Total distance –10.2 kilometres

Ascent – 220 metres

Walking conditions – Well defined dirt footpath and tarmac cycle path. No difficulties.

Time required – Around 3.5 – 5 hours.

Nearest town – Kilsyth

What have the Romans ever done for us? If you’re a Monty Python fan you’ll know that there’s a long list of things that the Romans have done for us. What wasn’t mentioned in the Life of Brian however, were the numerous great walking routes for outdoor enthusiasts that the Romans built. The Auchinstarry Circuit is just one of them.

Start at the Auchinstarry car park which is just south of Kilsyth. Take a left from the car park and walk for about 200 metres and then turn left onto the Forth and Clyde canal path before the road crosses over the canal. Walk for about two Kilometres along the canal path. Cross the road bridge over the canal and follow the signed footpath up the slope of the hill. Veer right and that will take you up onto the higher ground. If you keep to the highest points along this broad ridge you’ll see signs of the wall together with tourist information. The path then drops down to the north end of Croy and then leads you across the road (the B802). Maintain the same westerly direction and after about one kilometre you’ll come to a very well preserved part of the Antonine Wall which then leads up to the top of Castle Hill. This provides a wonderful view of the surrounding area. The path then takes you on to Barhill Fort, down to Twechar, then a 2.5 Kilometre walk along the canal and straight back to the Auchinstarry car park.

The great thing about stopping at Auchinstarry is that when you’ve finished watching the rock-climbers on the quarry walls you can cross the road and go to the marina and visit the Boathouse for a good feed or some refreshments. The decked area is a fantastic spot and the wasps in attendance are friendly. Well, none of us got stung.

Total distance – 9.0 kilometres

Ascent – 440 metres

Walking conditions – Grassy footpaths with a steady, gentle gradient. Can be boggy in places. No difficulties.

Time required – Around 2.5 to 4 hours

Nearest Town – Lennoxtown

Cort-ma Law was one of the first hills we took the children up. It’s a very popular and busy hill. It’s also busy with sheep, as I’ve learned form past experience. Keeping dogs on the lead would be advisable, otherwise you might have to go up and down the hill twice in one day.

Start from the car park next to the shops at Clachan of Campsie (or if you prefer you can cut a bit off the walk by starting from the  large car park at the Crow Road just up the hill from Lennoxtown). Make your way along the clearly signposted path going northwards for about 500 metres until you reach the car park on the Crow Road. There’s often an ice cream van here during the summer so it’s a great morale booster. From there, cross the road then make your way up the broad grassy shoulder going east. The ascent of Cort-ma Law is fairly relentless but the gradient eases off as you reach the high ground which is more or less a plateau. You will immediately notice the fantastic views over the Clyde Valley and beyond, and now it’s just a matter of continuing along for a couple of kilometres until you reach the summit of Cort-ma Law.  The summit’s even got a trig point! It can however, be quite a long walk for the very young. As such, there have been times when we have turned back at one of the little high points marked with cairns along the way. Either way, it’s an excellent high level walk along the top of the Campsies. Return via the same route.

Route

Total distance – 4 kilometres

Ascent – 430 metres

Walking conditions – Good footpath up grassy slope. However, the slope is relentless and particularly steep in places. Children may require assistance descending the steepest sections.

Time required – Around 2.5 to 4 hours

Nearest town – Strathblane

This is the favourite hill of many a rambler, including my mum who is always guaranteed to point out Dumgoyne to anyone and everyone at any given opportunity. It wouldn’t be so bad but you can see it clearly from almost anywhere in her home town of Blantyre. Being part of the Campsie Fells, Dumgoyne sets itself apart and not just literally.

From the parking bay at Dumgoyne Distillery cross the road and follow the faint path over fields until you cross a stream beside a fence. At this point the route becomes a distinct footpath which leads directly up an increasingly steep slope straight to the top of Dumgoyne. The path is wide in places as a result of the large number of visitors who are probably avoiding the muddier parts of the path by going around the sides. Please try to avoid doing this as it causes considerable erosion. Although it’s hard work, before you know it you’ll be on the summit. Park yourself close to the trig point, get your sandwiches out, and strike up a conversation with whoever it is you will be sitting near to on this busy, extremely enjoyable and most sociable of hills.

Take care on the way down as it is particularly steep (although not dangerous) and should be avoided if there are not enough confident adults to ensure the children can get down without any dramas. Alternatively, take a leaf out of my wife’s book and slide down the steep slope on your backside. The children are guaranteed to do likewise.

Route