The Hidden Glasgow Forums

Have to recommend "Glasgow - 40 town and country walks" by John Craig and Katie Smith (http://www.pocketmountains.com/).

A brilliant little book - a neat size and full of good ideas for all sorts of walks around the Glasgow area - and - yay! - almost all the walks can be done using public transport.

Bought my copy in one of the outdoor stores but I've seen it in Borders too.

velvetrabbit wrote:A brilliant little book - a neat size and full of good ideas for all sorts of walks around the Glasgow area - and - yay! - almost all the walks can be done using public transport.

Does that not defeat the purpose of going for a walk!

Reenie Bujman wrote:I went for a walk the other day...

From Calderwood in EK along Calderglen, across the A725 and followed the Calder to Blantyre. I walked through Blantyre to the David Livingstone Memorial and then followed the Clyde Walkway via Bothwell Castle to Uddingston where the railway line crosses the Clyde. Things became trickier from here on. The paths marked in my A-Z seemed to have disappeared. I picked up the walkway again by the railway where it crosses the Calder before it disappeared into a patch of waste ground near Newton. I had to retrace my steps to pick it up again where it supposedly follows the bank of the Clyde to Cambuslang..

You'll have bother following the Clyde beyond Uddingston. I spent a good few years living down next to the Clyde there - the other bank is brilliant in late summer for raspberries, brambles and wild strawberries. You could always rely on getting something unusual or exotic appearing in the garden from seeds brought back by the cats on their fur, from foraging down the banks.

West Highland way on Monday,have to say it was one of my best days walking this year

A wee taster

Josef wrote:You could always rely on getting something unusual or exotic appearing in the garden from seeds brought back by the cats on their fur...

Tell me about it! My fleece was full of a bewildering array of seeds and spikes. Pity your poor moggy. It least I could put my outer layer in the washing machine rather than have to lick it clean with my tongue. Ouch!

cumbo wrote:West Highland way on Monday...

Dumgoyne?

It's the bit just after the carbeth huts, when you've walked down the road and then over the wall/stile thing which apparently marks the water-shed from "flowing into the clyde" and "flowing into loch lomond".

Am I right? Am I?

The standard joke you must do, at this point, is to kid on anyone who hasn't done the WH Way before that you've gotta go up and over that hill, as there's an extremely-steep looking path that looks like no fun at all.


Alan

It is indeed Dumgoyne Reenie and snapshot location is spot on. Have you ever spotted the standing stones
nearby ?

No, I never have. Where are they?

I'm bloody tempted to go looking tomorrow, or even this afternoon, rather than working!



Alan

A good day walk to to get the bus up to Kingshouse and then walk south using the W.H.W to Bridge of Orchy. Of course you can do it the other way if you like but by starting at Kingshouse it is mostly downhill (although it doesn't seem like that at first!).

When you get to Inveroran you can either go over the Mam Carraigh which involves quite a steep climb and descent or if you'd rather a level walk at the end of the day just follow the road round to Bridge of Orchy.

The Bridge of Orchy Hotel has a great bar, even if it is a little expensive. From Bridge of Orchy you can catch the bus to Buchanan Street but be warned with the nights 'fair drawin' in' there are no street lights at Bridge of Orchy and the last bus is usually going at a rate of knots to finish his shift so make sure you are visible!

Reenie Bujman wrote:After about half a mile, the path petered out in the undergrowth and progress was slow. I had to concede defeat when I got to the bridge that carries a pipeline across the Clyde to the sewage treatment plant on the north bank. By now, there were too many nettles and no sign of the path whatsoever. I don't know if it continues like this to Cambuslang, but I wasn't prepared to battle with the weeds at this late stage of the day to find out.

I waded through head-height thistles to the abandoned Newton Farm and ended up like a pincushion with all the spiky bits that had made their way through my fleece. I came home via Westburn, Cambuslang Public Park and Kirkhill Golf Course.

That's my childhood stomping ground, it's sad when I go down now, as that section is pretty overgrown in summer. Since kids don't really go walks for fun these days, the undergrowth doesn't get trodden down. Great place for seeing deer though!

Although you need to leave the bank of the river temporarily, you can pick up the trail again quite easily about half a mile down - as you'll have noticed, there's a well-worn path up through the fields to the abandoned buildings of Newton Farm from the wire strung across the Clyde at the water-sampling station near Daldowie. Go up there, through the farm, and when you emerge at the track at the main farm entrance, take the one going up to your right. You'll pass the remains of a colliery on your right, then the track turns left at a right angle towards Westburn. Instead of going left down to Westburn, turn right and a path goes back down to the Clyde, and along towards Carmyle and the old railway bridge - scramble up to that and you can pick up the tarmac cycle path that pretty much takes you all the way into town.

Thanks Gap!

I remember the wire across the river and I actually walked a hundred yards or so up the path towards the farm before doubling back. I'd determined to follow the "correct" path. I know the railway bridge that you mean. I went back to Cambuslang on Thursday and followed the tarmac path to it and down the other side where there is a mucky looking weir in a burn that I was in no mood to negotiate.

I'm not missing Somerset apart from the butterflies and roe deer, so it's good to find somewhere that has both.

A walk up Cochno to the Jaw Reseviour. Just to the east of the Dam and just before Maidens Paps I am sure there is an air raid shelter. Its a great walk over to Strathblane. Its years since I did it but I can feel my feet getting itchy to do it.

I'm not sure that the weather is going to be too clever, so we may end up doing something low-key, but I'm heading out for a walk with my sister on Tuesday, destination as yet undecided. I'll report back on where we end up and how it goes.

I walked Dumgoyne for the first time at the weekend and I have to say it was very enjoyable. We got the bus to the distillery and It took us under an hour to get to the top. After that we walked down the other side of Dumgoyne and along towards Slackdhu then scrambled down the cliffs to get back for a pint in Strathblane before the bus.

So, we've decided to climb Ben Lomond tomorrow. Fingers crossed the weather's half decent. It sounds like a nice walk either way though.

If I don't report back by this time tomorrow then call the mountain rescue folks.