Two Enjoyable Walks in Erskine New Town.

                                              ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN.

This is two very enjoyable walks that I've done in Erskine many times over the decades so I was slightly surprised that Alan hadn't been around them for many years. 

Both walks start from the car park at the end of old ferry road right next to the Erskine side of the Erskine Bridge next to Ferry Lodge, where until the early 1970s a ferry operated across to Old Kilpatrick. A couple of other smaller car parks for a few cars exist along old ferry road and a road strip/layby next to ferry lodge. On sunny weekends these fill up so best to arrive before 10:00am to get a place. Walk one is circular and starts from the Erskine side of Erskine Bridge at a sandy beach, seen above, At low tide you can walk along this shore line or a path a stone's throw inland runs along a green fence beside Mar Hall Golf Course.

Good chance of seeing some bird life, a grey heron here, and I have seen the occasional young seal and otter in the river as well.

Good views across to the Kilpatrick Hills and this was as far as the invading Romans got up the West Coast of Scotland. Warlike Celtic tribes and mountainous, heavily wooded terrain, meant frequent ambush tactics picked off any advance groups. Which is why the Antonine Wall stretched across Scotland at this point coast to coast as a deterrent barrier and lasted a mere 20 years or so before being abandoned altogether. The only tribes the Romans met travelling up ancient Britain that they failed to subdue, although admittedly the unhelpful landscape played a major part in that. And the Scottish Highlands are not exactly a rich prize for any invading force. What do you do with endless hills/ mountains/forest/lochs once you conquer them? Even today you can't get much to grow or farm above a thousand feet- except more trees. And even conifers struggle that high this far north.

The path then turns away from the river, opposite Bowling across the water, and heads inland between Mar Hall Golf Course and Erskine Golf Course and goes into a deep wood. It then turns left through this 'big wood' to come out at the former Compaq factory, now a Hewlett Packard refurbishment centre for old computers laptops etc....

This is it here and near the far end of this building and beside the large obvious concrete main car park to the left of this photo step over a small wire fence to gain access to the grounds of Erskine Hospital for Veterans. ( there is a gate further down going back towards the river direction.) An obvious well made path is then followed right, through woodland to the hospital buildings and then the main road leading down to Mar Hall is followed up to the roundabout at Ferry Road B815. 

This is the quiet road leading down to Mar Hall. Unless you want to see Mar Hall itself you walk up this road to the two roundabouts.

Although a hospital Erskine has always had a pleasant park like feel to it and is usually quiet and serene. A covid memorial here.

When you get to the two large roundabouts follow the pavements leading under the Erskine Bridge then turn down a path just before Old Ferry Road which leads you down to the car park again but avoiding any traffic. Total around a 2 hour walk at an easy pace.

Walk number Two is also circular. Starts at the same car park. This time take the path upwards on wooded ground that parallels Old Ferry Road then cross the A826 into a grassy level area with a large floodlit football pitch, seen below.

No longer used to the same extent so grassed over. Keep to the right hand side of this and make for the right hand side of the low housing. A good paved path runs parallel to the M898 Motorway leading onto the Erskine Bridge and once past the houses of Erskine march up the obvious grass slope to reach the summit of Craigend Hill with its covered over reservoir. This highpoint gives great panoramic views over the area.

View over Erskine and Erskine Bridge. As you can see here Erskine is one of the smaller and better kept new towns with loads of green pathways and walkways even through the middle of it. Town shops on the right here.

Dumbuck quarry direction here.

The Renfrewshire uplands. 'The shire' always to me as I read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings around 12/13  years of age and both books made a big impression that lasted. Forget, elf, orc, dwarf, goblin, etc...for me it was the ultimate adventure story across strange lands taking place in deep woods, hills, rural villages, towns, castles, caves, mountains, rivers, tunnels, ancient kingdoms and mysterious buildings. And as a teenager I had that all here within cycling or walking distance from my house... and I'm still doing it 50 years later.

Below Craigend Hill, following the tarmac service road down from the summit, is a farm with an attached community animal enclosure. Pot bellied pig...donkeys, horses in other field, Llama or Alpaca...

 A tarmac lane leads directly down from this small field that is blocked off from car entry so it makes a quiet walk past Park Mains High School travelling in the right direction. Rashielee Road then leads down to the right to the roundabout then Kilpatrick Drive area takes you down to the River Clyde again where you follow shoreline paths back to the car. 

An offshoot path signposted Newshot Island takes you to a rough beach where you can examine several mud punts abandoned here after being used to deepen the river in past times. Only accessible at low tide and the path ends at them. In the other direction, heading back to the Erskine Bridge, you pass the old Erskine Hotel and Erskine Harbour. Total around two to three hours walk.

 If you have wonder and imagination.....

Portals... or doorways... exist everywhere in life.... or for future folk this might be everyday quantum technology 101.