WITH full lockdown conditions now in place in Clydebank, and the whole of mainland Scotland, local outdoor exercise, on your own or with your household, is one of the few activities still permitted.
And as temperatures finally start to rise this weekend following the lengthy cold snap, it’s the ideal time to get outdoors and improve your physical and your mental health. All you need is a waterproof winter jacket and sturdy footwear.
We’ve put together a list of our favourite walks the area to help you begin to work off the excesses of Christmas and the New Year…
Forth and Clyde Canal
Okay, so this might be an obvious choice to start our list, but it's none the worst for all that. The western stretch of the canal, between Glasgow and Bowling, is part of the National Cycle Network – route 754, to be exact – so you’ll have to watch out for bikes, but there are few places better for a leisurely wander on well-maintained paths.
The canal crosses into West Dunbartonshire at Whitecrook and continues through central Clydebank, crossing Dumbarton Road at Dalmuir, and on through Old Kilpatrick to Bowling Basin.
Kilpatrick Braes and Loch Humphrey
Head into the hills above Old Kilpatrick to reach tranquil Loch Humphrey. The historic hill tracks that criss-cross the Kilpatrick Hills are ideal for walking or mountain biking. Watch out for waterfalls along the way, spot waterbirds on the loch or simply sit back and soak in the views over Glasgow and the central belt.
There are no formal trails here but the forest road that climbs up to the loch is easy to follow, if steep and - occasionally - quite muddy.
Kilpatrick Braes car park, which is run by West Dunbartonshire Council, can be accessed from Mount Pleasant Drive in Old Kilpatrick, itself accessed via Station Road at the junction with the A82.
The walking route to the Kilpatrick Hills is well signposted from here, and also from Kilpatrick railway station.
For direct access to the off-road path (drop-off only, no parking), head along Station Road, under the A82, veering left when the road forks. The path begins about 500 yards along this road on the right, between two old stone gateposts.
G60 5HN is the nearest postcode for the junction at the start of the route up to the hills, while G60 5LX is the postcode for Kilpatrick railway station.
See Forestry and Land Scotland's website for more detail
Cochno Hill
It's a fairly strenuous climb to this grassy peak above Greenside Reservoir, but you will be rewarded with a surprising sense of remoteness, as well as spectacular views over Glasgow and the central belt. On a clear day you may even see all the way to the Pentland Hills, Ben Lomond and the Trossachs.
There's about a mile of tracks leading up to the reservoir and back, which are a mix of forest road, stone paths and rough grassy tracks.
Look out for some ruined buildings. They are all that’s left of sheiling huts – summertime homes for farming families, who would bring their stock up into the hills for the good grazing.
Park at Auchnacraig car park, owned by West Dunbartonshire Council. Take the Cochno Road turning off the A810 just west of the Hardgate roundabout (beside the Goldenhill pub). Continue for about half a mile (800 metres) until you reach a fork in the road. Take the right fork for the car park, about half a mile (800 metres) further on.
G81 6PU is the nearest postcode for the car park if you’re using satnav.
Find out more from Forestry and Land Scotland
The Saltings
Near the western end of the Forth and Clyde Canal you’ll find this local nature reserve – the only one in West Dunbartonshire – of around 19 hectares, made up of regenerated woodland and meadow.
It’s bounded by the canal and the Clyde and has stunning views down the river towards Dumbarton Rock.
The marshy grassland is home to hundreds of wild orchids and different types of butterflies like the peacock and orange-tip. Common blue damselflies and common hawk dragonflies as well as bird species like cormorant, swans and grey herons are commonly found here whilst the less frequent curlew and oyster catcher can also be found.
The reserve is managed by West Dunbartonshire Council and offers a well constructed path network that is wheelchair friendly and for visitors to the site there are new welcoming interpretation panels which tell the history of the area and give information of wildlife that you are likely to spot.
Access is from Erskine Ferry Road in Old Kilpatrick – G60 5EU.
Learn about The Saltings at West Dunbartonshire Council's website
Bankie Trek
This 3km route runs from the east of Whitehill Farm on Cochno Road in Faifley to the boundary with East Dunbartonshire and beyond.
It runs partly through fields and partly over farm tracks, with varying underfoot conditions depending on the weather.
It’s thought to have been used in the 18th and 19th centuries by workers at the old Craigton Bleach House in Milngavie – one of a number of work sites with fields where cloth was spread out to be bleached by the sun or water over a period of several months.
Though the invention of dry bleaching powder in the early 19th century reduced the time taken to bleach cloth, and the need for bleach fields, the path remains.
Many Bankies used the trail in WW2 to escape the destruction of the Blitz, while there’s a memorial sculpture further north to the 'Craigallian Fire' - a campfire established in the 1920s which is said to have remained lit throughout the Great Depression, giving a welcome to all those who sought to head for the hills to escape the poverty of Clydebank and Glasgow.
Take a look at the Heritage Paths website for much more information on the Bankie Trek
Overtoun House and the Kilpatrick Hills
The grand Scottish Baronial manor of Overtoun House in Dumbarton is an ideal starting point to explore the wild moors, crags and woods of the Kilpatrick Hills.
You can also marvel at the deep Overtoun Glen from the old bridge, wander through a new native woodland, or head higher up towards soaring Lang Craigs for stunning views along the Clyde and out to the open sea.
West Dunbartonshire Council has produced maps for two circular walking routes to Overtoun House, both passing near Dumbarton East and Dumbarton Central railway stations.
The shorter of the two follows a path into the hills off the A82 just to the east of Dumbarton’s police station, returning via Barnhill and Milton Brae.
The longer version continues after reaching Overtoun House and goes further into the hills to a view point on Lang Craigs overlooking the Firth of Clyde before descending on a forestry track to Milton House and rejoining the A82 near the Dumbuck junction.
Alternatively, the turning for Overtoun House is off the north side of the A82 at Milton, about two miles east of Dumbarton. The turning onto Milton Brae is not signposted, so it's worth viewing online before travelling. Drive the full 1.25 miles up Milton Brae to find the car park.
Find out more about the walks to and near Overtoun House from Forestry and Land Scotland and West Dunbartonshire Council.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here