Clyde & Forth Canal

10 miles/16 km

The most scenic, lovely walk on the Clyde & Forth Canal.

Pretty Hard

Mostly flat and easy, but still a long walk on a pretty wide towpath along the canal. The area is rural with no shops. Bring plenty of soft drinks and wear good shoes despite the walk being flat on some very good surface/tarmac. There are a few benches where you can rest. The walk is also pretty exposed to the sun. Hence the Pretty Hard rating. The scenery is excellent with some great views towards The Campsie Fells and the local farmlands. The walk is most of all peaceful and idyllic. I love this peaceful walk.



To get to the start of the walk is a bit tricky..... Take the Midland Bluebird X37 Falkirk bus (once an hour) from Glasgow Buchanan Street bus station, stance 43, and ask the bus driver to be let off just after the Castlecary Interchange. I have done this twice and the bus drivers have always been very helpful and let me off at the gravel road leading down to the canal.
In the worst-case scenario, there is a bus stop in Allandale and you have to walk back 150 meters on a good pavement along the road to the start of the walk. The bus journey takes around one hour and is not very exciting. Make sure you are awake and alert. The map on the mobile phone should be turned on after 45 minutes of the bus journey.

Look for the blue walk/cycling signpost and head down the gravel road to and over the bridge at Cumbernauld Road. A now disused road. You are now on the left side of the canal and ready to start the walk.
Head up the canal towards the west. The canal rounds some bends before a 4 miles/7 km straight as an arrow long stretch of the walk starts.



The scenery is so idyllic, interrupted by the occasional swan and other birds, that the time on these 4 miles/7 km flies fast. Beware of cyclists and joggers here (this advice goes for the rest of the walk too).



The canal, which is now pretty wide, starts to bend again as it passes a bridge over the canal and further on, the marina at Achinstarry.


Yes, a marina in the middle of Scotland. It is normally a popular, busy marina too. The road to the right goes up to Kilsyth with bus connections to Falkirk and Glasgow. Just in case you need to end the walk here.
The canal is now entering a number of bends and the walk becomes a bit more varied and interesting. There are still some great views towards The Campsie Fells



The 200 years old canal is also very impressive during the rest of the walk. The amount of work undertaken to build this canal over 200 years ago... WOW !!! Just WOW !!




The canal goes through some forest, around some bends before it opens up again with excellent views towards the Campsie Fells. The hills in the Lennoxtown area now come into view and you can look back at the part of the Campsie Fells your walk has passed through the last hours. Do it with pride.



The canal, meaning the towpath, now follows the Kilsyth - Kirkintilloch road and the views towards the fells and hills to the north are sensational.



The final part takes you in under a couple of bridges to Kirkintilloch town centre, where the walk ends, 10 miles and some hours after you left Allandale. Take a rest here or head for the bus stop to the left, crossing the canal on the bridge. Give yourself a big pat on the back. Congratulations are in order when completing this walk. By far the best walk on the Clyde & Forth Canal.

Bus from Kirkintilloch to Glasgow Buchanan bus station 4 - 6 times an hour (15 - 20 minutes).