City Centre & West End Loop

This is a great little loop through the city which if continuous and at a regular pace should only take an hour or so. Nevertheless, there are some interesting places en route, like the city centre itself, the canal, Ruchill flagpole, the botanic gardens, and the river walkway. So, ostensibly, what could be done in an hour might actually merit a whole afternoon. There are also, inevitably, a couple of hilly climbs - great for energizing! - which also have their counterpart downhills. This variety, I feel, gives Glasgow a special quality, as well as offering the cyclist an opportunity to get that blood pumping. Cycling in a flat city just isn't the same.

Anyway, if you're starting at Bell's Bridge follow the walkway east to the city centre under the Kingston Bridge and then take one of the streets on your left (I usually take York Street but you could take any on these streets) up to Sauchiehall Street and on to Cowcaddens Underground (amusing yourself at the shambolic state of cycle paths on the way). On to New City Road, past the old Savings Bank building and Chinatown, through the underpass and on to George's X. Here, just before hitting George's X and Gt. Western Rd., take a right into St. Peter's St. and then a left onto St. George's Rd. Head up the road towards Garscube Rd. and straight across it. About 100m further on a cobbled street to our left veers up to the canal. Take it, join the canal, and maybe sit and have an orange, and see how many wildflowers and birds you can spot. Just to the east you will see the large red brick building of TWB (The Whisky Bond) which is now a compendium of sculpting studios and galleries. Always worth a quick visit.

Heading west along the canal towpath we shortly pass Partick Thistle Football Ground at Firhill Basin. You should also be able to see Ruchill Hospital's copper-domed water tower poking out of the foliage to the north. A couple of hundred metres further on we come to the Nolly Brig and here we could leave the towpath and join Firhill Rd. up into Ruchill Park. Finding the flapole shouldn't be a problem, and it is worth it, for the view from this platform is quite incredible (and there's never anyone there!). It is one of the great vantage points on the city (and the country - the views north to the Campsies are formidable) that you will find this close to its centre. 

 From Ruchill Flagpole: the view south over the city.

The view north to the Campsie Fells.

From here, head back down to the canal where you can join Garscube Road and then Queen Margaret Dr. This will take us downhill over the River Kelvin, past the Botanic Gardens and onto Byres Rd. From here, it's a gentle downhill all the way to the bottom, crossing Dumbarton Rd, onto Benalder Street, crossing the Kelvin once again, and then Ferry Rd. down to the walk/cycleway by the Expressway. Here, you could take the underpass towards the new metallic Transport Museum or just keep on the cycleway, heading east back to the Clyde Walkway and Bell's Bridge where we started.