Taproute North: The Three Heron Three Golf Course Trail

Glasgow is a fortunate city in many ways due to its topography. Its circumambient hills prevent a sort of neverending sprawl like London or Paris, cities which are very flat. As such it's quite easy to get out of the city and into its empty pastoral exurbs. Although, as I discovered today property developers like British Land PLC do their best to build on land and veto councils and locals (who actually live there).

At any rate, the taproute north is the TOE or the 'Towpath of Emptiness' by the Forth and Clyde Canal which I joined at Lochburn Road at Maryhill/Gilsochill. This used to be my main staple this route when I lived in Scotstounhill and it was a great run north into the Campsies, and up to Falkirk. Since moving to Cessnock ten years ago I've only been up a dozen or so times but it's still a phenomenal root/route for its absolute primal quality of leaving Maryhill's built-upness and noise and being injected into nothingness as serenity, silence, and space.

From Cessnock, the route is actually quite pleasant, over to Partick by the river, and up through Dowanhill and Kelvinside. I used to take the Kelvin Walkway until I realised that dog-walkers are worse than car-drivers. At any rate, Dowanhill and Kelvinside are so quiet that there are no cars and if there are they go so slow that they might as well be bicycles. 

 

From bottom centre, follow the turquoise line north to Cadder, then through golf course, across bridge over Kelvin and through to Balmore. Head up and through Balmore golf course (there's a path all the way through then course) and out at Fluchter primary school. Here, we are veering west towards Milngavie through Baldernock and Dougalston golf course. All in all, with a few short stops along the way, it took about 2 and a quarter hours. The train back to Partick from Milngavie takes twenty minutes.

 

Quiet Downhill Street but still too many cars, parked or otherwise. Head straight up over Highburgh Road into Crown Terrace - Victoria Circus and across Gt. Western Road into Kirklee Road, then into Garrioch Rd up to Maryhill Rd. and then into Lochburn Rd. to get to the canal towpath...

 

The canal and towpath at Lochburn Road.

A half hour cycle from my gaff in the city and you're here! On the legendary TOE (Towpath of Emptiness).

First heron. The whole area up here before the bulldozers move in and turn it into a car-park (isn't this the trajectory for every natural space?) is almost primordial. There's nothing to reflect back your concocted self under capitalism, but plenty to remind you of your primal plant-like nature.

 

Second heron

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heron #3

 

 

 

Cadder Church graveyard. See if you can find the metal mort-safe. Take the lane off the TOE down to the golf course and follow the path over the Kelvin River towards Balmore village. Cross the main road and head up and through Balmore golf course.

Just before Baldernock X, the views over Glasgow are quite something.

Heading through Baldernock Parish towards Dougalston and Milngavie.

Sooner or later some muppet is going to knock this quaint little shed down and build a seven storey block of pokey little flats. Mark my words... Probably corporate outfits like British Land who are already preparing the land out here for construction, in spite of the locals not wanting it. You may see some flyers posted on the millstone opposite to get you to sign up against these monsters who invade your home and turn it into a carnival for holidaymaking outsiders. 

From here, it's a lovely ten minutes or so through Dougalston Golf course or rather the road that splits the golf course to Milngavie train station, and a much deserved seat on another empty train ('cause everyone's got mobile gas chambers).