East Dunbartonshire: Trails + Tales
In early July, John took a week off work. This coincided with the time when restrictions on how far you could travel for leisure in Scotland eased slightly, and we ventured into the countryside for the first time since lockdown. Not too far, just over the city boundary to East Dunbartonshire where we discovered a network of Trails + Tales, several of which we followed.
Baldernock Trail
The Baldernock trail started at the pretty parish church, and had attractive views – even if we could still see the city in the distance.
Torrance Trail
The Torrance Trail started at the village war memorial. It was cold and wet as the pictures probably show.
A feature of most of the trails is a series of public artworks (Jaqueline Donachie’s tributes to women health workers already appeared in my Three times a lady post). Here we found Gumnut and a whole row of eight or nine Scholars Rocks, one of which had been customised with a small plaque reading “ALS and RR Kissing Post 2019”. Aww!
My lockdown hair was bad, but not usually this bad! The wind and rain had done their worst. Towards the end of the walk we came across a row of tenements which looked quite odd set amongst fields.
Once back in Torrance, we added on an extra loop out to Cadder Church via the River Kelvin and the golf course, and back along the Forth and Clyde Canal.
Lennoxtown / Clachan of Campsie trail
The highlight of this day was not part of the trail as such. We went “off piste” to tour the immaculate grounds of Schoenstatt. The Apostolic Movement of Schoenstatt is a Roman Catholic Marian movement founded in Germany in 1914 by Father Joseph Kentenich. Its name, which aptly means beautiful place, refers to a small village near Koblenz. Schoenstatt Scotland operates as a Retreat Centre.
Kirkintilloch
The final trail we followed was round the town of Kirkintilloch and the nearby village of Waterside. It was very green with parkland, river and canal, an old cemetery to explore, historic buildings, and artworks. There was even a ghost sign to enjoy. However, we got very wet again – John does know how to pick a week off!
So those were our first, baby steps outside the city after lockdown: life was starting to feel more normal. Linked to Jo’s Monday Walks. Her temperatures are a bit hotter than mine!
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
It must have been lovely to get out of town for a bit Anabel even if the weather was bad! Love all the photos but the one of the mother swan and her brood of cygnets is especially cute 🙂
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It was lovely to get out of town at last, and we’ve been doing more of it since. The cygnets are all getting very large now (and almost as scary as their parents)!
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Swans are beautiful but best not to get too close!
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Absolutely!
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What a wonderful walk to break away from being at home! Now that we live in Arizona, it’s hard to imagine all that rain. A lot of rain here might be 1/2″. 🙂
janet
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Half an inch is a mere trifle here! I have been to Arizona though, so I understand.
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And such a wonderful trail guide.
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😀
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Oh that swan picture, so wonderful
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The cygnets were so cute! But sleepy.
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Sleepy better than hissing!
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Indeed! Scary critters.
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Is the Forth and Clyde operational?. I heard somewhere that it was being reused as a leisure canal. I’ve loved all the walks recently. I like John’s photographs.
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Yes, it’s operational all the way from coast to coast. It was restored as a Millennium Project. Glad you like the walks and the photos.
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Love the swan and sleepy cygnets and Schoenstatt looks very Austrian or Bavarian. Chico’s corner looks cute, is there any significance?
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I don’t know who Chico is or why he had a special corner, and there was no-one around to ask. Intriguing!
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I first thought maybe in memory of a much loved little dog but looking at the ornaments maybe a child with that nickname? Curiouser and curiouser…. 🙂
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Yes, googling is no help either! It’s not somebody’s garden, it’s part of the communal grassy area, so I assume most residents would have to agree to it being there.
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Your posts always make me wish I could walk around Scotland! And by the way, I think your hair looked fine.
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Thank you Ann! I felt very bedraggled.
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Of course I love all the old buildings and scenery, but the swan and cygnet photo is a show-stopper! Schoenstatt really is quite lovely.
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They wouldn’t cooperate by looking at the camera though! Sleepy cygnets.
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I showed Kim your pictures. She said ‘shall we go to Scotland for a few days in September?’ You should be working for Visit Scotland!
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Oh, fabulous! You can write me a reference when I apply 😉
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Happy to oblige.
I have been to Scotland a few times but only once past Edinburgh to Fort William in 1981. I have been to the Borders a lot (golfing mostly) and I like it there.
I thought that if we travel to Scotland that we should stay a while in Glasgow (never been there) and then go further north.
Recommendations gratefully received.
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Ooh, that’s when I get nervous, when people start asking for recommendations, so maybe a career with Visit Scotland isn’t for me after all! I feel confident saying skip Aberdeen though …
Seriously, that sounds like a great plan. I’m assuming Munro bagging is not your thing, so for more gentle walks and gorgeous scenery I like Highland Perthshire – some lovely small towns / villages such as Dunkeld, Blairgowrie, Aberfeldy. Perth itself is beautiful too. Things are slowly opening up, eg I think you can visit Scone Palace and Blair Castle if you book in advance, and there might be more by September. The west coast is spectacular just about anywhere, where you choose depends how long you have and how far north you want to go. The further north, the slower the roads! The North Coast 500 has gone crazy, that’s another place I would avoid right now.
Keep in touch and feel free to email* if / when you have firmer ideas to build on. If we’re around it would also be great to meet under whatever socially distanced circumstances apply at the time!
*Can you see my email in your notifications? If not, I can see yours and can send it.
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I really enjoyed these walks – even if it was raining! They are all around my ‘stomping ground’ particularly the Kirkintilloch one. It’s good to see a place through the eyes of a visitor I think. When you live there, you are so used to what around you that you stop really noticing it. I was most interested in your visit to Schoenstatt. Having driven past it countless times, I had no idea that it was open to the public. Did you manage to visit the cafe and gallery at Clachan of Campsie? That used to be a favourite afternoon out when I was visiting my mum. We’d park by the cafe, go for a walk and then finish with coffee and cake. Lovely.
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Glad to show familiar places! When we were at Clachan of Campsie the gallery wasn’t open and cafes were still only allowed outdoor tables. As that is the only place this summer (so far) I have been eaten alive by midges, this was not an attractive option… We’ve done the same trail again since, though in the opposite direction, but didn’t stop because we were pushed for time and I was on a mission to find the memorial to Eritrean refugees above the village which a friend had posted on Facebook. Success! Will probably appear soon.
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Hi Anabel – what an interesting series of trails and tales – so historical and informative … I’d like to visit them all – preferably in dry weather … I won’t ask John’s advice for the time to visit! Take care and enjoy the freedom you can get to wander to smaller places … take care – Hilary
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No, John is probably not the best person to advise on that!
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It’s cruel and heartless, as i sit in 32C temperatures to read about rain. I remember rain. Wasn’t it privatised? Or the subject of some PFI scheme and is now owned by a cartel of Lithuanian dentists to fund their pensions? The retreat looks suitably quirky as you’d expect for something germanic and Catholic.
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We have plenty of rain to spare! I can sell you some at a good price – I’m sure that garden of yours would appreciate it. I don’t want 32C in return though, thanks. I melt long before that.
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I wouldn’t wish 32C on the French so I think you’re safe. And thanks for the offer of the rain. It’s a bugger that they thought to build a national gas and electricity grid in the 1930s but didn’t foresee the need to move water around. Ah well i think we can be fairly certain that the current incumbents don’t have the skillset
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Another grand walk full of history. What? Rain in Scotland? Surely not.
Having said that, I’m occasionally spotting walkers with umbrellas from the warmth of our lounge!
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I know, who’d have thought it? Mind you, throughout this whole period I think we’ve been quite lucky. There have only been a few days that I didn’t get out for a walk because of the weather – though a few others when we got drenched once out there!
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Anabel, I’m pleased that you’ve had luck with the weather for the majority of your summer.
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How nice to see someone out and about in the countryside. Even in the rain!
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A couple of the days were sunny! However, there’s no point sitting at home waiting for the rain to go away in Scotland – we just have to get out there.
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I should have been on my walking trip in the Outer Hebrides this week. Even in the rain! 🙂
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Oh no, I had forgotten about that! Maybe next year?
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No, if international travel is possible by 2021, I’m going to Canada in July for a joint birthday celebration. It’s a big “if” at this point!
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Everything is a big “if” I suppose, you’re right.
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There is certainly lots to see and do on these trails and it is wonderful to be able to get out and about again.
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It is! Much as I love the city, it’s good to get away from it sometimes.
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You had me at the Scholar’s Rocks and the rest of your walks we’re a lovely bonus. T’s great great grandfather came from Cadder. We haven’t been able to find out much about his life in Scotland, but his family does seem to go back a few generations in the village. One day we’ll get to visit the church in person, and now you’ve shown me some great walks to do while we’re there.
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Interesting! The church looked lovely, and it would be great to have gone inside, but obviously not possible at the moment. Some day I hope it will be.
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🙂
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So green and so pretty. I was interested to read the story of Gumnut and learn about Thomas Muir. I wonder if he took the gum trees back to Scotland with him.
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It’s certainly possible! There are five gum nuts in different trails and we’ve since seen another couple.
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I love these trails, tales, public art and all of your photos to go along with them. Once again, they have made me wish that I could simply ‘beam myself up’ to any trail and instantly be transported there. That would be lovely!
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It would be, wouldn’t it? I’d love to do your Vancouver Island ones.
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Those are some great walks! I love, love public art… it’s such a gift to those who come upon it. Also love your picture of the swans… so peaceful.
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We kept hoping the cygnets would’ve raise their heads, but they all seemed to be snoozing!
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Know all those walks well but not visited for years. Quite a few new additions and they are all worthwhile trails, especially if confined to local districts. And no traffic jams there to deal with so it’s all good.
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Yes, it’s all quite quiet, and pretty in a low-key way.
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If you waited for the sunshine you might never get out, Anabel. It’s been a decent summer so far? Thanks a lot for sharing. I’m very smitten with those swans too. 🙂 🙂
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It’s been not at all bad, thanks Jo! A few damp spells and we were unlucky to catch one there.
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There seems to be so much to see in Scotland! Even if a lot of it has to be done in the rain. You certainly don’t let the weather put you off. I’m afraid I am very much a fair weather explorer! And at the moment that means staying fairly close to home though we have started visiting NT gardens again as the booking system seems to work quite well and once in the gardens people on the whole keep their distance.
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These places are only about half an hour away by car, so we’ve not been far either. As for the weather, it was John’s week off and he was determined to enjoy it!
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Quite right too!
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Schoenstatt certainly looks lovely and it was a nice change from the granite in the photos that came before it, interesting though they were. Glad you are getting out and about again. Not so well here as we are swamped with visitors who seem to have no idea there is a virus going around, no masks, no distancing. Still, at least we may survive as a town with the influx of tourists so we must be grateful.
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Schoenstatt was quite a surprise. We knew it was there, but not how beautiful the grounds were. I know how you feel, the Highlands are suffering similarly at the moment with crowds and “dirty campers” which is why we are currently staying quite local. I don’t think many people go to East Dunbartonshire for their holidays!
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Some wonderful trails there. I like the tenaments surrounded by countryside. Unique I should think. Love the swan family and lots of interesting art work. 🙂
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Yes, we’ve followed a few more since. The trails are low-key, but enjoyable – not the sort of place to meet lots of tourists!
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Beautiful capture of the swan with the young ones. 🙂
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They look so cute and fluffy!
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Yes, John’s week might have been a wet pick, but it was in eased restrictions!
Your walks are always so much more interesting than mine!
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Oh well, I do only show the highlights!
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