Retro-blog...Glasgow to Edinburgh on the Forth and Clyde Canal

On Saturday 14^th May, a group of six hardy souls met up in Glasgow with a view to joining others in Linlithgow, 37 miles away for a pub lunch. Our route was to be along the Forth and Clyde Canal, starting at the Port Dundas canal basin just north of the M8 motorway.

Thankfully the early morning gods were smiling on us and we headed off in dry weather, hoping to dodge the forecast showers along the way.

The first section of the canal route requires to you head west before you head east, for about four miles until you reach the main section of the canal. The spur from this junction to the restored warehouses at Port Dundas was built to appease Glasgow merchants who felt that they may lose out on trade when the canal was first built, and the Port Dundas basin has been renovated within the past couple of years. This four mile spur takes you past Firhill Stadium ( home to Partick Thistle FC and Glasgow Warriors RFC ), is well used by locals, and offers good views of the city to the south from its elevated position.

Upon reaching the main canal section you loop down under the canal and rejoin the towpath on the eastward side heading towards Kirkintilloch. The real joy of the canal is that you are immediately in countryside, and can simply pedal along the fairly good path taking in the scenery. It is great for kids too young to be cycling on the road, and there are usually plenty of families out and about along this route. With the sun on our backs we cycled along at a good average of 13mph enjoying the views, and saw plenty of nesting swans along the way. The ducks had already beaten the swans to it, and we saw loads of ducklings, but in a few weeks time there should be loads of little cygnets to see too.

As you near Kirkintilloch there are couple of lovely points for a rest stop. The Stables pub and restaurant is canal side with plenty of outdoor seating, and good food, and slightly further on at Kirkintilloch itself, the Kirky Puffer is on the right hand side of the canal as you cross the road through the town. Eventually you will also come to another pub ( Underwood Lockhouse ) at lock 37 where you can also sit outside – you can even get a curry here if you’re in the mood for one!. On this occasion however we didn’t stop and kept heading on till we reached Linlithgow, passing quite a few narrow boats on the way, and seeing a couple of locks and bridges in action. Katy, our youngest cyclist had her first puncture in this stretch. She was cycling on skinny road tyres not best suited for the canal path, which is generally good but can be a bit rough and stony in places, but this gave us a chance for a short breather while the boys were all hands on deck to repair the tube.

Our first real stop, where we paused for coffee and cake, was at the Falkirk Wheel. This is an amazing feat of engineering and design to join the Forth and Clyde canals over a drop of 24 metres. The two canals were originally linked by a series of 11 locks, which had been removed and filled in as the canals were no longer used for commercial traffic and fell into disrepair. Powered by the weight of the water in the two troughs, the wheel allows boats to rise the 24 meters in one go, taking no more than half an hour to compete the rise. The Falkirk Wheel is unique in the world, being the world’s only rotating boat lift, and was opened in 2002 as part of the Millennium project. Something Scotland should be really proud of, this is a good place to stop and see the lift in action while enjoying a picnic. Beyond the wheel the path follows the canal on a bit of a climb up the hill. A little further on you need to pass through two tunnels, the first of which is relatively short and can be cycled through providing there’s no one coming the other way. The second is much longer – about 500m, and here you will need to get off and walk your bike through. It’s quite dark, but dimly lit throughout so no need to worry about lights etc. Good fun for kids with echoes, stalactites and drips to contend with along the way.

Upon finally reaching Linlithgow, we parked the bikes up at the nearby railway station, which is where Richard had to hop on a train due to prior commitments. For the rest of us, our lunch stop was at The Four Marys on the main street, which can be reached by going down through the station and left along the high street. It was only then that we discovered that Al and I hadn’t been the only ones thinking seriously about continuing on to Edinburgh, another 21 miles away. The weather gods had continued to be kind, and it looked like it was going to remain a really nice day. You’ve got to take advantage of these in Scotland, so our remaining five cyclists decided to push on to journey’s end in Edinburgh. Our legs were feeling well warmed up and pretty good so an extra 21 miles didn’t seem that much to cope with.

This final leg takes you through some lovely countryside, round past the bings ( old mining slagheaps ) near Plean, and onwards, past the Bridge Inn at Ratho, through the outskirts of Edinburgh to it’s conclusion at the Fountainbridge basin. Katy, who had come with us mainly to avoid thinking about her exams, suffered a further two punctures, so another stop was required while these were repaired. We hoped this would be the last as both tubes were now patched and luckily she made it to the end! A quick run downhill from the canal’s end to Haymarket Station saw us able to sit down and relax on the journey back to Glasgow.

For anyone interested in canals and their history, or even just cycling along their tow paths, we watched a fantastic programme on BBC 4 recently ( The Golden Age of Canals ). It chronicles the original working life of canals throughout England and Wales (where the canal network is immense) and their demise as means of making a living, through to their loving restoration and revitalisation as a leisure industry. I was amazed to learn that many canals were deliberately destroyed in parts to prevent people using them for fun in the early 20^th century, to the extent that some locks were filled in with rubble and concrete several metres deep. The footage of the state of the canals in the 1940’s and 50’s is truly sad. You can’t help but be amazed by the work that was done by passionate individuals and groups to restore the canals in their own time, some working for nearly thirty years with only basic tools and their bare hands.

This programme offers a good slice of social history, had some great historical footage, and is worth a watch even if you think it sounds like it’s not for you! You’ll have to catch it fast as it’s only available on BBC iPlayer ( how did they ever get that one past Apple! ) until the 27^th May on www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer

Who was there? ...Lesley - Alistair - Neil - Katy - Ken - Richard

How far we cycled - 59 miles ( or 95 km to make it sound even more impressive! )

Options for a shorter route- take the train to or from Falkirk or Linlithgow

Routes in and around where we live.....Part 1

This post will definitely be a bit of a work in progress, as I have realised just how many options there actually are. Hopefully many will already know these well, however there may be some for whom this information will be of some use - even those exploring Glasgow for the first time.

National Cycle Route – Glasgow to Balloch, Loch Lomond

This route has two options for getting from Glasgow to Clydebank. The first is to take the National Cycle Route along the River Clyde to where it meets the Forth and Clyde Canal, or alternatively use the canal towpath all the way to Clydebank from it’s start at Port Dundas north of Cowcaddens. My choice for a nicer run if you have time would be to use the canal as you don’t have to worry about any road crossings etc. Once you reach Clydebank, you will stay on or join the canal path which will take you out to the sea lock at Bowling. If only there was a nice wee pub there it would be a perfect run. Leaving Bowling the route is mainly on cycle paths all the way to Balloch at Loch Lomond with some lovely scenery on the way. The path along the River Leven can be a bit of a slog and an energy sapper as you are on a slight incline all the way, so perhaps consider doing this route in reverse? Once you reach Balloch you can again take the train back to Glasgow or cycle back if you’re feeling energetic.

Total length of route – 21 miles - plan a minimum of 3 hours to get to Balloch.

Stopping places – McGonagles, the 'Sail Through Chip Shop' at Clydebank – on the canal (they even do Gluten free). Perfect if you’re only doing a short evening run along the canal and back to Glasgow via the cycle path. Bowling canal lock is nice for a picnic on a sunny day.

Pubs – Tullie Inn and the Balloch House are either side of the bridge above the cycle path as you reach Balloch. Both are near the station for those with tired legs or simply a thirst for a pint.

Option for shorter routes – Get the train back from several points en route including Bowling, Dumbarton and Alexandria.

National Cycle Routes 75 and 7- Glasgow City Centre to Irvine

This route takes you south west from Glasgow City Centre starting at the Clyde walkway to Irvine on the Ayrshire Coast via Paisley, Lochwinnoch and Kilwinning. Mainly on traffic free cycle routes ( about 75% ) this route is fairly easy to follow once you’ve done it a couple of times. At certain points you will be required to cross some roads, and any sections which require you to cycle on roads for short distances, these are generally quiet. There are plenty of signs but you need to look out for them and there are opportunities for getting lost – watch out for a turning after the footbridge leading into the park before Rosshall Hospital – you need to go straight on and not take a right as the sign here is not obvious. This route is fairly flat with only small gradients to deal with, but there are some hillier sections as you near Kilwinning on the minor country road. Don’t be fooled as we were that it’s downhill all the way after Lochwinnoch. Once you reach Irvine the Ship Inn can be found if you follow signs to the station but carry on under the railway track to the end of the harbour. Unless you want to cycle back you can get the train from Irvine back to Glasgow.

Total length of route – 35miles – plan a minimum of 6 hours to get all the way to Irvine.

Stopping places – Castle Semple Loch at Lochwinnoch – lovely for a picnic if it’s a nice day.

Pubs – The Brown Bull in Lochwinnoch and the Ship Inn on the harbour front at Irvine. Both do good food.

Options for shorter routes – get the train from Johnstone, Lochwinnoch or Kilwinning back to Glasgow.

National Cycle Route 75 – Glasgow to Gourock

This route follows the one above until you get to Johnstone. From here it branches off and follows a disused railway track all the way to Kilmalcolm which is well used by cyclists and walkers. Once you leave Kilmalcom, there are sections on small minor roads which are fairly quiet, with stunning views available over the Firth of Clyde as you reach Port Glasgow. The descent into Port Glasgow is pretty steep and can be a bit hairy! From here on in you are more or less on and off roads until you reach the Esplanade in Greenock where the route takes you on a pavement designated cycle only path all the way to the Gourock ferry terminals. Between Johnstone and Kilmalcolm there is a chance to branch off to the right where you will see signs for Houston which has a great pub (The Fox and Hounds) attached to a brewery for the real ale enthusiast. Houston also has several other pubs, a lot for a small village, which you can try if this doesn’t take your fancy. Allow an extra 40 mins or so each way if you decide to take this detour. Once you reach Gourock, again you can pop on the train back to Glasgow.

Total length of route – 26 miles - plan a minimum of 5 hours to get all the way to Gourock.

Stopping Places – plenty of picnic spots along the way. Bridge of Weir has a couple of coffee shops. You pass a big Asda just outside Johnstone where you can pick up a picnic.

Pubs – Pullman Tavern in Kilmalcolm, has a beer garden on sunny days but can be busy. In Gourock there are a couple of pubs within minutes walk of the railway station, and the Cafe Continental on Kempock Street does pretty decent food.

Option for shorter routes – none after Johnstone. Your next railway station will be Port Glasgow.

Glasgow - Erskine Bridge loop

For a map click   http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=201316007435304884837.0004a3a2a36e1a858f8c6&z=12

This is a route which can be broken down into several stages already described in other routes. Starting in Glasgow at the Clyde Walkway, the first leg is to ride out on the cycle route towards Bowling either on the canal or the National Cycle Route. As you approach the Erskine Bridge towering over you, you come to a road crossing marked by black bike gates to either side. Take a right over the bridge and then an immediate left onto the road going west. About a hundred yards further on you will see a path up to your right across the road, which leads up through the Lusset Glen ( which is very pretty ) to the bridge above. A steady climb up, with some fairly steep sections will reward you at the apex of the bridge where you can get great views west, or back over the city on a clear day.

Once you get over the bridge, take a sharp left before you meet the roundabout and slip road. There’s a path leading down here to the road below, which you then need to rejoin. Soon after you turn left down a quiet road which takes you to the shore, where there is a house, and you will find the continuation of this route as a path to your right. Effectively you follow this back along the Clyde – quite a nice route that I’m amazed we didn’t know about before, on past the Erskine Bridge Hotel – and it will finally take you out onto the road leading to Erskine itself – go left.

From here you’re on the road for quite a bit but they are quiet. Going straight on you will pass over one roundabout and come to a junction where signage to your left says – ‘No through route to Inchinnan’. You can however take this on your bike OK and carry on through Inchinnan and then on round the road at the north of Glasgow Airport runway. There’s a lay-by here where you can watch the flights approaching pretty close above your head! Continue on this road taking a left after the next bridge. Once you have crossed the next red steel bridge, the path appears again to your sharp left, again hugging the waters edge and taking you round the back of the Normandy Hotel. All you have to do is follow this path until it rejoins the road, where about 250 yards further on you will find yourself at the junction at Ferry Road. Options from here on are either the Ferry to Yoker or carry on through Govan as described before. Hopefully the attached map will help iron out any difficulties as this is actually quite a good run!

Total length of route – 26 miles – allow at least 3.5 hours

Stopping places – plenty along the way.

Pubs – The Ferry Inn, Renfrew / The Mint Hotel, not much really in Erskine to rely on.

Options for a shorter route – trains can be used on the north of the river, but there is no railway line within easy reach on the south side.