts and, given a lovely day, is one of the most attractive we have ever done.

Meeting at Muiravonside Parish Church on the Forth and Clyde Canal we join the canal and turn west to the basin on Bethankie Bridge (which is a tunnel not a bridge!). Here we board a canal boat, cross the spectacular Avon Aqueduct, and go west to Linlithgow canal basin. A short walk takes us down to the centre of Linlithgow.

Those wanting a longer walk will go round Linlithgow Loch and back to the Canal via the River Avon. Those wanting a shorter walk can find lunch in Linlithgow and then rejoin the canal for the walk back to Muiravonside. This is one of the finest walks in central Scotland. Do join us!

This walk traces the Antonine Wall, an old stone and turf rampart, that was once the northern boundary of the Roman Empire. It was built about 142 AD on the orders of Emperor Antoninus Pius. It stretched 60km from Bo’ness in the east to Old Kilpatrick in the west.

The route passes the remains of a fort and bathhouse on Bar Hill, where a large collection of coins was found when the site was excavated, suggesting it was also something of a gambling den.

The route continues through woodland to Croy Hill before a meandering return along one of the most scenic stretches of the Forth & Clyde Canal.

Starting Point for the Walk:

The car park opposite The Boat House at Auchinstarry Marina, Kilsyth (G65 9SG) – OS Reference NS 721 767.  Parking is free.  Toilets available in the hotel.

Getting there: 16 miles/30 minutes

Take your favourite route to the M80.  Exit at Junction 4A, using the left-hand lane to exit towards Kirkintilloch/Kilsyth/B8048.  Keep left and follow signs for Kirkintilloch/Kilsyth/B8048/B802.  At Back O’ Hill Roundabout, take the 2^nd exit onto B8048.  At the next roundabout (Craiglinn) take the 3^rd exit (continuing on B8048) and at the next roundabout (Blackwood) take the 3^rd exit onto B802 signed Croy/Kilsyth.  Stay on this road for about 1.5 miles.  At the next roundabout take the 3^rd exit for Auchinstarry Marina.  Park on the right, opposite The Boat House.

The Walk:  Bar Hill and Antonine Wall – 6.6 miles (11 km)  (Shorter options available)

Starting at The Boat House, follow the path in a northerly direction, cross the canal via the road bridge, and turn left through the black and white barrier to pick up the canal towpath.  This gives a pleasant tree lined walk for 2 miles to Twechar.  On reaching the village turn left over the road bridge (over the canal) into Main Street and follow the John Muir Way (JMW).  At an Historic Scotland sign on the left (near the Barrhill Tavern), turn left up a rough farm track which leads to the Bar Hill Fort.  The track rises gently for 1km, giving good views down to the Forth & Clyde Canal and the Kilsyth Hills.

At an old disused reservoir on the right, turn left through a gate on the left and follow the path gently uphill.  The remains of the Roman Fort and Bathhouse are over the brow of the hill.  Looking down the hill at its commanding views, the Antonine Wall lies about 60 metres away.  This was the northern frontier of the Roman Empire for around 20 years before the legion retreated south.  Artefacts from the fort and the wall can be seen in the Glasgow University Hunterian Museum.

From the fort, continue on a steep track that leads to a small Iron Age fort and trig point on Castle Hill.  Again, there are great views over the valley to the Campsie Fells.  Next, continue eastwards on a descending path along the line of the Antonine Wall picking up a track which goes through gates to join the main Auchinstarry to Croy Road*¹.  Cross the road and through a gate (continuing on the JMW), then through a field to a small substation.  Next, turn right through a green metal gate*² and follow the signs, on the left, to Croy.  The path leads eastwards passing houses on the right.  Next, climb Croy Hill and enjoy views over the valley, the Kilsyth Hills and the Campsie Fells.  Further on, take the central track that goes between the two mini peaks and carry on along the path until the Roman Centurian Statue.  Then take the path to the right that leads downhill to the canal.  Cross the canal and leave the JMW by turning left (westward) onto the towpath leading back to Auchinstarry.

Those wanting a shorter walk, can either turn left at the Auchinstarry to Croy road^*1 and descend via the road to Auchinstarry (4 miles) or take the track back to Auchinstarry^*2 on a less direct route (4.6 miles) .