ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN
A walk I did in late September/ early October with Anne from Dumbarton along the shoreline in the direction of Cardross then returning back through Dumbarton just past the last houses of Westcliff and the last sports ground near the shore.
Levengrove Park. A beautiful jewel.
Floral display.
Mix of colours.
Dumbarton Rock and Castle.
Small park/ green space below castle.
Good view of the rock climbing V.diff -VS traverse on the rock that you can do at low tide (easier) or high tide ( harder- but dry unless you fall off) moving rightwards just above the water until the park railings then return the same way. Exciting. My favourite route here. (Swans may peck your bum here at high tide. It has happened!!!! Happy to report I stayed dry.)
The Kilpatrick Hills cliff edge, seen here. Part of the extensive Clyde Plateau lava formation which continues into Renfrewshire to form the Barrhead to Paisley/Brownside/ Gleniffer Braes/ Fereneze Hills district. Glaciers must have passed down this deep trench of the River Clyde at one time as inland the Kilpatrick hills are mostly gently rolling and grass covered and its only here that large cliffs appear, devoid of surface vegetation along this leading edge. That and the fact that this hard line of basalt plugs refused to be moved by the mass of ice sliding past.
Dumbuck cliff, once a volcanic plug to rival nearby Dumbarton Rock but slightly further inland so for many past decades used as a working quarry instead. A fine complete rugged summit at one point, it has almost gone back to its illustrious past life however as a volcanic vent as it now boasts a hollow, deep, scooped out middle section, only a ring of outer rock walls remaining to hide the missing centre of this prominent hill. Private and off limits just now but maybe at some future point we will be able to walk around this man made knife edged arete/bowl and peer inside.
Anyway, I digress. The walk starts from the park and follows a good coastal path, seen here, with fine views over the Clyde Estuary. The town of Greenock in the far distance.
Langbank and the many ridges of Renfrewshire.
Port Glasgow. So named as until the early 1800s this was as far as merchant ships got sailing up the river, goods and cargo unloaded here then transported by road into the city due to shallow water and numerous shifting sandbanks. It was only after many decades of hard effort and dredging that a deep water channel was constructed right into the city centre allowing larger vessels up the river for the first time to unload at the newly build city docks. Port Glasgow by then started to decline in importance as it was no longer needed as a go between but there is still a shipyard here building a new Scottish ferry, as you can see.
River Clyde Estuary view. Plenty of birds around here.
Oyster-catcher and a young gull on the shore looking for mud creatures to eat.
A goldfinch inland looking for seeds or insects.
Humanity likes adorning nature with trinkets.
Does it need adorned? Nature should never be embellished! It's undignified. See photograph.
The estuary town of Greenock across the water. Getting closer to it.
And a closer view still. Victoria Tower. A stone marvel.
After this point you have three choices. You can either head inland at the obvious Havoc sports grounds via a minor road tunnel under the railway which will take you back along the main Helensbugh to Dumbarton road pavement. A few hours duration in total. Or you can continue slightly further to where the obvious shoreline path ends then follow another path turning inland via a pedestrian way up through a wood past a quarry to come out at the last house in Dumbarton, which is the way we went. The third option, at low tide, is to continue along the shoreline/ beach to Cardross or Helensbugh and get the train back to Dalreoch Station from there if you have left a car at Dumbarton. Post Covid pandemic trains are handy for this walk as well.
On the way back along the road via a good pavement other interests occur. There seems to be a fierce predator in these parts as all the other animals/ creatures have taken to the trees.
Not as agile as a squirrel in the branches but a good effort. Few predators would attack a bear but this one lost a leg before it gained a safe height. Wolverine perhaps? Or a honey badger?
Even the little creatures stay off the ground here.
A wise old owl.
'come up and see me sometime' ........Mae West
But I was not tempted. I already had an attractive companion in my bubble.
8 comments:
Nice walk, and I love the animals up trees!
What on earth is with the animals up trees bit? Weird!
I always think nature does definitely NOT need embellishment from us too! I prefer my woodlands without sculptures and other stuff and just left in its natural state - I think kids should be taught to appreciate it for its normal, wild state too.
When they've done with that quarry in your earlier photos, it should make excellent climbing!
No idea why they are up there. Probably a covid or NHS thing.
Hi Carol,
You could also make it into a partly covered multi purpose all weather sports centre like Ratho Quarry near Edinburgh with various via ferrata routes on it. Nowadays it's an increasingly preferable trend if you pay to enjoy the natural environment in some way. Getting it for free is increasingly old school as is walking along the street not having a loud conversation with yourself. That used to be the sole privilege of the mentally unstable... but not now. " Ye shall know them by their constant babble." Exodus- diaspora.
I always laugh at people on their phones in the street walking along apparently chatting to themselves - it creases me up! They don't seem to realise how mad they look. Having said that, I actually do often walk around talking to myself - I find I can solve problems better that way by actually talking them out out loud - but then I am pretty weird and unstable! ;-)
Ratho Quarry sounds like fun. I don't mind paying for something like that - cheaper than going abroad to do a European via ferrata for real I suppose.
Don't mind folk in the street talking to themselves but I've had numerous city to city bus trips sitting next to fellow passengers either talking for ages on phones, playing loud games or even playing music or video films without headphones. All things I do myself in the house but not sharing /inflicting them on others nearby. Very distracting when trying to read a book-quietly. I have changed seats before but practically everyone is doing the same thing. Bus trips these days can be very noisy places, full of beep beep sounds,several overhead conversations at once or listening to others taste in music... hopefully anything but rap.
Yep - I hate phones on speakerphone, people playing silly video clips without thinking others might not share their tastes (and, in fact, probably don't). It's just a lack of manners and consideration - so common nowadays. Bit like dirty feet on bus and train seats really. Not sure why they need the phone keys to beep either - you must surely know if you pressed one - your fingertip tells you!
Reminds me of a friend of my mother's when I said I was into heavy metal/thrash metal etc. She said she felt sorry for my neighbours! I told her my neighbours had no idea what music I liked as I only ever listened with headphones on!
If I'm on public transport, I see no need for entertainment. If it's light, I look out of the window - if it's dark, I passenger-watch!
The Clyde Estuary has so much to recommend it! I really should pay a visit to Dumbarton Rock and castle some day.
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