or sections of them….
I thought to head from high Falkirk down along the Union Canal to near Linlithgow where I would find the road down to where I would join the John Muir Way and follow it until I reached NCN 76 near Bo’ness.
Avon aquaduct
It was bright and breezy with the forecast for increasing winds mid afternoon so I left on a detour to avoid the ‘Dark (or Falkirk) Tunnel on the Union Canal, it was up over through Lionthorn then down the path to the entrance path of the canal near Glen Village.
The canal path, a mix of the odd cobbled sections (at aquaduct or run off areas) but I made good time along leafy bankside before getting into more open areas after the Avon Aquaduct,
Palace gate
I braved cycling the narrow cobbled section on the aquaduct . A bit scary on medium size tyres. The path was busier than I thought with dog walkers and runners. I’d been along this section before on a previous trip to the canal’s end in Edinburgh,
St Michael’s Church
As I headed east, I thought I would just carry on to Linlithgow and visit the palace and the church next to it, I wanted to see the aluminium crown spire of St Michael’s Church. I reached a side track off and made my way down into the town’s Main Strret and then up the short, steep hill to the entrance to Linlithgow Palace.
I thought just to take some photos and return at a later date and visit them at leisure. There is a lot of history in the area with Mary, Queen of Scots being born in the Palace with its nearby loch below.
It was off along the Main St until I found the road sign for Bo’ness where I headed towards a joining point for the John Muir Way, I slogged up a long, steady uphill drag, I could then see the communication tower where I would take a left, headed west and look for the signs.
Linlithgow Palace
At the junction, I stopped for water and scran before heading downhill following the signs. The road was a little broken in bits but soon on a tight bend I headed through a gap in a wall, the rough path before taking me through the forest paths of Kinneil Estate
I saw the estate building but I stopped to read a plaque on a ruined building adjacent and was surprised to see the name of James Watt, a fellow Greenoakian,
KInneil House
who had done initial work there on his ‘improving’ the Newcombe Engine which revolutionised industrial steam power. It had an old boiler outside the roofless house. I parked the bike and I had a walk around the grounds of the Estate house before heading down a path, although I missed the path I should have taken so I ended up up on the A road which would take me west towards Grangemouth, I cycled on the rough path at the side of the road which at times wasn’t a good idea, as brambles and other trailing branches came into play, I was now passing alongside the massive Ineos Grangemouth chemical plant before joining the NCN 76 shared use path , soon I was following the blue signage,
NCN 76 found
it wends through Grangemouth through housing estates, parks then past the docks until I was on ground I knew at the Kerse Bridge where my options were through Skinflats towards Kincardine and Fife but today I would just return via The Kelpies then west along the Forth and Clyde Canal banks, a trip I’ve taken on more than a few occasions lately until the Falkirk Wheel where I would turn back up to join the start of the Union Canal, my choices then are up through Canada Wood or along to the first mentioned west entrance of the Dark Tunnel and up to the Slamannan Rd , the the woodland tracks were the choice.
the Kelpies
I had only cycled 27 miles but had enjoyed the mix of canal banks, woodland trails and road work.
As usual, to embiggen the images, click them.
aching legs and CQ 