ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN.
Earlier in the month of February we had a run of five consecutive days of bright sunshine interspersed with several heavy snow storms approaching from the east. Around four to six inches fell in Glasgow... more on Scotland's east coast but it was enough to transform the landscape. Rather than going out padding the same network of local streets for 'essential exercise' which was starting to feel more like a punishment than any enjoyment undertaken the falling snow rekindled my enthusiasm for the outdoors and I was keen to get out to see it. Anniesland Tower here, the only listed tower block in Glasgow.
Anniesland cinema link now converted to flats.
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/7847
Pigeons enjoying the warmth of the sun after a sub zero night. Down to minus 8 in Glasgow, 12 in the countryside and surrounding hills with an existing blanket of snow to chill the air. I still retained a borrowed pair of old fashioned cross-country skis, very basic models, 40 years old, but good enough to have fun on so off I went.
Frozen Forth and Clyde Canal at Anniesland near Bearsden Road. Normally I've been avoiding canals and more popular public footpaths as the numbers using them put me off but the low temperatures, snow and ice meant a dramatic reduction with only a handful of people using it and very few cyclists and joggers gasping past so I made good time along it.
Further along heading past Westerton. Unless you're very proficient at it, getting plenty of practice and fit, cross country skiing on the flat is not much faster than walking pace, each step resulting in a six foot slow glide if you are lucky, but it is fun.... and something different to try. My intended destination was Knightswood Golf Course and Knightswood Park, two large open areas, the former normally out of bounds, with golfers on it, except under snowfall conditions.
The winter wonderland of Knightswood Park, looking like a scene from Frozen.
Knightswood Golf Course and a real feeling of wide open space here.
Snow about six inches deep and so good to find new areas and new views away from the normal covid 19 treadmill grid march of too familiar looking streets and houses.
In the heart of the great wide open....feeling free again.
A few ups and downs. Not the only person with the same idea of escaping onto the golf course as you can see from the footsteps.
Any hill in the district had families on it keen to exchange sledging and laughter instead of home schooling and working from a bedroom or home office.
A view over to Drumchapel from Knightswood. The further west you looked the less snow you could see as the Campsie Fells held far more than the Kilpatrick Hills, only a few miles apart. A familiar occurrence when the snow arrives from the east as further west up the Clyde Estuary hardly any snowflakes fell.
Not a problem here though and I got caught in a few heavy flurries, the Campsies just visible in the distance.
When it cleared they looked plastered but of course they were out of bounds for city folk like me whereas normally I might be up there, once the roads cleared.
Not a problem today as even fairly main roads could be skied down before traffic use managed to clear them when the snow stopped falling.
Knightswood Cross. In medieval times and on old maps of Glasgow a castle stood near here, reputedly the domain of Knights Templar, hence Knight's Wood and the nearby district of Temple at Anniesland.
Steps in deep snow.
Dumgoyne and the Campsie Fells covered in snow.
And a final one of the canal...
... and the golf course.
Of course snow, ice, and rock salt to avoid slippy roads brings its own problems and there are loads of car damaging potholes out there at the moment, many far deeper than these, hard in a car to avoid but potentially lethal finding them unexpectedly on a bike or motorcycle.
Day's end. The well earned meal. Happy.
Something else that's very different.
