Still rambling alongside the Clyde. Strahclyde Park - Crossford

Walk: Clyde Walkway; Strathclyde Park - Crossford
Category: Long Distance Walk
Height: n/a

The blasted lurgy had still not cleared but I desperately needed an outing so a low level solo effort was required. I wanted the River Clyde Walkway completed this winter so another leg of this was ideal.

Gaiters on mud a theme today

Dropped off by the bus at the Park entrance and headed back to the road bridge underpass. Although it looked like the water had covered up here the sign posted short diversion was not required but gaiters on from the start. 

Impressive railway viaduct

Before long I was beside the massive Ross Viaduct pity about the spray painting. The path enters the RSPB Barons Haugh Reserve and the first issue of the day, eroded banking so a diversion away from the Clyde.

View from the hide

I had hoped to sit in a few of the hides but could only get to one of them and of course the birds were all over at the other hides.

As per previous reports there are next to no route markers so on this section the OS map was required to stop me going too far away from where I wanted to be.

At one point I was being steered inland so I decided to follow a private road back towards the Clyde. It thankfully became a track that eventually led me back to re-join the diverted walkway track. 

An example of the erosion

With all the recent rain there are large chunks of banking washed away at various sections, nature reclaiming its territory. 

Open countryside for a change

The guide said that the next section is often flooded in winter but thankfully I did not have to take the inland detour. It was nice to be walking beside the river again. 

No cows for once

Plenty of dirty sheep but thankfully no cows out today.

Sadly the grass track ends too soon and back on a hard surface passing a bridge carrying pipes over the river. Here you pass the ruins of a huge mansion, the Bishop of Glasgow's summer retreat apparently.

Bishops summer retreat

Away from the river again and up and through Highmainshead Wood.

At a cross section go right along the track until you hit the busy road.

Cross and head down to Cardies Bridge and turn right into Mauldslie Woods, a proper tree cut marker. 

Interestingly this section is non stop markers even when they are not required. I think the put the whole routes marker posts into this one section!!

Maudslie Bridge

The route is a mixture of riverside and woodland as it heads to Maudslie Bridge. I presume because the bridge is closed I was the only wanderer for many a mile.

Knowing the bridge was closed I had decided to push on to Crossford and hope that I would get there in time for the occasional rural bus, a long wait if I didn’t.

Reminds me of sections of the River Ayr

The finale today was a 4 mile section and it was at times very similar to my local River Ayr walk. Thankfully it stayed mainly beside the river with a few inland sections, to miss the big houses seeing walkers!

Where there are rivers there is industrial legacy and old ruins dotted here and there would be factory river inlets and outlets.

You also pass the remains of out buildings which belonged to Milton Lockhart House which no longer exists here. Unbelievably it was bought by a Japanese actor, dismantled, transported to Japan and rebuilt as was over three years, amazing.

Downriver view from Crossford bridge

The village of Crossford has plenty of expensive houses to look at as I make the approach to yet another bridge and the end of my walk.

A good walk particularly as it stayed dry. My son phoned and said it was hammering down in Glasgow. For once a sound decision. This area was the orchard of Scotland with plenty of indicators as to its past success.
Wildlife: Bullfinch; Buzzard; Wren; Cormorant; Dunnock; Gooseander; Blue, Great & Coal tits; Mallard; Wigeon; Wood Pigeon; Blackbird; Carrion Crow; Goldeneye; Magpie; Teal; Grey Squirell x 3.

Time: 3.57
Ascent: 306m
Distance: 19.3km

A muddy River Clyde ramble. Cambuslang - Strathclyde Park

Walk: Clyde Walkway; Cambuslang to Strathclyde Park
Category: Long Distance Walk 
Height: n/a
I started this long distance walk last winter with the intention of completing it last winter. But I could not bring myself to get motivated for this section. I had read that it was full of diversions, through housing estates, beside motorways etc.
Be positive no such thing as a bad walk so deliver. Well I did and it was a mini adventure. Not nearly as bad as I feared although it did have its moments.
My warning to anyone completing it is to have either downloaded a gps route or have good notes. I had the notes and was grateful. You cannot go wrong surely along a river in an urban setting, oh yes you can.

One of the very few signposts

The route is minimal on signposts particularly when you need them. It is crisscrossed by cycle routes, other well made paths and diversions like the aforementioned new housing estates. I really needed my notes and used them in conjunction with my phone OS maps or I would have been heading in the wrong direction a few times.
Final point don’t forget the gaiters, this was a very muddy walk as my trousers testified.
Onto the walk which began at Cambuslang Station and head down to the cycle path opposite Morrison's Car park. 

Carmyle Weir

Go right along the path along the south bank of the Clyde passing the large weir at Carmyle. 

Muddy going starts here

Before long you reach a fork and left keeps you riverside as you go under the viaduct and the mud starts.
Watch the ducks on the river until you reach another fork and head up to the pylon. The track goes alongside the houses and then first big decision.
The track continues through the new estate but it felt correct to go left into the rough ground. I went through the estate before circling back to where I had been and headed into the rubbish. It felt right and I soon found a faint track, saw roe deer was it their track? Along the back fences of the housing and the track improved I was right after all.
I was having some doubts but came across the path with some brick paving (this was in my notes).

Finally found the bridge over the Calder

This took me to the footbridge over the Rotten Calder.
After crossing over a busy road follow the slightly inland wooded track until a left turn at a cycle route which took me back down to the Clyde and another bridge. Turn right and then left to cross the river on a footbridge.

Bothwell Castle

Cross over and go right keeping the river on your right until you encircle the ruins of Bothwell Castle. 

Fantastic ancient copiced tree

This section of the walk through a very old wood has some spectacular looking ancient trees which could tell a story or two.
The path continues through the woods and at another new housing estate take the right fork down to the river.

David Livingstone Memorial Bridge

Part of the floral tribute

When I crossed the David Livingstone Memorial Bridge it was said as there was a large floral tribute to a young lad who had committed suicide here recently, makes you think. Crossed the bridge and headed left where I got talking to an old worthy who informed the route ahead didn’t exist as the track was never completed!! Why oh why do the authorities continue to let outdoor activities down. These activities get people out getting fitter and it saves the NHS and us taxpayers a bloody fortune.

Viaduct ruins and the supposed dead end

The original Clyde Walkway kept ahead here and past the old Craighead viaduct and on the advice of said worthy I followed it. After the viaduct head over a grassy field which has been fenced off all round, presumably more housing. At the far end of the field part of the fence was down and after scrambling through the wood I climbed a wall back onto the cycle track. The worthy had said the wall was broken at one point and indeed I found it further on, would have saved me a climb. 

Bothwell Bridge

Shortly I arrived at Bothwell Bridge, crossed the road to the monument that marks the Battle of Bothwell Bridge, the downfall of the Covenanters battlefield. 
The original route followed some steps down and past some boardwalks. Previous reports said it was closed off but not today so off I went. Down I went and past the rotted boardwalks the track was clear at first then faded but looked as if it was still occasionally walked. My concern was that I was now walking parallel to the M74 and to get to the park this track would need to go under the motorway. A bit further on decided it wasn’t going to so back to the Bridge, another couple of mile detour. That night a study of a drilled down map showed the trail but staying this side so right decision made. Presumably the boardwalk section went through the newly constructed road network.

Shadow selfie

Now a traffic filled walk, crossing two footbridges before heading through a hotel and finally the park.

A rowing pontoon on the loch at Strathclyde Park

A choice walk the near side or far side. I chose the latter and as I reached I bumped into an old mate so ended up doing a circuit of the water, another 2 miles added to the walk, but he did drive me back to Glasgow.
So a bit of an adventure, muddy trousers and for the most part enjoyable and reasonably remote considering the urban nature. But for the next leg, gaiters with me.

Wildlife: Grey squirrel x 2; Roe deer x 2; Blue tit; Great tit; Coal tit; Greylag geese; Robin; Magpie; Crow; Little Grebe; Moorhen; Mallard.

Time: 4.46
Ascent: 72m
Distance: 14.92m (includes a few added extras, normal walk circa 11m)

Clyde Walkway An awful lot of bridges to Cambuslang

Walk: Clyde Walkway…..Glasgow - Cambuslang
Category: Long Distance Walk 
Height: n/a
I was looking for a low level walk to complete over the next month or so and preferably using public transport. After some research the Clyde Walkway was perfect.
Train to Glasgow and bus to the Transport Museum to start the walk. A grey drizzly day but the forecast was to improve.

Colourful steam engine

Lots of activity outside here today and queues to get inside, good news for the museum.
But no queues for me, I am walking and I soon reach the science centre building with two famous Clydeside boats docked up, impressive modern and the past. 

Old and new

Sadly they all have their problems. The iconic still cruising paddle steamer the Waverley in front and the Queen Mary, behind, is being restored. The science tower has had problems with its rotating structure since inception.
Runners and cyclists love this area, plenty out today.

Imposing crane

A walk alongside the slow moving brown coloured River Clyde and another Glasgow landmark is reached, the Finnieston crane. My wife was once meant to zip wire from this across the river for charity, it was cancelled don’t think she was sad!! 

Under the bridges as well

Its bridges all the way on this walk mostly beside but some under and over. As I neared the end of this stage I reckoned there must have been about 20 bridges in the 9 miles.

Clutha Bar

Before reaching Glasgow Green you pass the Clutha Bar where tragically the police helicopter crashed onto the roof 5 years ago with many fatalities.
Across the water there is a lifeboat stance but with the number of small craft I wonder if this is a museum?

Winter Gardens

Into the park and I detour to the People's Palace /Winter Gardens for a bacon roll. Toilets located here and it is free entry so well worth a stop. 
It was weird when I restarted the walk as literally every person I saw for the next 5 minutes was looking at their phone and I mean everyone. I had to ask and apparently it was a community health group playing a mobile search game, at least it gets people out and active. 
Next up is the rowing club but no canoeists out today. 

Follow the wall

The next mile or so is more grubby and industrial, graffiti sprayed walls and the number of people around is almost zero.
In the distance the red ironwork of the next bridge adds a bit of colour to the grey day

Red brig

New housing appears on my left, this was part of the 2014 Commonwealth Games village and then sold to locals at realistic prices and is impressive. But again there is no one around, it is a Saturday. Do people not own and walk dogs here?
There is a loud splash in the river behind me, I looked back and circles spreading on the water, could it have been a salmon moving upriver?
Parkhead looms up on the left, no doubt the area would be a lot busier if Celtic were playing.

Where is everybody?

If anything it goes even quieter through the wooded section, you would not want to meet some local worthies here if you are alone, like me. ‘Fancy a swim, pal, the river looks inviting‘.
Highlight of the day was a grey wagtail posing close by and then a Sparrowhawk almost colliding with me as it tried to flush its lunch going through the trees at full speed.
Before long the outskirts of Cambuslang is reached, the walk is over and the train station close by.
Not the most scenic or exciting walk but interesting nevertheless. At least you always have the River Clyde and its wildlife for company. Plenty of people through the city section and a distinct lack of in the last third.

Wildlife: Grey Squirrel; Grey Wagtail; Sparrowhawk; Goosander; Cormorant and a full red breasted Xmas robin.
Time: 3.01
Ascent: 329ft
Distance: 9.91m