The Antonine Wall. Duntocher. Clydebank. Drumchapel.

                                                 ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN
Shortly after the Drumchapel walk I had to put my car into the garage at Clydebank for a few repairs. As this would take a good few hours and I had the rest of the day off anyway I decided to walk along part of the Antonine Wall which starts on the west at Old Kilpatrick then runs through Duntocher via Goldenhill Park then skirts high Drumchapel taking in Hutcheson Hill and Castle Hill. Although not much remains here of the actual wall (in reality a deep trench and earth raised banks beside it) it does run through some nice farmland scenery, most of which was new to me and I'm always on the lookout for new walks, especially now I have a pet project on the go, part of which involves finding the best underrated or little known walks in my local area.
A link for those who like nice interiors.  http://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/the-boulevard-complex.en-gb.html
Above is the Titan Hotel Complex and next to it, in the grounds of Clydebank's new catholic secondary school, are several large circles of wild flowers. Poppies are the most obvious, but daisies and several other varieties are present too. This is what gave me the idea of wild flower meadows in the vacant brown site plots of the big estates. Many of these areas have been lying vacant for over a decade and they could be used as wildlife havens in the meantime until new housing or other plans are forthcoming. I'm not suggesting such concentrated formal circles for Drumchapel  and the other empty plots in the big estates but a lighter sprinkling  of various wild flowers and the odd scattered shrub (like fushia bushes which flower from May/ June right through to early November) would help birds, bees and butterflies and give these drab, almost forgotten, blank areas some colour and life. Yes, you will get some damage and children already seem to have run through the middle of these poppy circles  but that's to be expected as its directly on a school route and hopefully they will survive once the novelty has worn off this new addition to the landscape.

Anyway, back to the Antonine Wall. During the Roman Conquest of Britain things progressed relentlessly, mile by mile, in a slow but continuous push across flatter terrain, and local tribes were either crushed underfoot or bribed into submission to join the Romans until they crossed the central belt of Scotland and arrived at the edge of the Highlands. The Roman system of fighting preferred flat or at least open ground for large scale troop movements but once in the steep mountains and trackless forests of the north they were vulnerable to ambush and attack.
 Even today you can see the mountains squeeze down close to the coast at Old Kilpatrick, and Dumbarton Rock with its formidable defensive properties is not far away. The photograph above of the Duntocher Burn Path is the route I followed between Dalmuir Park and Goldenhill Park, which is a pleasant walk through mature woodland then runs beside the stream. Interesting history and scenery. It is signposted where it crosses the main roads and is fairly easy to follow once you see the route here. Parts of this were new to me yet I've been in Duntocher many  times but usually for work purposes. The might of Rome stopped at Old Kilpatrick although the Romans were able to penetrate further north up the easier and flatter east coast before meeting strong resistance.

Goldenhill Park is nearby and is situated on a lovely little hilltop with great views. Being a high point The Romans had a large base here where the troops could live and sleep until required. Attacks and raids on the wall were common as the hill tribes knew the landscape north of here would shelter them from the worst of any reprisals as they could just fade into the forests and mountains again.

AD 142 to 165. Although it stretched right across Scotland they held it for less than 25 years. The most far flung, heavily defended barrier in that vast empire. A combination of rugged mountain landscape, warlike tribes that fought in fast surprise attacks rather than meet head on in full scale battles and trouble in provinces nearer the Roman heartland meant an early end to this barrier and they retreated back behind Hadrian's wall in Northumbria before finally abandoning Britain altogether. The Hunterian Museum in Glasgow has a fine collection  of decorative stone work and artefacts gathered from the wall.
http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/antoninewall

View from Goldenhill Park looking towards Faifley.

View from the park towards the Kilpatrick Hills, Duntocher, and Drumchapel Amateurs Football ground. See "Douglas Smith" link on the previous post.

At neighbouring Hardgate, Cleddans Road is taken into farmland following the route of the Antonine Wall. (usually marked on OS Maps as a dotted line)

Another minor dead end road I hadn't explored and a nice surprise to find it was scenic. It runs up beside the golf course then past Cleddans Farm.

Looking the other way in the direction of Drumchapel. It doesn't actually go into this scheme/ estate but passes nearby before going over Hutcheson Hill and Castle Hill.

 A view of Faifley and the forest beyond. Large areas of Scotland in Roman Times would have been covered in forests, swampy bogs, or trackless tussocks so building a wall across the landscape would always follow low hills and easier marching ground.

 Hutcheson Hill Area and the grasslands around Drumchapel. A network of paths snake through this area proving some locals still like walking and exploring in the vicinity. It might be just my preference but I always find any stress, grief or problems throughout my life have been lessened by an enjoyable walk outdoors. It never fails to cheer me up... and the fact that it's free has been an eternal bonus.

Castle Hill. Still on the Antonine Wall route and a major station for troops before the pleasures of the Roman Bath House at Bearsden, the foundations of which can still be seen there. As I was on foot and getting tired by this point and still a good distance from my house I cut down here back through Drumchapel to meet up with the Garscadden Way again and the long walk home.

                     Path/Cycle Track through Garscadden woods on the Garscadden Way.
This full route can also be done by bike as it is mainly on good paths, minor country roads and lanes over undulating but not too taxing terrain. Any rough sections can be walked rolling the bike beside you for short distances. An enjoyable outing in an area I've largely taken for granted... or ignored...until now. The things closest to you are often hidden in plain sight and that goes for relationships as well.

   Dusk over Clydebank.. Although it didn't rain several large dark cloud fronts swept over this area.

Which was great for photographs when I eventually got my car back.

More poppies to end the trip. Normally you have go to the drier East Coast of Scotland to see such a fine display.

I wasn't enough of a fan to have more than a greatest hits Lynyrd Skynyrd album in my collection but two of their songs are classic anthems that are right up there with the best. I learned all the words to Sweet Home Alabama years ago but if you were an aspiring hot shot rock guitarist in the mid 1970s and 1980s this was the one guitar solo you really wanted to master.
It's years since I've seen this but one thing is still obvious. These southern boys really know how to play their instruments. Spank that plank son! Many young guitarists in bedrooms tried hopefully but few succeeded to reach these heights. Apart from a great evocative song its one of the finest guitar combinations of all time at the end and the piano and drums are not too shabby either.