JOHN MUIR WAY: DAY 5 FALKIRK to BO'NESS

Friday 23 May.

My birthday today, 73 years old, and we were off to do another leg of the 'John Muir Way’. We had decided to take the car to Falkirk rather than have the hassle of  changing buses. I got up before 6am, showered and made the breakfast which we had in bed. I put the TV on for the weather and the forecast said Scotland would be dry and sunny. Moira had her shower then made lunch; we were on the road at 7am. I forgot to take the camera but I had the iPad which I could use and Moira's Smart Phone had a good camera.

At this early hour the motorways were quiet. Moira took the new motorway which by-passes the Kingston Bridge on to the M73 and this joined the A80 to Stirling. We came off at the A803 into Falkirk but had to stop in the town to ask directions to Falkirk High Station. We weren't far away and in another 5 minutes drove into the car park at the station. We had to pay £2:50 for all day parking but decided it was worth it to avoid any hassle. It was 8:30am when we started off walking, it had only taken an hour to get to the 'start'; normally we would have just been on the bus from Port Glasgow to Glasgow at this time.

From the station it was a short walk through the leafy suburbs of Falkirk before turning into Callendar Park.

CALLENDAR PARK and HOUSE

The Park is a superb historic designed landscape with an arboretum, woodland, ornamental gardens, and family mausoleum. It also includes part of the Roman Antonine Wall, and is managed by the Falkirk Community Trust.

The main part of the house resembles a French Renaissance chateau and dates from the 19th century. It houses displays, a working 19th century kitchen, shop and tearoom. Open daily year-round, admission free. See: www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org.

The walk through the park was delightful and the ‘chateau’ was magnificently graced by a huge emerald green lawn. The paths through the woodland went round a boating lake and meandered among the trees and differently coloured rhododendron bushes in full bloom. When we left the park it was a bit of a climb that took us under the railway on a narrow parapet beneath a stone bridge then up to re-join the Union Canal. It was turning into a very nice day, it was a bit cool this early in the morning but at least the cold wind of the other day had gone. With no wind the waters of the canal was still and calm creating mirror-like reflections of the trees and bridges. There were a few narrow barges coming along towards us and we got a few good photographs using the iPhone. The first barge had some holiday makers all the way from Georgia, USA. At the bridge over the canal going into the village of Polmont we stopped and had a cup of coffee. The signpost there said: ‘Avon Aqueduct 3miles, Edinburgh 30 miles’

        

AVON AQUEDUCT

The Union Canal aqueduct was completed in 1822, built by engineer Hugh Baird to Thomas Telford's design for another aqueduct in Wales. At 250m long and 26m high, it is the longest and highest aqueduct in Scotland, and the second longest in Britain. It stands on 12 masonry arches and has a towpath along one side. The water is carried in a cast iron trough about 2m deep and 4m wide. See: www.scottish-places.info

        

On the way to the aqueduct we had exceptional views of the open country and caught a few glimpses of the River Forth. Also in the distance there was a multi-arched railway via-duct. The Avon Aqueduct when we reached it after 5km was very impressive and far below we could see the River Avon making its way to join the Forth at Grangemouth. Shortly after crossing the aqueduct the way turned from the canal to use the River Avon Heritage Trail. This dropped down from the towpath by a flight of stairs and a boardwalk into the woodland that lined the banks of the River Avon. Ahead were the arches of the railway via-duct we saw earlier from a distance. Although the river was flowing fast and creating rapids in places there were pools of still water. In these calm spots the via-duct was perfectly reflected giving an outstanding picture. The via-duct has 26 arches constructed with sandstone and has been the mainline rail route from Glasgow to Edinburgh since 1842. Once we passed under the via-duct we were into Linlithgow and crossed the A803 main road and Linlithgow Bridge site of a battle in 1526.

BATTLE of LINLITHGOW BRIDGE 1526                 James V was little more than a year old when his father died at Flodden in 1513.  The following 12 years Scotland witnessed the turmoil of the regency of Albany and the political infighting that left the kingdom at the mercy of the English and their followers north of the border. Those who held the king held the power and it was Archibald Douglas of the Red Douglases who aspired to be the king’s guardian and in effect, his jailor. Margaret the Queen dowager fought a constant political battle to free her son, raising support among the nobles for armed forays Two such rescue attempts ended at Linlithgow. The Earl of Arran attempted the first in January 1526. He raised 5000 men and mustered them at the Peel but was obliged to disperse when the Queens party led by Earl of Moray was delayed in arriving and the Douglases advanced in force from Edinburgh with the King in attendance. Arran fled but Moray arriving too late to stop the rout declared for the King and promptly swapped sides. Eight months later the Queen dowager persuaded John Earl of Lennox, Earl of Glencairn and Cardinal Beaton to support her cause. This time Lennox raised an army over 10,000 and marched on Edinburgh. By this time Archibald Douglas had won over the Earls of Arran and Angus who were sent out to delay the march. Much to his credit Arran arrayed his followers at the strategically important Linlithgow Bridge. He must only had a small force composed mainly of the local Hamilton family but Lennox seeing the defensive position had to rethink his plans Lennox looked to out flank and destroy Arran before Douglas and Moray could arrive from Edinburgh. Downstream proved impassable but up stream his scouts found a ford at Manuel Convent. Lennox forced the crossing and advanced on Arran’s flank. Arran saw the threat and arrayed his troops facing south along what is now Telford View. Lennox’s attack was across the Avon, over boggy ground and finally up hill, but he so nearly succeeded in dislodging Arran’s outnumbered men. However time ran out for Lennox as Douglas arrived with the much reluctant King. It is said the King dithered and made so many excuses that George Douglas, the King’s minder for that day declared ‘Before the enemy shall take thee from us, if thy body be torn to pieces , we shall have a part’ Douglas’s line of advance must have been along Mains Road from the West Port passed the Rugby club and they would have ploughed into the flank of the hard pressed rebels. Many were killed either on the ridge on in the valley along the river. Glencairn was captured and Lennox surrendered to the Laird Of Pardovan, but in a wonton act of rage, James Hamilton of Finnart murdered Lennox. The location of this murder is commemorated with a cairn that now stands on the entrance to the Kettlestoun estate. (Strangely enough it appears to be marked ‘1528’

The signs directed us across the main A803 by-passing the town and attractions of Linlithgow and is another place that will be visited by us in the future.

 

LINLITHGOW LOCH and PALACE

     

The impressive remains of this royal palace of the Stuart Kings are surrounded by parkland. Building stated in 1424 and was completed over a century later. It was torched by Government troops in 1745. The castle overlooks the loch, a special nature reserve. Formed thousands of years ago, the loch is important for a variety of wildfowl and aquatic plants. A path circuits the loch and historic Scotland rangers run events all year round. Entry is free for the castle. See: www.historicscotland.gsi.gov.uk/ranger

The street after the junction with the main road was through a housing estate with lots of side streets and lanes but no waymarks. We reached the bridge over the M9 motorway but the pavement disappeared and the road was busy. It didn’t look as if this was the right direction. We returned to the A803 junction again and checked the sign post there. It said straight as did our map. We were busy consulting the map and guide book when a woman stopped to assist. She didn’t know the ‘John Muir Way’ but told us if we crossed the motorway bridge there was a track on the other side that went over the hill to Bo’ness. We returned the same way and found if earlier we had continued a few metres further there was a sign telling us we were on track. The path heading up hill was on the other side of the bridge as the woman said and there was a bench. That was where we stopped and had our lunch.

This was the first reasonable climb we had encountered for a while started and was a steady incline through farmlands with what appeared to be privately owned wind turbines. They weren’t the usual huge types but these were about half the size probably owned by the farmer. Once at the top of the hill the countryside opened out with panoramic views of the Firth of Forth. Now going downhill we entered Kinneil Wood with lines of tall conifers. As we crossed over a burn the track came to a plaque for a cottage that was supposedly a house used by the Greenock engineer James Watt; there were only four walls remaining and no bigger than a shed.From the old ruined cottage we arrived at the statelier,

KINNEIL HOUSE

           

The lands of Kinneil Estate were originally granted by King Robert I (the ‘Bruce’) to Walter Fitzgilbert of Hamilton in1323. The grounds remained in the ownership of the Dukes of Hamilton until1922 when the former Bo’ness Town Council purchased the woodland area and surrounds of Kinneil House under the Public Parks Act, for the general public to have access to the woodland for walks and recreation.

Kinneil’s Heritage

A section of the Antonine Wall and a Roman fortlet dating from 142AD can be found on the estate. Named as a British World Heritage Site in 2008, these have been partially re-instated with the addition of interpretative signage. The Kinneil Museum is housed in the 17th Century stable block at the Duchess Anne Cottages in the Park, also displays detailed information about the Wall, and the history of the Estate and the surrounding area in general.

Kinneil Woods

The Estate contains a large area of coniferous woodland, mostly planted between 1929 and 1949. A number of woodland walks and wildlife ponds are situated in this area of the Estate where a wide range of wild birds and waterfowl can be seen and heard. A 10-year management plan for the Woodlands is in the process of being developed in partnership with Central Scotland Forest Trust (CSFT). This is intended to ensure the long-term future of the woods, while also improving woodland diversity and safety. To view and comment on the proposals, visit the CSFT websit

From Kinneil House we walked along the impressive driveway then it was down a hill to cross over the track of the Bo’ness and Kinneil railway. We followed the line along the shores of the Firth of Forth into Bo’ness which had an attractive skyline with two tall church spires.

         

BO’NESS and KINNEIL

March to October, steam driven and standard locomotives haul traditional carriages along the scenic, historic Operated by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society, the railway links Bo’ness and Manuel on the shores of the Firth of Forth. It was opened in the early 1980’s and extended from Kinneil to Manual in 2010. At Bo’ness there are refreshment room, souvenir shop, visitor information centre and museum. For fares and timetable, see: www.bkrailway.co.uk.

When we reached the edge of the Bo’ness town centre there was a bus stop and we had 15 minutes to wait for a bus back to Falkirk. It took nearly an hour going a loop round the petro-chemical complexes of Grangemouth. I had a street map of Falkirk and after getting off at the terminus I was able to work out a route to the station where the car was parked. It was only about a kilometre to Falkirk High and the car, we were on the way home at 3:30pm.