Clyde Walkway - Glasgow to Uddingston ( 20 miles )
This is a nice run for an evening if you're based in Glasgow as most of it is on the riverside path. Starting on the north side of the river the path takes you through Glasgow Green and onwards along the Clyde as it wends its way towards Uddingston no more than 10 miles away. Recently resurfaced in places to smooth out the bumps, it's pretty good all the way but do watch out for the odd patch of smashed glass - seems to be unavoidable in Glasgow. The scenery is lovely and green and you can forget you're just outside the City Centre. Admittedly there's not much to visit along the way but it's a nice route all the same. Once you reach Newton there's a small stretch on the road, but soon after you rejoin the cycle route and you're nearly at journey's end. Once reaching Uddingston over the green bridge, we've continued on along the river to Bothwell, which has a castle to visit and is a good place to have a break before heading back.
Note - there's currently a diversion, pretty well signposted, round some of the building works for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. It's likely that these will be a common feature over the next few years so be warned.....
Total length of route - 20 miles - allow 1 hour 20 mins each way.
Pubs - we haven't really investigated this as we've usually done the round trip, but Uddingston is a fairly well served town with cafes and pubs in the town centre which is well signposted from the river path.
Options for a shorter route - take the train back from Uddingston to Glasgow.
Glasgow City Centre - Yoker loop via the Renfrew Ferry (15 miles )
For a map click http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=201316007435304884837.0004a38f8e061ef36fea9&z=13
This is quite a nice route on a sunny evening, and doesn't take long so can be done even when the nights are getting shorter. Starting in the city centre the easiest way to explain it is, starting on the riverside cycle path, go west until you can cross the pedestrian 'squinty bridge'. Once on the other side continue west along the south side of the river until you get to the Odeon Cinema complex. Cut up through here and join the road leading to Govan ( handilly called Govan Road! ). You want to follow this all the way west, hugging the river, until you have crossed the Clyde Tunnel Entrance. If you miss this don't worry, just carry on until the road becomes Renfrew Road and turns left taking you up to a roundabout. For those that know the area you want to then take a right and head for the Braehead Sainsbury's supermarket at the bottom of the road, so go straight through the next few roundabouts and once you reach Sainsbury's you'll see a wee cycle sign leading you down round the back of the supermarket and once again onto the Clydeside path. If the shipyards weren't in the way this would be a much straighter route but isn't really difficult. Once you're on this path you can then relax for a bit. Finally you'll reach a housing development where hopefully the path will eventually be maintained in a straight line all the way to the ferry. For now though, you have to skip through the estate and try and find the road again ( Ferry Road ) which will lead you to the halfway point. Continue down to the Clyde and you will find a welcome wee pub called the Ferry Inn, which although pretty basic has a bit of history about it and sells beer, which is frankly the most important thing!
After your pint you can take the passenger ferry, which also accepts bikes, over the river to the other side and rejoin the cycle path on the northern side at Yoker. The ferry runs more or less when it is needed, so the chap will just come and collect you and your bikes if you stand on the slip and give him a wave. Costs about £1.60 per person each way, including bikes, and you can find running times here http://www.clydelink.co.uk/. Once you're over the river you need to continue west along the river path until it loops round to the right and you join back up with the national cycle route which will take you back into the City Centre. It sounds awfully complicated but is much easier in reality than it is to explain. A route which gives you the chance to see bits of the Clyde that you don't see elsewhere, including remnants of past history and newly built navy destroyers waiting to be fitted out...if you like that kind of thing. Also lets you see good views of the new Zaha Hadid Museum of Transport, due to open in June 2010, from the other side of the river.
Total length of route - 15 miles - allow a couple of hours to take account of possible wait for the ferry.
Pubs - The Ferry Inn, Renfrew. The Mint hotel next to the big squinty bridge does nice food and also has an outdoor terrace on the water's edge for sunny days or evenings.
Options for shortening the route - none.
Helensburgh to Kilkreggan (15 miles )
This route is on the road for the majority of the way, with only short opportunity to nip through the caravan park at Roseneath and along the coast, but the roads are generally pretty quiet. From the station at Helensburgh ( reached from Glasgow Central Station low level ), make your way down to the shore road and take a right. Once you’re on this road it’s pretty easy all the way to Garelochhead following the signs for either this or Kilcreggan. There is a steep section to take you up and round the Faslane Naval Base (home to the United Kingdom's strategic nuclear deterrent, though you won’t see much here unless you happen to spot a sub heading up the loch – don’t let this put you off, the scenery is lovely), but this is pretty much the only hill in the entire route. Garelochhead is a quiet pretty village at the head of the loch with a couple of nice coffee shops and a small Spar if you want to make a picnic. We can say in good authority that the craft coffee shop just beyond the curve of the road is open on Sunday mornings which is quite unusual in this part of the world, but perhaps this is just in the summer months.
Continuing on towards Kilcreggan, you will eventually come to a Caravan Park at the point where the loch meets the Clyde ( Roseneath Castle Park
Once at Kilcreggan, there is a small supermarket, coffee shop and a pub where you will no doubt find what you need. There’s also a bank machine and public toilets. Your only options from here on are to do the route back to Helensburgh or get the ferry to Gourock, where you can catch a train back to Glasgow
Total length of route – 15 miles – allow about two hours maximum without stops.
Stopping places – plenty along the way but Gareloch is about half way.
Options for a shorter route - none
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