NKCC health walk to Stockingfield to see the Beithir

Walk to Stockingfield Bridge and Ruchill Park: We have visited both recently, but not on the same walk. The reason for the repeat is that the huge Beithir sculpture at Stockingfield Bridge has been unveiled and that the ONE MILLION DAFFODILS in Ruchill Park will be in full bloom.

Where and when

Meet at the corner of Queen Margaret Drive and Queen Margaret Road, opposite our noticeboard, at 2.00pm, on Saturday 23rd March 2024.

About the walk

The distance is 5.4km (3.4 miles), but depending on how much time you want to spend rambling among the daffs in Ruchill Park, it can be longer or shorter. It will take about 1¼ hours or so.

We cross main roads on 4 occasions – Queen Margaret Drive, Maryhill Road twice and Bilsland Drive. The first three have signalised crossings, but at Bilsland Drive there is no immediately convenient signalised crossing. However at the place opposite the park gate, the footways are built out and the carriageway reduced to one lane in each direction with a central island and good sightlines.

We will be on the canal towpath for parts of the walk, but it is wide and you can distance yourself easily from the water's edge.

March weather in Glasgow can be variable so please have water and windproof clothing. Walking will be entirely on hard surfaces.

Route

We will walk north up Queen Margaret Drive to Hotspur St, turn left and continue for the full length of the street to its junction with Garrioch Drive, then turn right and, shortly after, right again up Shakespeare St. We cross Maryhill Road at the Viking pub and continue up Shakespeare St and join the canal just past Ruchill Parish Church. We turn left along the towpath to Stockingfield Bridge, which we cross and use the branch towards Ruchill and An Beithir.

We then continue uphill and turn left on to Brassey St and follow it past the former Ruchill Golf Course and then bear right into Mayfield St and continue to its junction with Bilsland Drive, which we cross and enter Ruchill Park. In the park, we will wander 'lonely as a cloud,.... amongst the host of golden daffocils'. We will leave the Park at the Firhill Road gate and go west (right) along the canal towpath to the footbridge to the Murano Student Village footbridge, opposite the Fire Station. We cross Maryhill Road and go between the Fire Station and the Botany pub to Kelvinside Avenue and, finally, turn right downhill to QMD.

Remember…

★ Please wear comfortable shoes with a good grip

★ Dress for March weather – it may be changeable!

★ Walkers needing 1:1 support should bring a buddy with them to help

★ Children must be accompanied by an adult

Everyone welcome! Bring your friends!

For further information email NorthKelvinWalks@gmail.com.