ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN.
With the weather being so good recently in the 'Eternal Sunshine of the Central Belt' I thought another train trip was in order. This time from my house near Anniesland via Glasgow Central to Neilston Train Station. Surprisingly, the journey, though still enjoyable, was not as good as the elevated Barrhead line as this one was stuck firmly in a green trench most of the way and when it did appear above street level views were uninspiring. Williamwood here, above. This was about the best the views got on this line during the urban section of the route.
As I've said before middle class districts tend to build golf courses rather than public parks so several upmarket golf courses back onto this line.
There's also a lot of new housing being built in Barrhead and Neilston at the moment so it's more construction site views along this line rather than the scenic jewel I was expecting. Who'd a thunk it...
Having said that once you get to Neilson it's all good from here. Just behind Neilston Parish church, seen here, you find a narrow lane at Robertson Crescent which leads onto open ground and grasslands with paths.
These grass paths lead pleasantly to the old white Cotton Mill. If it's wet underfoot or you prefer minor road walking Broadlie Road will take you out to the same place. I like being in the green though. I am the 'Green Man.'
Neilston's Old Cotton Mill. The grass path brings you out at the left hand side of the mill, near the new low houses. If you do not wish to go over the main hill range to Paisley, take the lane up the left hand side of this mill then through an obvious gap in the stone wall to a banana shaped grass path that leads up to Brimstone Bridge. (See Neilston Pad walk on this blog.) We are going over the hill range though on this solo trip so once down onto the main A736, Lochlibo Road you walk right, along it, towards Barrhead for a short distance. You will see a stone hole under the railway on the other side of this road.
This is it here where seven or eight detached houses run in a line rightwards then a small sewage works. Killoch on the OS map. A glen and several waterfalls descend the hills here and a signposted path leads upwards beside the waterfalls.
This is it from a distance with the route marked. Personally I prefer using a paper map and compass to navigate and with so many people getting lost recently this is a skill, once you learn to read them, that will stay with you for life. It also may save your life if you go anywhere outdoors. OS Landranger Sheet 64 and OS Landranger Sheet 63 Firth of Clyde has hundreds of walks between them and if you like walking and live in this general area they will repay the small outlay of cash for decades to come. This is yet another walk I spotted by simply spreading the map out and thinking 'where do I want to go next? What area excites me the most?' Also no phone signal map disappearing or low battery problems with a paper map.
Looking back at the route taken from Neilston. This is a very enjoyable scenic walk. Just above the waterfalls the path is signposted uphill.
It was at this point I spotted something I've seen only rarely in Scotland but always in country like this. Slightly boggy ground, small bushy trees, knee high lush summer grass.
It's an insect called a lacewing. You get blue, brown, and green types apparently. Supposedly you get them in gardens but I've only ever seen them in wild areas like this in Scotland. In the very places where fairies are supposed to live. I have featured damselflies in the past as the origin of the fairy stories but I now think it's far more likely to be this tiny creature. When it flies it skims upright from grass stock to grass stock in this photo position, it's very illusive and wary, flying off as soon as you bend down near it. Which is why this is not a great photo. Type in Blue Lacewing images to see it in better detail. In the middle ages people working in the fields would see them, they shimmer when they fly, and anyone without 20 20 vision could easily mistake it for a small person. I think this is the real inspiration for fairies.
Just like I found myself wondering if seeing damsel flies mating every summer in the fields inspired the human heart motif. After all the human heart is nothing like this shape when its plopped on a butcher's slab. People would know this in past times.
Anyway, all the signs on this walk pointed in the right direction until this one. At this point I knew I wanted to go uphill after a sideways balcony trail led me between two wire fences but following this sign would have meant going down into Barrhead. So at this point I took the grass path upwards to the spot height above Killoch.
This is what you should see if you want to cross the range over the plateau. And if you stay on the path you should make for this obvious high point.
It's the only tree up here on a summit so an easy landmark and the path leads you right to it. No need to jump any fences.
View looking back at Neilston Pad.
Carrying on from the tree summit, spot height 219, you descend, still on a good grass path, past Glenburn Reservoir, seen here, towards Paisley and the golf course minor road which leads down to Glenburn.
Views are good in all directions and the traverse of this hill range is very enjoyable which is why I've given precise instructions. 3 to 4 hours at an easy pace.
Goldfinch on a gorse bush.
White foxgloves.
Farming themed bench in Neilston.
Glasgow viewed from Neilston Main Street.
Glasgow City Centre from the Escarpment plateau.
Descending into Paisley via the golf course road. At the bottom of this I got the 26 bus just past the roundabout on Glenburn Road which goes into Glasgow but dropped me off at the Renfrew Ferry. ( £1:50 with over 60s ticket £3:00 otherwise.) Although I had a train return ( under £3 quid) the bus in this instance was quicker rather than going back into the city centre district via the train then back out again. A cracking walk and a great day out for under a fiver.
Laburnum tree in Paisley.
My dinner when I got back. Yum yum. And I'm off for my dinner again now.
A great post requires a great video. So here it is. Been a fan of this exceptional street artist for a couple of years now. Worth seeing.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8l67t2
What a fantastic walk! I'm trying to imagine the blue lace wings being mistaken for little people, I suppose it was the movement that tricked them. Now, that bench! I should take photos here of our purely functional benches, often poorly installed and in the strangest of spots. No one seems to understand the idea of placing them where they give a nice view. Not round here where I
ReplyDeleteIive anyway!
Can you send us some of your nice weather please? It's gone horrible again here now and we've all had to put our heating on again - in June/July!
ReplyDeleteWhat is the old cotton mill now? has it just been left empty? Our old cotton mills have all been turned into apartments now.
I like the farming-themed bench - very tasteful and colourful.
I used to get green lacewings in my caravan a lot.
And don't you have the £2 any distance single fare we have in England (we've had it for a couple of years now)? Of course, now I'm finally over 66 and retired, my journeys are free now but the £2 anywhere fare was very helpful until they let me!
It's the way they fly Kay, Upright like a little person with a jet pack on and blue wings that shimmer to create a faint glow around them. That and the fact that they only glide ten feet or so at a time at waist height then almost disappear when they land. That and being under an inch tall. I don't think they live long either, just a few weeks or months in their winged form in summer as despite 1000s of outdoor walks I've only seen them half a dozen times in total in Scotland. The first time I spotted them was in a small glade and I had the same wonder as my first sighting of a hummingbird hawk moth in Spain or a six spot burnet moth here. Although both of them I recognized immediately as insects lacewings do resemble and fly like fairies. I can easily imagine people thinking they were seeing fairies, especially 200 years ago when glasses were rare items and strong drinking was normal in the population. Only my opinion but I do believe they are the closest to the inspiration of fairies. Tinkerbell and her ilk even fly the same way... and shimmer the same way in films.
ReplyDeleteHi Carol, It's cos you live in the mountains :) The mill appears mostly empty but the surrounding yard is used by a local trucking company. Over 60s get free bus travel here and teenagers but rail, ferry and subway passengers have to pay a discounted price which is still pretty good. Anniesland to Neilston or Barrhead under £3 quid return. Same to Cumbernauld which is a longer journey. If I had a train station closer to me I'd use it more often as it is quicker but the walk to it is pretty boring and reminds me of 'The fall and rise of Reginald Perrin's walk from his house to his office as over the last 4 decades I must have walked it 100s of times when I had jobs in the past best reached via that train journey. So although only 20 mins away it feels much longer. And I have several bus choices into town much closer.
ReplyDeleteI must have blinked and missed the good weather!
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting about the lacewings and how they fly - it would look like fairies. Although I have had loads in the caravan, they were always perched...
ReplyDeleteHi Anabel, That's why I was curious asking that question as I'm only motivated these days to go out in dry weather after 30 plus years in the rain, either getting soaked up mountains or at work. If it's a wet day I normally stay indoors reading or watch TV...don't believe the old no such thing as bad weather only wrong clothes etc... and if I did go out every day I think I'd soon get fed up with that as I only have a few friends and they'd soon get bored with me popping up all the time as there's a limit to wandering about on my own outside.... for me anyway.
ReplyDeleteNext post might be my favourite books read in the last five years :o).
So for me over the last 20 years it truthfully is... eternal sunshine in Scotland, even in Glasgow.
You are lucky seeing them Carol as I've not seen many up here at all and I do always look out for the small things on walks.
ReplyDelete