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.

This is an interesting circular walk around Inverkip, which takes in the daff and Kip Glens and makes use of a local path to the Scout Hut at Everton which you should approach on foot only. For this reason the walk described here starts at Inverkip Station which, obviously, you can reach by train or car. There are cafe’s and a hotel nearby.

To get there

To get to Inverkip from Glasgow take the tunnel/Kingston Bridge across the Clyde on to the M8 towards Greenock and stay with the motorway. Go straight on at the Langbank roundabout. 2.5 miles from Port Glasgow, a roundabout takes you easily on to the A8, a dual carriageway. At the super-Tesco roundabout, follow the signs to Greenock, getting into the middle lane at the next roundabout still sign-posted Greenock. The simplest way to avoid Greenock town centre is to follow the route you know!

At Inverkip, from the A78 just before the marina, turn off left as signposted to go into the village and park.

Your walk

From the car go to the bridge over the River Daff and take the sign-posted path on the left-hand side of the river up the Daff Glen. At the top, on the road, turn right, and go up to Langhouse. At Langhouse take the path on the left which continues beside the Daff Burn. At ‘The Bell House’ (understandably marked ‘private access’) continue along the track on the right. Continue to the end of the track where you can actually see the Scout hall on the right. Through the gate on the right, there’s a faint path making for the Scout hall which, about 50 yards from a wall, turns suddenly left and comes down to a burn. There’s a path up to a good bridge along the burn and here the  fun begins. Don’t cross the bridge, but step over to the fence on the right which has barbed wire across it. Between the third and fourth posts the barbed wire is tied with yellow string. This can be unknotted, the barbed wire dropped and you can step over the fence. The yellow string and barbed wire should then be replaced. Take the path which leads up the side of the Scout camp.

At the cross-road of paths in the centre of the campsite, with your back to the sea and facing Leapmoor Forest, take the right-hand path (not the apparently obvious concrete path going straight up) but across some rough ground making for what looks like a bridge but is a hefty stile (with a entrance for dogs!). Immediately over is a good, rocky, if muddy and steepish path beside a burn which soon levels out as you reach a LRT at Leapmoor Forest. After taking in the (hopefully) fine views across the Firth, turn left and begin the long slow descent which eventually comes out at the shore. First though, you follow the forest track down past the waterworks and then round Langhill Farm (you’re directed away from the farm itself) and out on to a country road with a sign-post pointing back the way we’ve come. (The country road actually runs from Inverkip to Cornalees if you’re following this on a map.)

Turn left here and then almost immediately right along a tracked marked ‘Private access’. Cross the railway bridge and continue along in the same direction with the railway line on the right out of sight beside you. At a huge railway viaduct slither down (there are steps but I wouldn’t trust them) on to the path below. Turn left along a broad and well-beaten path with the Kip river way below you. At a fork, keep right, following the river. The next bit needs care but emerges at a good bridge across the Kip. Cross the bridge to the little hamlet with the stables, and, just before the A78, turn right as signposted to the Ardgowan Coastal Path. Then go sharp left through the underpass. The Underpass is hidden at this point, it’s just behind a pile of sand about 50 yards on the left from the gate with the horse-shoe handle.

Once under the road, turn left as directed, hidden from the road but going in the same direction. The leads gently out on to Cloch Road, which you cross using the traffic islands provided and go straight into the Ardgowan Estate. Here, take the path down to the right, then right again along a smaller path in about 500 yards, on the first good path and follow this down to North Lodge.

At North Lodge you can now go straight down to the shore where you turn left and keep walking parallel with the shore. There are glorious views on all sides. At the ever-expanding Inverkip Marina, where there is a rope tied to a tree and a notice saying that this is a ‘Family Beach’, you must turn left, inland: the good path goes on to the marina itself.

The path now becomes a muddy lane where the contractors have been working, but you’re soon on a pedestrianized path which leads to a bridge across the River Kip: look for the Daff coming in at the confluence. Go straight over, straight on to the foot bridge, and down into old Inverkip village and your car or the station.

The Almondell and Calderwood Country Parks have been created from two adjoining estates and amount to just over 200 hundred acres of rivers and woodland hidden to the east of Livingston between the M8 and the A71. The Almondell Estate is exceptionally well-laid out with beaten bark paths, tarmac driveways, bridges, play-areas, toilets and a Visitors’ Centre. The Calderwood Estate is also way-marked and bridged, but is much wilder and rougher. In both, you would never dream that you are a few miles from the capital city and the rivers Almond, Linnhouse and Murieston are spectacular in spate. There are numerous waterfalls, weirs, tumbling rivers and burns, islands and quieter mill lades. It is all exceedingly photogenic and picturesque, not least the various aque-and-via-ducts and bridges of various kinds.

Park in the NORTH CAR PARK of the Almondell and Calderwood Country Park. To get there the postal code for the park is EH52 5PE and worked well with the satnav. Otherwise, getting to the North Car Park is very simple and should take about 40 minutes from Glasgow. Leave Glasgow on the M8 heading east towards Edinburgh, and stay put for about 30 miles until JUNCTION 3 (not Junction 3A which you come to first) where you leave on the left to take the A899 to Livingston (and West Calder). You swing around the slip road, back over the motorway and come to the roundabout with a whalebone structure in the centre. Take the first exit down the main Livingston dual carriageway but after 800 yards take the road to the left sign-posted Pumpherston and Uphall Stations. (There are a pile of Livingstone estate names – ignore these!). You come down to a main road where you turn left and at the next roundabout also take the first exit on to Houston Road and the Houston Industrial Estate. At the traffic lights, turn right on the B8046 (Pumpherston Road) towards the unprepossessing village of Pumpherston. The road on the left beside the Bay Leaf Restaurant,  has been blocked off and is now a dead end. Instead, at the traffic lights in Pumpherston, go straight ahead and take the sign to Almondell and Calderwood Country Parks.

Turn left here left here and continue until you reach s big sign to Broxburn pointing left, but the sign for Almondell and Calderwood Country parks is hidden until you’ve actually turned right! Drive down this single-track country estate road till you come to the Estate Entrance with two traditional pillars and a lodge. You are not allowed to drive any further, but are encouraged to enter the North Car Park on the right.

The walk

When you are booted up and kitted out then make your way to the other side of the large car-park, opposite the car entrance, to a path between a dog-pooh bin on the left and a recycling bin on the right. Follow this made-up path as it curves round and down to the left (ignoring a small local path which goes straight on) to a set of steps down on to the main drive way. At the bottom of the steps you’ll come to a sign-post pointing right down the driveway to the Visitors’ Centre. At the Centre, you can have coffee, pick up a map and other useful information and use the loos.

 After coffee, leave the Visitors’ Centre at the front entrance and turn right, through the garden past the toilet block and turn right again to the Nelson Mandela suspension bridge across the River Almond. A path along a mill lade continues to the left but you strike up the series of wooden steps straight on and up. On our walk these were muddy and slippery but there’s a good hand rail. At the top turn right to follow the course of the river, but high above it. This excellent path meanders through larch woods, with open fields on the left and the river below. By-pass the Nasmyth Bridge and come out on the main drive way to the South Car Park which is currently closed. Turn left to continue along this driveway to the imposing exit/entrance. Turn right for 50 yards along the pavement and then cut back into the estate on a path sign-posted ‘Camps Viaduct 0.4 miles’. (Your path is just by the metalled entrance to some houses – look for the angled sign-post on to the path.) The old railway line takes you through pleasant countryside straight on to the viaduct high above the River Almond. Immediately over the viaduct is a set of steps on the left leading down to a path across a hump-backed bridge (the Dale Bridge) across a mill lade and on to the main estate path along the river. You will see an attractive shelter to the left, and look up to appreciate the remarkable workmanship of the viaduct. If you dog-leg slightly left and right you can pick up a grassy and lovely path alongside the river.

At the Pipe Bridge, turn left across the bridge and then follow the path through a particularly attractive area. There’s a sewage farm on the left but you don’t see much of this on the outward leg. Just before a metal bridge going straight into the village of Mid Calder turn left down a lovely path, and just before it emerges on the road turn right, down some steps, under the road and across a purpose-built metal bridge. Almost immediately you turn left again across another such bridge and you’re into the Calderwood Country Park. There’s an information board and map, and the return path is seen coming in from the right. Go straight on here, following the path west, on the south side of the plateau and high above Linnhouse Water, to a junction of paths. Oakbank is sign-posted to the left and Murieston to the right. Turn right and at the next junction, continue downhill to the Murieston Water (sign-posted Murieston), turning right at the river bank. This muddy but delightful path takes you along an idyllic stretch of the river and then back up to the higher path at the Spottiswood junction and Information Board. Continue straight on here.

At the time of writing, there was a huge puddle but you should follow the general line of the path. It is easy to wander too far into the central part of the plateau which is pathless. Keeping in line with the direction of travel around the puddle will bring you back to the information board at the entrance to the Estate mentioned above. Then cross the first metal bridge, turn right across the second, under the road, up the steps and back along the path round the sewage works to the Pipe Bridge where you have to turn left to cross the bridge and right to take the path home. Go past the hump bridge which brought you down from the Camps viaduct, under the attractive wooden shelter to the aqueduct. You have a choice of routes here – either is pleasant. But to vary the walk cross the river at the aqueduct, walk up the side of the Mill lade, cross the Nasmyth Bridge since you by-passed it in the morning and take the Red Route path alongside the river. This is a lovely stretch, going along the back of the Visitors’ Centre to the path you took in the morning. Turn left here, go up to the driveway and turn right to go back to North Car park and the cars.

The first part of this walk is by far the prettiest but the second part stretches the legs and offers variety. You set off on a very lovely path along the River Leny. After the river walk and the railway track there’s a long gentle climb up to the Falls. Thereafter there’s a lovely woodland walk back down into Callander. The Longer route takes you across the meadows to Kilmahog and then climbs a little befoe returning through Coilihan Woods. The walk is as flat as you’ll get in the countryside – but oh so beautiful and with wonderful views. The Tourist Centre will have maps with walks around Callander which match the coloured posts en route.

Park in Callander. As this is a circular walk it doesn’t matter where on the route you park, but there is a charge in each of the two main car parks (down by the River Leny and behind the Dreadnought Hotel). Outwith the height of the tourist season here is ample free parking in Callander: round Callander Kirk, along the Main Street out towards the Roman Camp Hotel, and up and along the disused railway line, for example at Glenartney Road. You could also start at Kilmahog. Just check that wherever you park there there isn’t a time limit.

To get there take your favourite route to Aberfoyle (generally the A81 which you pick up either at Maryhill Road or Canniesburn Toll). The A81 takes you through the east end of Milngavie (past what was the East Dunbartonshire Council Buildings and is about to be a Hotel); round the roundabout at Homebase, etc (sign-posted to Strathblane); past the waterworks; on to Strathblane, Dumgoyne, Gartmore House to the roundabout outside Aberfoyle where you turn right to Callander, still on the A81. Drive past Braeval and the cottages at Lake of Menteith turning sharp left with the A81 and following the signposts to Callander. At the mini-roundabout, just past the McLaren High School and Leisure Centre, turn right to go up the hill into Callander, and right or left at the traffic lights depending on where you’re parking.

The Walk

Since the first part of the walk is the prettiest, you may like to begin the walk by continuing along the Main Street and past the junction for the road up to the Bracklinn Falls on the left and the Roman Camp Hotel on the right. A sign post directs you down a narrow path (blue dots on the map) which soon opens out, undulates along a low ridge between the town houses and the river and then makes down to the river. The stretch along the river is lovely. Pass an information board and platform for fishermen, and continue to where the path is forced inland (just over a planked deep stream) up a set of steps, across a field and on to the main road at a bus stop. There are pedestrian traffic lights to allow you to continue across the road and up a track on to the old railway line. At the junction with the railway line, turn right (white markers on the map).

The next part is very easy walking and very beautiful. Continue with the track past Auchenlaich House (ignore both the path parked ‘Private on the left and the Keltie Bridge Caravan Par on your right) and begin to climb gently but steadily. There are glorious views of Callander and Ben Ledi beyond. At the junction (with a notice saying Bracklinn FC to the left) turn right. This soon emerges on the main Bracklinn Falls path (purple dots on the map). However, it is particularly beautiful to go straight on here (instead of turning right to the Falls) on a new path created when the bridge was replaced. This is very short but brings you along the river upstream from the bridge.

After visiting the Falls get back on to the main path (purple dots) either by re-tracing your steps back the way you came down (gentler) or stepping between two boulders on your left and going straight up some steps (steeper). Continue along to the Bracklinn Falls car park. There have been forest operations along the route which, while untidy, have opened up the views. At the country road going up to Braeleny (through a huge gate), turn left downhill. (White dots on a yellow road.) At the blue Parking sign, turn right and at the gate take the lower red-and-brown dotted route through the forest. At a viewpoint with a bench, a post with a red marker goes up hill, but you go left downhill. There are some very slippery boards here! Avoid! This path comes down to Tulipan Crescent.

The Short Cut

If the weather has been dry for a couple of weeks you could turn right, cross the road, go down to the old railway but turn left around the car park (orange dots on the map). Alternatively, turn left in Tulipan Crescent to pick up the railway going in the opposite direction (red dots) and wiggle your way either along Ancaster Road (red dots) or the old railway (blue dots). (To follow the Ancaster Road route, from Tulipan Crescent follow the old railway track through to the car park and from the far, top corner of the car park go up some steps and across the bridge into Ancaster Road, and turn right.) Either way, you reach the Main Street easily.

The Longer Route

For a longer walk, cross the main road (A84) from Tulipan Crescenet and go straight over to the railway line turning right towards the signal. Follow the railway line towards Kilmahog. (Notice the very clear outline of a Roman camp on the right in the meadows as you near Kilmahog.)

At Kilmahog, cross the country road (A821) and take the off-road-path running parallel to the road on the left. Follow this to another car park on the right but go straight on to pick up the Woodlands’ Trust path contouring round the hillside parallel with the road on the left and under Samson’s Stone on the right. This comes down to the A821 opposite the Invertrossachs Road. Cross the A821 and go down the road towards the bridge. Cross the bridge and turn left. Follow the road to a car-park on the left. The main path (green dots) goes up directly in front of you. However, it is shorter and prettier to take the path on the left and follow this to a wee lochan at Callander Holiday Park. Follow the signs through the park to rejoin the Invertrossachs Road. Take the road to the junction with the A81. You can either cross the River Leny on the road here, or turn right at the roundabout, cross the road and take the path on the left to go down to the pedestrian bridge and up South Church Street.

The centrepiece of this walk is undoubtedly the canal aqueduct at Lin’s Mill where the Union Canal crosses the River Avon. With a little effort it’s possible to view the river below from both sides of the canal without actually getting your feet wet! To get to the aqueduct you follow the canal feeder from the Visitors’ Centre in Almondvale Country Park along a picturesque path through open countryside. At the aqueduct you pick up the Union Canal which takes you to the Brox Burn which, would you believe, is in Broxburn! There’s a short stretch beside a housing estate but after about half a mile the path becomes prettier. You eventually come past Uphall Station (where the walk officially starts) and the next 2 miles on a disused railway line a bit sore on the legs. However, as you re-enter the Country Park the scenery improves and suddenly you’re on the Camps viaduct which carried the mineral railway you’ve been walking along across the River Avon. A beautiful stroll through the autumnal woods of the country park and we’re back to the Visitors’ Centre.

You can do this walk from Uphall Station which gets the boring bit over first. However, parking is easier at Almondvale, it’s a much prettier place to start, and there are toilets and a coffee machine.

Park in Almondvale Country Park

To get there, the postal code for the park is EH52 5PE and works well with the satnav. Otherwise, getting to the park is very simple and should take about 40 minutes from Glasgow. Leave Glasgow on the M8 heading east towards Edinburgh, and stay put for about 30 miles until JUNCTION 3 (not Junction 3A which you come to first) where you leave on the left to take the A899 to Livingston (and West Calder). You swing around the slip road, back over the motorway and come to the roundabout with a whalebone structure in the centre. Take the first exit down the main Livingston dual carriageway but after 800 yards take the road to the left sign-posted Pumpherston and Uphall Stations. (There are a pile of Livingstone estate names – ignore these!). You come down to a main road where you turn left and at the next roundabout also take the first exit on to Houston Road and the Houston Industrial Estate. At the traffic lights, turn right on the B8046 (Pumpherston Road) towards the unprepossessing village of Pumpherston. A few hundred yards on, just before the Bay Leaf Restaurant, there’s a sign on the right pointing to the road on the left: Drumshoreland Road, Pumphertson and Uphall Stations and Almondell and Calderwood Country Parks.

Turn left here, go through a series of chicanes and then travel about a mile along an increasingly countrified road to a junction. There’s a big sign to Broxburn pointing left, but the sign for Almondell and Calderwood Country parks is hidden until you’ve actually turned right! Drive down this single-track country estate road till you come to the North Entrance and turn right and park. I the opposite corner of the car park, by an information board and dog pooh bin, there’s a path which meanders parallel to the main drive way and saves walking on a metalled surface. There are several paths off this to join the driveway.

The walk

From the Visitors Centre, with your back to the centre, turn right and follow the path past the toilets, across the play-park and down to the path along the river. Continue in the same direction to the suspension bridge which you cross giving lovely views of the River Avon. Go up the hill a little but, where the steps continue on up, turn left along an idyllic path beside the canal feeder. The next three miles are very pretty with the little burn running beside you, open countryside on the left and frequent little stone bridges and sluice gates and stuff. At the end you have to climb a steep set of steps to reach a rough track where you turn left.

When you get to the Lin’s Mill aqueduct it’s worth spending some time here so at the junction of paths just before it first go right to reach ‘this’ side of the canal, a turning and berthing basin and views along part of the Union canal which you don’t do! However, you can turn left along the aqueduct with spectacular views of the River Avon and Kirkhill Wood below. Retrace our steps to where the rough track forked but this time take the left–hand path which goes down to the river itself and underneath the aqueduct. The advantage of this is that it avoids a set of steep steps down, but gives very good views of the river and the aqueduct itself. Go under the aqueduct and climb up a set of steps to get to the other side of the aqueduct. If anything, the views are even better but in any case you need to be on the other tow-path.

This is a favourite walk especially since the awkward detours around the construction of the new Ardgartan Hotel have been smoothed out, and routes are now signposted, improved underfoot, bridged and keep walkers away from the hotel. The outward and return paths, straight out of, and back to the car park, now run prettily beside a burbling burn, through beech and birch woods and then take you down to Loch Long with spectacular views up to Arrochar and across to the Glens of Douglas and Luss and the back of Beinn Tharsuinn and the not-quite-so attractive views down to Faslane. Back on to the tarmac road (which could be used to Coilessan car-park to shorten the walk) there are wonderful views, now from a higher vantage point, and the burn itself is magnificent. As a reward for the climb you immediately wend your way back down to the lochside and a lovely track beside the water ending at Guanan – a good spot for lunch. Unfortunately, what goes down must come back up but you’re soon at yet another waterfall and a more-or-less flat track – now pompously re-named ‘The Duke’s Road’ with spanking new sign-posts at every junction. Then it’s back to Coilessan, down the road, and a short cut through the woods to the cars. About nine miles of woods, rivers, lochs and mountains!

Park at the Ardgartan car-park in Glen Croe. The satnav for the Ardgartan Hotel is G83 7AR which would take you to your car park. The Visitors Centre is now closed but in its stead are toilets which are preferable!!

To get there, take the usual route out on the A82 which goes by varying names along Great Western Road, the Boulevard, through Milton to Dumbarton where it becomes a dual carriageway and enters the National Park at Balloch at the ‘new’ roundabout with flying birds. Keep straight on up Loch Lomondside (don’t go into Balloch) to Tarbet. Here take the A83 which goes straight on (the A82 goes right to Crianlarich) and then swings left to Arrochar, At Arrochar turn right and go around the head of Loch Long. Follow the road as it turns sharp right to go up through Glen Croe, usually known as ‘The Rest and be Thankful’. However, just as you turn right with the road you’ll pass a sign for Ardgartan Caravan Club/site and about 250 metres further on a very upmarket place for cyclists to cross. Start signalling here for just past this you turn left into the Ardgarten car park.

The walk

Your walk begins by taking the lovely little path along the Croe Water which begins with a three-ringed (red, blue and yellow) post at the far end of the car-park by the Information Board. This very well-made path twists and turns among deciduous trees beside the burn but you soon lose the yellow markers which go off to Succoth. At the junction, with a sturdy wooden bridge on the right, resolutely ignore this and turn a dog-leg, left-right along a continuation of the path still following red and blue markers. You’re taken round the bend in the Croe water to a sturdy bridge across and then down the other side. Miraculously, you avoid the Hotel and go straight on, with blue markers only, on the original public footpath to the lochside. The views here up to Arrochar, down Loch Long and across to the West Highland Line and Ben Lomond above are wonderful. Behind you is The Brack and to the left the ‘castle’ part of the Cobbler. The path continues round the bay and then climbs up to a LRT.

The next bit is something of a pull, and being through the forest, less attractive. However, it suddenly opens out by the Coilessan Burn where the forest has been cleared so there are views all around once more. (The ‘new’ Cowal Way joins your LRT.)

Take the track on your left, just past the impressive Coilessan Burn. This wanders and turns down to the loch side at Dial. (These hamlets are worth pondering – what on earth did the inhabitants eat?) Continue along by the shore for just under a mile to Guanan (a ruined but ‘n ben).

It is then something of a pull winding up to the Duke’s Road (named after the Duke of Argyll ?) and a more-or-less flat track, parallel with loch below but about 400 feet up for about a mile and a half. One advantage of forest clearance is that the views are again lovely, a welcome break from the forest tracks.

From Coilessan it’s downhill all the way. On the way back, look out for the brown-painted wooden double barrier on the right-hand-side of the LRT and the path down to the loch edge. You’ll recognise all this from the journey out. You come back, this time ignoring all diversions, to the sturdy bridge. Once across the bridge, follow the right-hand riverbank back to the cars. You might want to do just the twirly bits again one day before having a bacon butty at the Caravan Park café!