Going for a walk in Scotland

Running alongside the River Clyde and M74 between Motherwell, Hamilton and Bothwell lies the partly man-made lock of Strathclyde Park. A popular venue for water sports enthusiasts, bird watchers, cyclists and walkers. The park area is kept clean by the council, although the quality of the water has been a problem over the years (green algae overgrowth) so probably best not to let your dog jump in for a swim.

A walk around the park will take about 1 hour and bag you 4 miles. It's a fairly undemanding walk but well worth the time. I use it to warm up for a big cross country walk. It can get pretty bad with flies and midges in the summer months, but autumn, winter and spring are lovely.

On a clear day you can see Tinto Hill, one of the highest points in southern Scotland (and a great walk... i'll put up a post about it later).

If you are looking for a decent walk with plenty of wide open spaces and plenty of nearby facilitites, Stratchclyde Park is excellent. The leisure centre has a restaurant and toilets. Parking is free and dotted around the whole area - so pick your starting point and go for it. Watch out for the geese though... they can get a bit nippy if you get too close to them 🙂