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.
Dumgoyne - I always remember it as a brutal wee hill. I was surprised how much the ascent took out of me. It was that initial open slope that was the killer - relentless! We had a bit more snow over this way up to about 300mm over the three (?) days. We hit -12C just before Kincardine Bridge when we went to pick up our granddaughter. I think it was about 2 days after the fall I was able to put on the Kahtoolas - absolutely brilliant on the hard packed snow and ice - first time I've needed them in years! Nice to see the wide open parkland - kinda miss that with the stay near home order. The canal walk looks inviting although that may be me just trying to block out the Dumgoyne memory :)
ReplyDeleteGlasgow University had a little outpost in Anniesland and it is where my husband set up his research project. I do recall going to a very, very, small cinema in Aniesland which I don't expect exists any longer.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures, everything looks beautiful in the snow, at least until it gets all mucky and slushy.
ReplyDeleteI always thought Dumgoyne was in the Ochils - obviously not - it looks a beast anyway!
ReplyDeleteI missed the damned sledging! We just had 2 days of perfect snow for it and I was working :-( I should have gone at night - I will next time!
Hi Ken,
ReplyDeleteonce you get up there it's easier to do Earl's Seat as well as it's a gentler gradient. One time we walked along the escarpment edge to Balglass and beck which was a very remote feeling walk for a hill near Glasgow. Never seen a soul all day and no path.
Hi Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteI put a link in under first photo. If it wasn't that one there's a couple off Byres Road as well. Despite being turned into flats the nice front entrance is still intact next to the railway bridge.
Cheers Anabel,
ReplyDeletesnow hides all the litter as well. I calculated recently, without exaggeration, that you could probably build a paper mache replica of Dumgoyne ,full size, just from all the throwaway cans, bottles, litter, and plastic found throughout Glasgow this year. It's normally pretty bad at any time but this year it's even worse in paths, canals, and hedgerows. Never mind the dwindling forests, climate change, and Covid 19 if we cant even put litter into bins properly there not much hope for us or the remaining animals.
Dumyat is in the Ochils Carol, a similar shape and also on the western edge but even rockier with some vertical cliffs. Both are good value for their modest height. Excellent small hills.
ReplyDeleteI've been in Germany and climbed on the same type of massive rock formations featured in the video, only ones without stairs or handrails up them. Really scary due to huge vertical drops and a lack of handholds. 'Saxon Switzerland' if you're interested in seeing some images online.
Earl's Seat would be the last "new" hill Maisie and I would do together. It was a weird one...as we came back I thought of another trip to head along the top of the scarp slope (I suspect the one you refer to in the comment) but only 15 minutes later we were staring down the main slope at Dumgoyne and I knew at that point it would be our last hill. For some reason I knew that Maisie had had enough of the harder walks. I still struggle to look as the photos over 8 years on.
ReplyDeleteI liked what I saw of Germany but we only had a day there - I'd love to visit again. I like Germans too for that matter - very sensible, straightforward people!
ReplyDeleteI knew about Dumyat as well but thought that and Dumgoyne were in the same range of hills...