Munros and Other Walks

Linlithgow to South Queensferry I had planned in two more sections of the John Muir Way before the end of my summer holidays. The leg between Falkirk and Linlithgow was completed in constant rain, this next section couldn't have been more different. The forecast was for record temperatures, albeit down south, however I would be walking in temperatures of about 27 degree Celsius, this is considered hot by Scottish standards. I was lucky that for most of this walk that I wouldn't  have to face the  full brunt of heat, this was mainly due to the sections of woodland walking where the temperature would be a few degrees cooler.  How to get there As always there is a regular train service from Glasgow to Edinburgh that stops at Linlithgow. Likewise, trains run every 20 minutes from Edinburgh. This time I decided to take the car, this was more convenient for me this time. Linlithgow to Kinneil House I managed to park at almost the exact spot that I had stopped at

HIKING WITH KIDS Calderglen South Trail With a weekend of wet weather, I thought the best situation was to get out of the house, and away from the TV and go for walk. I knew that the kids wouldn't be too enthused to hike up a hill but a woodland walk might sway them. It doesn't hurt that Calderglen has a range of activities that can keep the young and old occupied for hours. Obviously, our visit was to the play park, although there was a brief discussion whether to go to the small zoo first. This is recommended as the cost is minimum for a hour of animal watching. There is not a huge selection of animals on show, but younger children tend to enjoy it. After our stint at the play park, the weather and lunchtime were closing in, and it was time to try one of the nature walks. There are a few of these to choose from and they vary in distance. We opted for the South Trail, which is only about a mile in distance and loops around the woodland near the visitors centre. It

Falkirk to Linlithgow Rail Bridge, Linlithgow How to get there As always, if your getting public transport to Falkirk from Glasgow then the best bet would be the Edinburgh train from Glasgow Queen Street to Falkirk High train station. There is  a regular b us service from Glasgow to Falkirk, although it is best to check the details of this at Buchanan Street station.  Distance and Elevation  The total distance for the walk to Linlithgow was only 12km, which was mainly on a canal path, as you can see with the elevation graph below there was a short ascent at the start of the walk, going through Callender Wood at the back of Callender park. The track was flat across the canal path but descends again at the end through the woods next to the river Avon.  Elevation of Route The Route Map of Route I started the walk at Callendar House, which is the centre point of the park. After walking past it I turned left at the zip slide and followed the path a

Croy to Falkirk How to Get There There is a regular train service from Glasgow Queen Street to Croy, which takes just under an hour. From the train station there is a short walk of about a mile to the start of this section of the John Muir Way.  Where to Start The Route My Route The start point can be found at Nethercroy road, situated there is a car wash and a takeaway shop. From there the path bends to the right and up through a narrow track to the start of Croy Hill. I have a previous post on this, which can be found on the blog. Croy hill is only 147m in height and this only takes less than 10 minutes to reach the top. It is best to stay at the left hand side of the route, this is closest to the edge of the hill which overlooks the quarry. From here the path winds down through open fields and signs explaining more about the roman fort. The track eventually leads down though a track towards the main road and the familiar look of the canal.  Heading