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Strathclyde Park & Clyde Walkway

The Clyde Walkway is a great place to head for an easy bike ride, especially with families. There is plenty of wildlife to spot, too, including wildflowers, mammals, butterflies and birds.

There are lots of places to stop for a picnic or to see some of the various attractions, such as Dalzell House and Estate and Baron’s Haugh Nature Reserve.

It is possible to cycle shorter sections by joining the Walkway at different points.

Highlights

Watersports at Strathclyde Loch

There is a range of waterports are available to try during the summer months (April–September). It was a venue for the Commonwealth Games 2014 and home of the Scottish Rowing Academy.

Strathclyde Park

There is a variety of rural attractions with 1100 acres of mature woodland, rough wetland, and open water, providing wildlife refuges for more than 150 different species of animals and birds.  The park has more than 20 miles of paths for cyclists, walkers and runners.

Dalzell Estate

The estate was originally a Royal hunting forest owned by the Dalzell family, until it was sold in 1647 to the 5th Laird of Orbiston, James Hamilton. In the 18th century, the barren estate lands were transformed into an orderly and landscaped park. Later additions included the arboretum in the 19th century and the Japanese garden in the 1920s. In 1952, Dalzell House and grounds passed into public ownership.

Dalzell House

The centrepiece of the estate, the impressive building is more than 500 years old. The Hamiltons of Dalzell lived here from the 17th century until the early 1950s. Apparently, at least three ghosts also inhabit the building. It is privately owned.

Nature reserve

RSPB Baron’s Haugh nature reserve takes the form of a flooded marshland in a bend of the River Clyde. The reserve attracts wintering wildfowl, including widgeon and whooper swans.

Route

Starting at Airbles Train Station, turn left and go down Airbles Road, across a roudabout.

Pass Airbles Cemetery on the left and then turn left into Airbles Farm Road, briefly joining Greenacres before a left into Ross Drive.

At end of Ross Drive (where it meets Ross Gardens), go straight ahead down the steps.

Keep going straight along Ross Crescent, then across the grass and on to Sandilands Crescent.

Continue on this crescent and turn left on to Prentice Road.

At this point, you will join a path and you should look for a left fork. This takes you down to the River Clyde.

Head under the road bridge and you will find yourself in Strathclyde Park.

Enter the park and stay left. You will eventually go in front on the watersports centre (clockwise round the loch).

When you exit the watersports area (past a green metal fence), turn left and across the park road, Here there is a bridge over the Clyde.

Go over the bridge then turn left (do not go through the M74 tunnel towards Hamilton).

You will now be walking along a tree lined path that runs parallel to M74 southbound.

Continue until this meets the road bridge over the Clyde, go up the steps and turn left crossing the bridge.

Once across the bridge, turn left on the first path and head down steps to keep going left until you go under the road bridge with the Clyde to your right.

Continue here, retracing yours steps back to Prentice Road.

When the path reaches Prentice Road, continue and take first right after the houses and before the grass area.

There is a signpost down to the Clyde. Follow this path on to the Clyde Walkway and turn left.

Continue on the path. You will go under the railway bridge and past a sign for Baron’s Haugh Nature Reserve and Dalzell Park.

Continue until you reach a junction in the paths. Take the left, which goes uphill.

At the junction there is a patch of concrete ground to the left of the path, which you should follow.

Go up this path and you will find the backs of houses on your right.

This path will eventually emerge on Camp Road. Turn left and go over the railway bridge between the houses.

Turn right at the junction with Elmhurt then first right. This road looks like a cul-de-sac but at the top there is a set of steps and path.

Follow this path and you will eventually appear at the Electric Bar.

Turn right and you will be back at Airbles Train Station.

OS Explorer 343
Airbles railway station, Airbles Road, Motherwell
Train: to Airbles station. Bus stop: Leven Street and Airbles Road
4.2 miles/6.8km
Easy
Good footpaths, but can be muddy in places. Several flights of steps, some steep

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