If you wish to extend the West End Wander route (to 5km) then take the River Kelvin walkway towards the Forth & Clyde canal at Maryhill Locks.
The Forth & Clyde canal stretches from Bowling on the west coast of Scotland to Grangemouth in the East. There are two canals that come off it – the Glasgow Branch of the Forth & Clyde Canal branches off to Port Dundas and from Falkirk at the Falkirk Wheel there is a canal branch called the Union Canal that goes to Edinburgh.
From our West End Wander walk it is possible to walk along the River Kelvin walkway and reach the Forth and Clyde Canal at Maryhill Locks.
The canal provided a trading route for Glasgow to access the North Sea to trade with the Baltic Countries etc.
Recently there has been European funding of the upgrade of the canals which had been closed completely in 1960. There is a plaque at Cleveden showing the original Strathclyde European partnership funding, however, more recent European funding along with “The Millenium Fund” have funded The Millenium Link project which has opened up access and integrated the cycle routes etc with other routes.
They have now been opened up and have become a focus for leisure with the towpaths providing exercise for cyclists and walkers and also creating a green heart to the city with new nature reserves and with social enterprises and new developments opening up along the canal.
