Take the black outline from Ibrox through Govan, Cardonald, Hillington to our three muses and some well-deserved open space.
Pretty straightforward. Just sign on the dotted line, the black dashes from top right down to bottom right.
It's days like today when you go out for a short cycle, exploring the local (is there any other work?), that you realise how little you know of this vast network of hills that is ordinarily referred to as 'Glasgow'. That's what Glasgow is, aside from its grey-green hollow nomenclature, a vast landscape of lumps and bumps, knocks and knolls, hills and spills. When you see one of these hills naked (the hill not you) you kinda realise how many of Glasgow's hills are invisible insofar as they are built upon or travelled across by car thus effectively flattening it. I always wonder what Glasgow would have looked like 1500 years ago when Serf's bull stopped up at the Molendinar Burn where Glasgow Cathedral is now. I wonder what this hill-strewn landscape must have looked like with the narrow shallow Clyde and the even narrower and shallower Kelvin (et al.) cutting through her. All her hills would have been visible, and in the winter, with that illuminating raking light, the land in which the city of Glasgow now nestles must have been quite something to gaze over.
It's days like today when you go out for a short cycle, exploring the local (is there any other work?), that you realise how little you know of this vast network of hills that is ordinarily referred to as 'Glasgow'. That's what Glasgow is, aside from its grey-green hollow nomenclature, a vast landscape of lumps and bumps, knocks and knolls, hills and spills. When you see one of these hills naked (the hill not you) you kinda realise how many of Glasgow's hills are invisible insofar as they are built upon or travelled across by car thus effectively flattening it. I always wonder what Glasgow would have looked like 1500 years ago when Serf's bull stopped up at the Molendinar Burn where Glasgow Cathedral is now. I wonder what this hill-strewn landscape must have looked like with the narrow shallow Clyde and the even narrower and shallower Kelvin (et al.) cutting through her. All her hills would have been visible, and in the winter, with that illuminating raking light, the land in which the city of Glasgow now nestles must have been quite something to gaze over.
It still is, to be sure, but you do require a little imagination sometimes to get rid of some of these modern edifices that can block your entry into the infinite. Especially, if you're scaling hills that are inside the city like today and not on its periphery as I am used to doing. Nevertheless, today was a surprise, if only to see the naked Honeybog hill squatting all alone like some great Buddha as I exited the congested little Hillington residential estate. It was like being spat out of a gun barrel into open space. The release was quite something and so for that reason I suggest (as is marked on the map beneath) to take Queensland Drive and Chirnside Road just after you pass Cardonald train station which will take you through Cardonald and Hillington estates. Pass straight over Sandwood Road at pedestrian crossing and straight into Linburn Road in Penilee. Follow it along past Hillington West train station and in a minute or so you will be ejected into space. It's worth it just for this 'ejection' (and spiritual ejaculation). Then, it's straight into the field and up Honeybog Hill.
The funny looking flats in Chirnside Road at Hillington East. Must be some view from the top floor though.
The ejaculation from Penilee's cosy little residential estate to this, the gentle rise of Honeybog Hill.
From Honeybog, it's simple enough to go down and back up Byres Hill to the trig marker. Great views from here over Paisley and beyond and back to Glasgow, and also to the north. In fact, all around! Another hill with attitude (not altitude), which, at 54m, is all you need to space the self out and become all things ;)
Looking north over Arkleston from the cleavage between Honeybog and Byres Hills.
Honeybog Hill: Hardly an Everest, but you only need a few metres elevation to space out...
From Byres Hill, it's down towards Barshaw Park which we will pass through and exit taking a left onto Glasgow Road. Take the next right into Alton Road, second left into Newtyle Road and down a few hundred metres to Marchbank Gardens where you can lift the bike over a small fence into the golf course. Bathgo hill is right in front of you, and a mere 41 metres above. From here, more wonderful views, especially towards Paisley and to the Glennifer Braes to the south.
Looking over Paisley from Bathgo Hill.
The little bridge over the Paisley Canal railway line. This takes us from Ralston Golf Course onto the narrow lane of Scott's Road. Take a left after the bridge and follow the lane to Crookston where you can rejoin the sustrans path into the city.
From here, you need to go downhill towards Leverdale tower and the little bridge that will take you across the railway line to Scott's Road (more a lane) which will take you to Crookston and onto the sustrans path towards Pollok Park and Glasgow. You will see this cottage beside the green and there is a small opening in the hedgerow with a few steps. Go through and this will take you over the bridge and onto Scott's Road (lane). All in all, from my gaff in Cessnock, a with a few stops en route, it was a pretty quick two and a half hours.... And yet.
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