John Muir Way West: Helensburgh to South Queensferry

Helensburgh to Strathblane

Fine scenery ensures a fabulous start to the John Muir Way, particularly the stunning views over the Firth of Clyde, and over Loch Lomond and its islands. Delightful sections of woodlands add to the allure.

Setting off, take time to observe the bench and stone circle inscribed with quotations from John Muir on the esplanade. On the outskirts of Helensburgh sits the fabulous Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed The Hill House, well worth a look around should time allow. Next up is the delightful reservoir, home to a variety of birdlife.

Much of the trail between Helensburgh and Balloch is spent in the woodlands of Bannachra Muir and Darleith Muir. The path through Bannachra is fairly wide and as you progress up and around the flanks of Ben Howie to Gouk Hill fine views open up over the Firth of Clyde. Signs lead to a viewpoint offering superb views over Loch Lomond.

Leaving Darleith Muir the trail descends along the old coffin road of Stoneymollan Road, with views over Ben Lomond and the islands to your left, and the Campsies and over Balloch ahead.

Beyond the town itself sits Balloch Castle. It’s here the trail turns away from Loch Lomond. Another fine stretch of plantation is enjoyed, guiding you by Tombocle Hill and through Carling Glen emerging to skirt around the shores of Burncrooks Reservoir with its impressive dam. Over the water, to the north east, is the wonderfully named hill, The Whangie. It’s a fascinating rock formation, but given the length of the Balloch to Strathblane leg, only the very strongest of walkers could factor in time for a detour. Something for another day perhaps.

Further forest track and reservoir service road lead to Auchineden Farm and beyond there the site of the Carbeth Huts. The huts date back to 1918 when working folk from Glasgow and Clydebank rented land from the Carbeth Estate and built and owned their own holiday huts. It’s a fascinating and ongoing story well worth further reading.

Next up is Carbeth Loch where the John Muir Way and the West Highland Way meet. The Way is followed northbound briefly before turning for Strathblane heading through another enjoyable patch of plantation.

Strathblane to Falkirk

Lovely walking with plenty of peaceful canalside. The Roman fort, bath-house and Antonine Wall, as well as the magnificent Falkirk Wheel provide added interest.

Leaving Strathblane the trail follows the trackbed of the dismantled Blane Valley Railway. Initially sheltered by trees, the line continues largely in the open, passing the impressive volcanic plug of Dunglass. Farmland becomes woodland and soon the trail meets with the fast-flowing Pow Burn.

Observant walkers will spot signs for the Thomas Muir Trail. The two Muirs are not connected, except for the fact that the John Muir Way shares this route all the way to Kirkintilloch.

Beyond Kirkintilloch lies the village of Twechar where signs point to Bar Hill Fort/The Antonine Wall. A rough track heads steeply uphill rewarding you with fine views of the Campsies in the north. On reaching Bar Hill Fort take time to explore the well-preserved ramparts, headquarters building and Roman baths.

The Antonine Walkway leads on to Croy Hill where you are again rewarded with glorious views. The remains of the Roman fortlet here are not immediately clear, thankfully there’s a stone interpretation board to offer help. The Antonine Wall on the other hand is clearly visible, with its ditch sharply defined.

Next comes a peaceful stretch of towpath to Wyndford Lock. Beyond the Lock the canal passes beneath the M80 motorway and crosses the old Cumbernauld Road before descending through three locks en route to Bonnybridge.

East of Bonnybridge lies Rough Castle Roman Fort and the enormous ditch of the Antonine Wall. Look out for the array of Roman pits. These remarkable defensive structures were most recently excavated in 1903.

Next is the magnificent Falkirk wheel. The wheel, the world’s first and only rotating boat lift, bridges the 115 feet gap between the Forth & Clyde Canal and the Union Canal, replacing the previous 11 locks with a huge gondola carrying up to 8 boats floating on an incredible 60 tons of water.

Falkirk to South Queensferry

A fascinating section packed full of points of interest, from the Renaissance splendour of Callendar House and the impressive Victorian Avon Aqueduct, to Blackness Castle and Hopetoun House.

Callendar Park, home to Callendar House, is the first point of interest on this section of trail. Admission is free and the chateau-like mansion, is worthy of exploration should time allow. Leaving Callendar Wood the trail joins the Union Canal towpath and heads through Polmont.

Beyond Polmont lies the impressive Avon Aqueduct, which at 810 feet long and 86 feet high, is Scotland’s longest and highest aqueduct. Enjoy the lofty views over the gorge from the towpath. Once crossed, a flight of 23 steps lead down to meet the River Avon Heritage Trail. After a time running high above the river, the trail drops down to the riverside rewarding you with fine views of the rapids and rich bird life as you make your way to Linlithgow.

Take time to explore Linlithgow Loch and perhaps even the palace too before heading north to the coast. On your way to the coast you’ll pass alongside Bo’mains Meadow Wildlife Reserve enjoying views across the Firth of Forth to Fife.

Next up is Kinneil Wood followed by James Watt’s Cottage and then Kinneil House with its museum located in the stable block. A short diversion leads to the ruins of the 12th century Kinneil Church.

Reaching the coastline the trail naturally heads east, after five miles or so arriving at the imposing ruins of Blackness Castle, before entering Wester Shore Wood, a delightful strip of oak, beech and Scots pine. This woodland leads to Hopetoun Estate where you may be lucky to spot red, roe and fallow deer. Within the 6500 acre estate is Hopetoun House, regarded as Scotland’s finest stately home. The house is open to visitors from Easter through until the end of September.

Leaving Hopetoun make your way to South Queensferry guided by the sight of the Queensferry Crossing, Forth Road Bridge and the Forth Rail Bridge.

Easy to Moderate

When walked at a comfortable pace The John Muir Way can be completed by people with limited walking experience who have a reasonable level of fitness. However, whilst not technically difficult, there are some lengthy days and you should take this into consideration when choosing this trail.

Terrain: A combination of farmland, woodland, canalside, dismantled railway, pavement and foreshore.

What’s it like underfoot? The trail makes good use of existing footpaths and towpaths, as well as some minor roads. There are extended periods of pavement walking through Edinburgh. As with any walk, farmland and woodland can become muddy after periods of heavy rain, but the paths are generally in very good condition. There are duckboards and wooden bridges in troublesome areas. Walking on the foreshore you will experience a mix of sand and grassland.

How Much Up & Down? This is generally a low level walk, with moderate gradients, and free from any serious climbs. The highest point on the trail is south of Burncrooks Reservoir which stands 900 feet (275m) above sea level. Two popular summits alongside the trail, Arthur’s Seat at 823 feet (252m) and North Berwick Law, 551 feet (168m) are both optional, and not part of the official route.

Signposting: There is dedicated John Muir Way waymarking along the route. The Way intersects with, and at times, shares paths with other routes such as the West Highland Way, the Three Lochs Way and the Thomas Muir Heritage Way. Take care at these times to ensure you remain on the correct trail.

Navigation: You should find it really straightforward. As stated above, there is dedicated John Muir Way waymarking, the guidebook is incredibly detailed with very useful advisory notes and colour mapping, and we supply a separate 1:75,000 map of the entire route. Providing you pay attention to the waymarking, and refer to your guidebook at regular intervals, you are unlikely to need map and compass skills, unless you are unfortunate enough to experience extreme poor weather.

Weather: Fingers crossed you will experience warm, dry weather throughout your holiday and enjoy dry paths and tremendous views, but you must be prepared because the weather can change quickly, especially in Scotland. Good clothing, comfortable footwear and reliable waterproofs are essential. It is important you carry plenty of water on warm days. Pack your floppy hat and sun cream also!

Good accommodation and friendly hosts are an essential part of any holiday. We understand this and go out of our way to find the best. We put a great deal of effort into hand picking our accommodation and matching it to individual customer requirements. As well as visiting the accommodation ourselves, we ask all our customers to complete a short evaluation on each night’s accommodation, which then gives us an insight into the day-to-day operation and lets us spot any potential issues before they become a problem.

We use a variety of accommodation. Over the course of your trip you might stay in a village inn, a bed and breakfast in a converted barn, a Victorian guest house, or on a working farm. In selecting the accommodation we look for helpful, friendly hosts with good quality, characterful accommodation close to the trail. Occasionally we may use a chain hotel.

We always try to arrange en suite accommodation, i.e. rooms with their own bathrooms for each night of your stay. However, in some of the more remote locations accommodation is limited and occasionally we may have to book rooms with shared bathrooms for one or two nights of your holiday, (especially if the booking is made at short notice), but we will always let you know if this is likely to be the case.

We are happy to book single rooms on our holidays but cannot normally book more than two for any one group. Single room bookings include a supplement.

Here are some examples of the accommodation we use on the John Muir Way:

You are assured of a very warm welcome at No. 20 Boutique B&B in Helensburgh. This award winning establishment prides itself on attention to detail and their three luxurious rooms are certainly testament to that. This is the ideal place to take it easy and admire the estuary sea views before setting off on your John Muir Way adventure. Visit their website

At the foot of the magnificent Campsie Hills in the charming village of Strathblane is the Kirkhouse Inn. This historic hotel and restaurant dates back to 1601 when it was a tavern and stables. A popular choice with outdoor enthusiasts, it has naturally enjoyed some refurbishments, but has retained all of its traditional country atmosphere. Visit their website

In the centre of historic Linlithgow is the stylish Court Residence. This former county court house is now home to luxurious suites. Whilst retaining period features from its 150 years as a court, it also provides every modern comfort for your convenience, from colour-changing mood lighting to sunken baths and wet-room rainfall showers. Visit their website

Located in the picturesque seaside town of North Berwick is Glengair Bed & Breakfast, a charming Edwardian family house set in a lovely garden. It’s just a two minute walk to the High Street with its delightful shops and restaurants. A further two minutes and you’ll arrive at the beautiful beaches and the harbour with views out to the Bass Rock. Visit their website

A warm welcome awaits you at the Dunmuir Hotel & Restaurant in Dunbar. This award-winning family hotel is home to the 1902 Bar & Grill restaurant, the perfect place to celebrate completing the trail. Dating back to 1902, this elegant building has been upgraded to a high modern standard whilst preserving many of the original features. Visit their website

General travel information for the John Muir Way will be in your holiday pack.

Detailed instructions on getting to your first night’s accommodation by car, or on foot from the nearest train or bus station, will also be included in the holiday pack on individual accommodation maps.

To view train times please visit trainline where you can also purchase tickets in advance. For information on bus timetables please visit traveline

Getting to Helensburgh:

By Air: The nearest International Airport to the trail is Glasgow. Buses run regularly between Glasgow Airport and Queen Street Railway Station.

By Public Transport: Trains run between Glasgow Queen Street and Helensburgh Central. Glasgow Queen Street and Glasgow Central have connecting trains.

By Road: Helensburgh is located on the A818, 5 miles east of Arden on the A82 Glasgow to Inverness road.

Returning from South Queensferry:

By Public Transport: South Queensferry is served by Dalmeny Railway Station on the Fife Circle Line.

By Road: South Queensferry is located on the B907, just off the A9000/M90 on the south side of the Forth.

Balloch

Despite only being one day into the John Muir Way, Balloch, often referred to as the gateway to the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, is worthy of consideration for an additional day of exploration.

Take a walk through the picturesque Balloch Castle Country Park. This fabulous space comprises 200 acres of semi-natural and ornamental woodland, formal gardens, meadow and shoreline.

Enjoy indoor, outdoor and water-based activities as well as great shopping and dining at Loch Lomond Shores, a stunning visitor destination home to Loch Lomond Sea Life Aquarium. Bike, pedal boat, segway and canoe hire services are available.

Treezone is the ultimate aerial adventure course, featuring zip wires, balance beams, hanging platforms, scramble nets and much, much more. If you’d prefer a more relaxing tree top experience why not visit Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre where you can observe birds of prey close up in magnificent surroundings.

Linlithgow

Located midway between Falkirk and Edinburgh, the ancient burgh of Linlithgow is best known for its Palace, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. The impressive 15th century ruin is perfectly positioned by Linlithgow Loch. Mary Queen of Scots was born here on the 8th of December 1542, and just six days later, following the death of her father, King James V of Scotland, she became Queen.

Visit the Linlithgow Canal Centre and take an afternoon boat trip over the magnificent Avon Aqueduct in St Magdalene, a 40 seater canal boat. Trips available Saturday and Sunday. Alternatively, enjoy a half hour trip out on Victoria, diesel powered replica of a Victorian steam packet boat. Trips run Saturday and Sunday as well as weekdays throughout July and August. While there take time to visit Scotland's only Canal Museum and enjoy delicious refreshments in the tea room.