For me, the Kelvin Walkway is the highlight of the West End and one of the main reasons I love living here. It's just a wonderful corridor of greenery to wander through and transport yourself away from traffic noise and pollution. Mind you, it wasn't always like this - in Victorian times and before the Kelvin was very much a working river and was extremely polluted, and it's only really in the latter years of the 20th Century that it was properly cleaned up and transformed into a walking route. The Kelvin is Glasgow's 'other' river and I recommend the book of the same name by Alex Matheson if you want to know more about the history of the river. The walkway is great for accessing the Botanic Gardens or Kelvingrove Park, and a pleasant walk into town is to take the walkway round the back of the Museum & Art Gallery then cut through Kelvingrove Park and along Clairmont Gardens and Woodside Place, which brings you out nicely at Charing Cross without encountering much traffic. I live within a mile of its downstream efflux into the Clyde, and I just adore the fact that I could step out of my front door and end up in Fort William by following the Kelvin Walkway to Milngavie and then joining the West Highland Way. How does Bilbo's song go? The Road goes ever on and on Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can, Pursuing it with eager feet, Until it joins some larger way, Where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say. Definitely on my bucket list - I may not make it as far as Fort William but Milngavie station is a definite possibility! read more

River Kelvin Walkway - Stormy waters. - Local Flavor Near Me

A simply gorgeous part of Glasgow to explore - I only knew of a small part of this walkway until Sara T took us on a west end wander further north from Inn Deep up to Queen Margaret Drive. What a delight the walkway is - leafy, lush and somewhat like a rainforest. You'd never knew you were in the middle of a city when you're wandering along. There's some delights to discover along the way, including the mills and at the right time of year, loads of wild garlic. If you've never been before, it's a must for any Glasgow resident for a lovely weekend wander. read more

River Kelvin Walkway - Local Flavor Near Me

One of Glasgow's true hidden, or at least severly under appreciated, gems, the River Kelvin Walkway is one of the most tranquil and interesting ways to experience the west end of the city. Joining the path from Kelvingrove park, just off Gibson street, you can follow the path as it runs alongside the river through wooded passes, the backs of houses and business, through grassy openings filled with kids, dogs, runners, cyclists, couples and families. My favorite way to enjoy this route is to join form the entrance off Queen Margaret street and follow it to the kelvin grove park and beyond. A marvel in every season, the river offers a point of calm in our city which is needed every once in a while. read more

River Kelvin Walkway - from bridge above walkway - Local Flavor Near Me

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The Kelvin Walkway has been a constant in my life for as long as I remember, and I still love it to this day. It's the heart of my Glasgow. As a kid, one of our favourite places to go was the play park at the Ha'penny bridge section. I have fond memories of mud pies, pooh sticks, and cracking both my chin and my head open from falling off the swings and the high bars. Thankfully, city councils have discovered softer surfaces with which to cover childrens' play areas and while the play equipment is long gone, and it's now kitted out with keep fit equipment - eh, nice try Glasgow Council. However, the kids still seem to love it just as much as I did. Moving on to the present day, there are just so many varied sections to the walkway- from the relative wildness along the river, to the ruins of the old flint mill, to the carefully manicured Arboretum at the North Kelvinside end. I generally come into the park from the Finnieston end, and walk or cycle straight through onto the walkway. Did you know that the section just before the Kelvinbridge Underground car park used to be a train line, and had associated works coming from it? Check out the photos online, it's fascinating. Sometimes, we might stop at Inn Deep for a beer in the beer cave, and play a game of 'spot the hipster' - which takes about half a second because there's generally tons of them drinking nice beer and growing their beards. Then comes my favourite little section - from Inn Deep to the ruins of the old mill. Fellow foragers, you can get many many goodies on the banks here in spring and summer. There is an abundance of Japanese Knotweed (yes it's edible and it's very much like rhubarb), wild garlic, three cornered leek, Himalayan balsam, garlic mustard - oh my, there is so much to be enjoyed here. Oh and then there's 'echo bridge' - there is some sort of cool fact about the echo you get if you shout in this tunnel - it's a really long echo or something like that, I can't quite remember, but shouting 'echo' is good fun anyway. If you keep going along the walkway, you can get all the way out to Milgnavie. The walkway runs basically parallel with Maryhill Rd, and passes Dawsholm Park, the canal locks, and the Maryhill Science Park. Normally I cycle this section - and it is so beatiful on a crisp winter morning. The trees and the steep banks running down to the river are just outstandingly beautiful with the right weather. One of the fantastic things about the walkway is that it gives you an easy route to many other cool places to cycle - Dawsholm Park is great with a mountain bike - there's a brilliant view over the city from the top of the park, and if you get onto the canal at the locks, you can go for miles and miles in either direction. And if you don't want to go that far, once you're at the Queen Margaret Drive end, you can double back and go back through the Botanics, or have a wander round the Arboretum, which is a completely different landscape. The Kelvin Walkway is one of Glasgow's best features - a wee bit of leafy freshness and wildness right through the heart of the west end. read more

The River Kelvin Walkway is one of my very favourite parts of Glasgow, and one which I seriously discovered over the past year or so as I moved from running half-marathon to marathon distance. I was a student in Glasgow for a long time before I realised that this little gem was here, and it was longer before I really appreciated just how lovely it is. The best known stretch to my mind is between Inn Deep & the Botanics, but it stretches further in both directions and it's because of that that myself and many other runners (and dog walkers) frequent it with such joy. The Kelvin is so much cleaner now that it was when I first moved to Glasgow, and there are quite a few hidden spots along the way that give you an insight into Glasgow's history - the remains of the weirs used to raise the level of the river for the Great Exhibitions, the Flint Mill, the old station at Kelvinbridge, the remains of bridges used to annoy adjoining landowners. And trees, trees, so many trees. Also: ducks, herons, and a couple of outdoor gyms. I took a group of Yelpers along here for a West End Wander in 2014, and it's a great place for photos - I'm not much of a photographer but the others are, as I think you'll see from the photos on this review. It's a great place to chill out, take a stroll, breathe some fresh air and contemplate our Victorian city fathers, mad bunch that they were. read more

What a lovely place for a walk. This walkway is a beautiful place for a stroll or bike ride regardless of the season. My only caution is that it can get muddy so be careful especially if you are walking dogs. If you are a walker watch out as sometimes the cyclist pass quite quickly. For a loo you'll have to pop up to the botanics. Being down by the river will help you escape and forget about life in he city. You'll also find that there is a small outdoor workout space off the path so you can burn some extra calories if your walk isn't challenging enough. read more

River Kelvin Walkway - Local Flavor Near Me

The Kelvin Walkway is one of my favourite wee escapes from the murmur of Byres Road. I've walked the length of it a couple of times, it's easy to forget that it'll take you right out of central Glasgow & into the suburbs. You start at the Stewart memorial fountain in Kelvingrove Park on under Gibson St and first make contact with the river by Inn Deep. Now at this point you may wish to consider the job done, why not after all you've just arrived at one heck of a pub, but let's keep going.. On past Inn Deep under the bridge & up the small hill onto the pathway which takes you on towards the old mill and Botanics exit. I really love this stretch, as it bends away from Gibson St, you get the feeling that you're leaving the busy streets behind you, it's both exciting and calming. After the water mill, you pass the outdoor gym & Friends of the River Kelvin meeting point (the shed thing) and come to a fork in the road. You can choose to either return to civilisation (the left hand path) or climb the hill & go off road as the path looses the tarmac for a short stretch. Once on the other side of the slope there's another chance to take a left towards civilisation or continue on into the wilds of Maryhill.. As you climb, you pass a towerblock, which always seems deserted. You cross over a road (look both ways kids!) and return to the path which takes you passed Maryhill locks, under a huge viaduct & on upwards towards Garscube estate. From here, you climb before entering a woodland, which has a lot of cool wee pathway leading off into Narnia (and the shire too). Once you reach the main road you can consider it a job done & go back to Inm Deep or cross over through the science park, hang a left over the hill & enter the real jungle! There's huge branches, quick mud (the Scottish equivalent of quicksand) and plagues of midges. From here on you just follow the river on out into the wilds of Dunbartonshire. If you've never got this far then I'd really recommend it, it's an easy way to get away from it all, if like me you're sans car. What I'll say is that if you want to keep going onto the Allander way, all you need to do is follow the course of the river, but be warned, there's little to no clear path in places & sensible shoes are required (you will get wet). If you're on a bike be aware that you'll be doing a good bit of carrying once you cross over to the Allander side, it's probably better to just take the main road down to the pathway opposite Dobbies. read more

River Kelvin Walkway - Mad, murky waters at Kelvin Bridge - Local Flavor Near Me

The River Kelvin is an oasis of calm in the middle of the congested city. By disappearing off the beaten track at access points in Kelvingrove, Botanics and even off Belmont Street at the bridge, you find yourself in an earthy, green woodland full of wildlife. The river has always been charming, but its winding depths were pummeled by pollution for a period of time. Although it was still nice to take a stroll alongside it, it wasn't exactly ripe for wildlife spotting. But thanks to collaborations from many communities, including Friends of the River Kelvin (or FORK, as they are known on their website) the river has been cleaned up nicely. So nice that salmon have come swimming back! You are allowed to fish if you have a permit, and if you're really lucky you'll see the heron that lives in Kelvingrove Park. He is quite the bird! Going from Kirkintilloch down to meet the Clyde at Yorkhill, it's a grand place for a cycle. read more

When I first walked along the River Kelvin, I fell in love with Glasgow a little bit more. As you walk along the river-side path surrounded by trees it is hard to believe that Scotland's largest city is bustling above you. If you're unfamiliar with the west end then this route is almost miss-able as it takes you below street-level. From the Botanic Gardens you follow steps down to the river where you cross a bridge and follow the footpath along the other side. A short 10 minute walk takes you under Kelvin Bridge on Great Western Road and you surface at Kelvingrove Park. It's a very popular route with dog-walkers and runners and I often take visitors here. The walk usually ends with a visit to Kelvingrove Museum. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon. For more information and walks, check out Friends of the River Kelvin at www.fork.org read more

I like the Kelvin. It's water levels vary dramatically depending on rain, which never ceases to amaze me (easily amused) when I walk to uni or go for lunchtime runs. Links right in to Kelvingrove park as well as several places between there and hairy mill (as I like to call maryhill) so perfect for runs through Glasgow west end and gives you that sense of being out of the city even when you are running through it. It also links in Maryhill to the Forth and Clyde canal. The path is also really well maintained in terms of shrubbery. So why three stars? Well now. Anyone tried to find where the path actually goes after Garscube? The Kelvin Walkway should in principle go all the way to Milngavie. It took studying of the OS map and cross comparison with google streetview to figure out how you get to the post-Garscube part of the route. This part is NOT so well maintained - proceed with caution/long trousers/gators as it's very overgrown and nettly. Wouldn't recommend going down here with a mountain bike, I very rapidly decided to turn around when I did. Walking/running might be slightly easier but at certain times of the year it's going to be a bit stingy a journey - proceed with caution! read more

The walkway down the River kelvin has a special place in my heart. Yes, yes, it's all a bit soppy but, WHATEVA! I have really strong memories from here as a child, a 12 year old brat and as an even brattier teenager. Walking the dog with my Dad on crisp but dull mornings. Riding my bike really fast, down under passages. Drinking Mad Dog 50/50 and passing out in the bushes. Ah, yes. Memories. Over the years though, there have been a number of attacks on passers by after dark. It's a magnificent place during the day but I suppose like many park areas, the worst comes out in them when darkness falls. For those of us that live in concrete blocks, living their daily lives commuting and coughing up car exhaust by the time rush hour hits, the River Kelvin Walkway is a great place to come for some fresh air. It's just nice to sit on a bench by the river, watch it flow by and let your mind ponder things for a moment. A single tear trickles down my cheek. I love you, River Kelvin. read more

I am from a not-very-large, not densely populated, wide open, beautiful place. When the stresses of being smashed on the subway, bumped into on the streets and rammed with trolleys in the shops gets to be too much for me, I escape to nature on this lovely riverside pathway. It's amazing that by just taking a flight of stairs down from Great Western Rd, you can basically be in the woods in no time at all. I recently walked all the way up to Dawsholm Park on a sunny day, and by the time we reached it I felt renewed. It's incredible to have such a lovely outdoor space to escape to in the middle of the city. read more