Starting Point for the Walk:

At the end of Dalsholm Road which is past the Dawsholm Recycling Centre – OS Reference  NS 557 696.  There is free on-street parking.

Getting there: 2 miles/ 10 minutes

From the Byres Road junction with the Great Western Road turn left.  Turn right at the second set of traffic lights into Cleveden Road.  Keep straight on at a roundabout and down a steep hill to cross the Forth and Clyde canal.  Having crossed the canal, take the first exit (Dalsholm Road) at the roundabout and cross over the railway line.  Continue on Dalsholm Road, ignoring the road coming in from the left.  However, be careful.  Whilst you have the right of way those coming from the left may not think so!  Continue onwards (past the Dawsholm Recycling Centre on the left) to the end of the road.

The Walk:  Glasgow Waterways and Sighthill – 9.3 miles (15 km)

The walk follows the River Kelvin south and at the Kelvin Aqueduct joins the Forth and Clyde canal and goes eastwards towards Stockingfield Junction.  Admire the impressive new bridge.  Explore the site and observe the massive concrete whale which will be tiled during the next few years by tiles designed by Glasgow school children. Continue on down the Forth and Clyde canal spur towards Firhill.  Toilets are available at the Tesco store on Maryhill Road opposite Ruchill Street, which is a short distance from the canal.

Picking up the canal spur again, go south towards the city.  Continue past Firhill, of Partick Thistle fame, in the direction of Port Dundas (the end of the canal).  Note the impressive lock system and then marvel at the Victorian ingenuity of building major docks in the centre of the city – now reduced to a Water Sports Centre.  It is now possible to continue on into Sighthill Park (which has been moved from its original location) and reconstructured further away from the town.  The stone circle has also been moved to be a centre piece for the North Bridge housing complex.  Lunch can be taken here and the park can be explored further for anyone who wishes to do so.

Retrace the route back to Port Dundas and then return via the other side of the canal as far as possible.  Then cross the canal again and continue on the west side.  Continue up the canal to the Stockingfield Junction and turn left back onto the Forth and Clyde canal.  At the Kelvin Aqueduct leave the canal and follow the Kelvin River northwards back to the starting point.

A  convoluted walk around Colzeum

Getting there: about 21 miles, 40 minutes.

Park considerately in the roads around ‘The Swan Inn’ in the village of Banton where there is a small shop.

There are various ways of getting to Banton but this route gives you a feel of where you will be walking. Take the M8 east from Glasgow, then the M80 towards Stirling etc. At the sign indicating Kirkintilloch/Stepps etc turn left to a very large roundabout with traffic lights. Turn first left off the roundabout and come down to a smaller roundabout where you go straight (second exit) up Initiative Road signposted Kirkintilloch. Follow this straight road crossing all roundabouts and ignoring all exits until you come to the A803 at major traffic lights. Turn right and follow the A803 (past the road to Twechar) through Queenzieburn and Kilsyth and past the signs and gates of Colzeum Country Park. Ignore the first road on the left and take the second left (at Kelvinhead) clearly marked ‘Banton’.

The walk
Take the Mill Road almost opposite ‘The Swan’ turning right along a sign-posted path which leads to Banton Loch. This very picturesque mill-workers’ path takes you into Colzeum (pronounced Coal-zee-um) Country Park. At the junction at the end of the loch, turn right and then left  to follow a convoluted route along a canal feeder to a small bridge across the canal feeder.  The path heads up towards the main House (where the toilets at the restaurant may be open). Continue past the restaurant and up a wooded glen around a magnificent waterfall, returning through a pets’ cemetery. Turn left (vehicular – take the pedestrian path across a bridge) then left again and right to go straight down along a pedestrian path over an ancient bridge and out on to the A803. Crossing carefully, start on a vehicular road but quickly enter a gate and go past boulders, an old bath etc to a gate and footpath on the right. This goes down to the ruined Craigmarlich House and out to a car park on the Forth and Clyde Canal. Turn left here and follow the canal to a sign-posted footpath on the left up to Kelvinhead and, crossing the A803 again, up to Banton. The total distance is about 7.0 miles.

The story of Glasgow’s Clyde Bridges reflects the development of Glasgow from its earliest settlements alongside the River Clyde. As the city flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries this resulted in Bridges being built which encouraged trade and prosperity. This Bridges walk starts on the South Side of the Clyde at the pedestrian Bridge at Cunningar Loop (East) and follows the Clyde walkway (West) and criss-crosses the river utilising various Pedestrian and Road Bridges. It goes through Glasgow Green, into the City Centre and to the finishing point near the Millennium Bridge.The walk concludes with a short train ride from Exhibition Centre to Dalmarnock and a walk back to the starting point.

Starting Point for the Walk:
The best place to park for this walk is Cuningar Loop Car Park (Cuningar Avenue).

Getting there: 7 miles/20 minutes
Take your favourite route towards the M8 [Greenock/Kilmarnock] and then take M74 towards Carlisle.  Exit M74 at Junction 2 and turn left onto Cambuslang Road (A724).  Turn right into Duchess Road which, as the road bends left, becomes Downiebrae Road.  Turn right into Cuningar Aveneue

The Walk – Glasgow Bridges – 7.8 miles (12 km)  The walk can be shortened as required)
Head north from the parking area and turn right into Cuningar Avenue, continuing into the Cuningar Loop.  Cross the River Clyde, from the south bank to the north bank, at Cuningar Pedestrian Bridge and turn left to join the River Clyde Walkway.  Continue westwards and at Rutherglen Bridge cross to the south bank.  Continue to the Polmadie Bridge and cross back to the north bank turning left towards Glasgow Green.  Cross to the south side of the river at Albert Bridge and return to the north side at South Portland Street Suspension Bridge.  Cross once again to the south side at George the Fifth Bridge before taking the IFSD Tradeston Footbridge back to the north bank.  Continue on the north bank until the Clyde Arc and cross to the south side heading towards Glasgow Science Centre.  At the Millennium Bridge cross back to the north side and follow the pedestrian route to the Exhibition Centre Station.Trains run regularly from the Exhibition Centre to Dalmarnock. The final leg of the walk is from Dalmarnock Station (see map at top).  Head south down Dalmarnock Road, cross the Dalmarnock Bridge and turn left into Downiebrae Road to return to the starting point.

This well-visited country park provides many and varied opportunities to walk within its boundaries and beyond.

Starting Point for the Walk:
OS Reference NS 546 779 .

Getting there: 10 miles/25 minutes

Take your favourite route to Milngavie and then take the A81 (Strathblane Road).  Continue along until you see the sign for Mugdock Country Park (NB the sign is some distance from the left turn).  Turn left onto Craigallian Road and keep following the signs.  At the T junction, turn right and continue until the car park on your left.  The best place to park is the overflow car park (sign posted) as it is far less busy.

Please note: If using SatNav make sure to enter Mugdock Park Visitor Centre, as Mugdock Park will take you to one of the outlying car parks, miles from where you want to be!

Toilets are available at Mugdock Country Park Visitor Centre as well as coffee.

The Walk:  Mugdock Country Park – 8.25 miles (13 km) (Shorter options available)

Leave the Visitor Centre and head down the track leading to the remains of the house for the old zoo.  Just past the ruins, turn left and walk straight along, skirting the edge of Mugdock Loch and then turn right, signposted Mugdock Castle.  At the T junction at the end of the loch, turn left.  (Option A – For a very short walk turn right at this point, explore the castle, and follow the signs for the Visitor Centre).

Continue on towards the South Car park and, just past the path for the car park, look carefully for a path on the left which runs parallel to the road and eventually emerges onto the road.  After a short distance on the road turn left into Milngavie Waterworks.  There is a lovely, wooded path along the edge of the reservoir which is reached by following a path over the measuring pond on the left.  Continue round this reservoir until a crossing point between Milngavie Reservoir and Craigmaddie Reservoir.  After crossing the reservoirs, turn right past various buildings and instead of continuing round the reservoir, take the access road down towards Mugdock Road.  (Option B – For a 4-mile walk continue round the reservoir (passing Drumclog Moor Car Park) and retrace the outward route back to the Visitor centre).

Turn left onto Mugdock Road then take the second road on the right, Craigallian Avenue, to re-enter the country park.  Continue along Craigallian Avenue towards Craigallian Bridge, the path becomes the West Highland Way (WHW) near Allander Park.  (Option C – For a 6-mile walk turn right, off the WHW, and follow the signs for the Visitor Centre).

Continue on the WHW past Craigallian Loch as far as Carbeth.  Just past the first few cabins and Carbeth Loch on the left, turn sharp right (before reaching the B821) through a gate and onto an upward path – now the John Muir Way.

Continue on this path as it ascends slowly then evens out, and eventually comes to a T junction.  Turn right and continue on until a small parking area on the edge of a road.  Cross the road and, veering slightly to the right, follow the path into the country park crossing a foot bridge and eventually turning left to head to the Visitor Centre and Car Park.

Doune is one of those Scottish towns that we have driven through numerous times, but never visited!

The walk  starts  close to the site of the former Doune Railway Station and heads past the nearby Doune Ponds then meanders through some lovely woodland. In due course you pick up a section of the former ‘Callander & Oban Railway’ for a couple of miles. After walking through the eastern side of the town, you pass through the grounds of Doune Castle before picking up a path along the River Teith. The final couple of miles include some more woodland and open countryside.

Starting Point for the Walk:

Doune Ponds Car Park, Doune – OS Reference NN 725 019 [Sat Nav: FK16 6EH].

Getting there: 36 miles/45 minutes

Take your favourite route to the M80 (Stirling).  Exit M80 at Junction 10 (Doune [A84]).  In Doune (on the A84) take a right turn [Town Centre/Doune Castle] onto the A820 (Balkerach Street).  Almost immediately after joining the A820, take a left turn onto Station Wynd and continue past Pistolmakers Row for about 100m before turning left into Doune Ponds Car Park.

Toilets are available at Stirling Services (M80, Junction 9, FK7 8EU), approximately 40 minutes drive from Glasgow.

The Walk:  Doune Loop – 7.5 miles (12 km)

The walk starts at the Doune Ponds, a 40-acre Nature Reserve (which was previously a gravel and sand quarry), by following a network of paths through the woodland that surrounds Doune Ponds.  The route eventually leaves the woodland via a steep hillside climb that takes about 5 minutes.  Soon after reaching the highest point in this locality, there are good views across the town of Doune.  Then follow a network of paths and quiet country lanes through the countryside to the NE of Doune.

In due course, pick up a faint path through a small area of dense woodland – this leads onto a former railway line.  Follow the old railway line in a westerly direction for about 1.25 miles then head in a southerly direction, through a park, past the kirk then through a housing estate.  A few minutes after passing the housing estate, reach the grounds of Doune Castle.  Skirt around the east side of the Castle and pick up a path that runs along the side of Ardoch Burn.  After about 0.25 mile, the Ardoch Burn joins the River Teith.  At this point, turn right and follow a path that heads in a WNW direction alongside the River Teith.  After about 0.5 mile turn left onto the A84, then cross the road to join a footpath to rejoin the river.  Take care when crossing the busy A84.

Continue through an area of woodland that runs alongside the River Teith, which soon leads to a path on the right and a gentle climb away from the River Teith.  The final 1.5 miles is along a path and farm access track which leads to the west end of Doune.  After about 1 mile, cross the A84 again and then head into an area of woodland at the southern edge of Doune Ponds.  Rejoin the outgoing route to end up back at the Doune Ponds Car Park.