Gartmorn Dam Country Park

 12 December 2025

Gartmorn Dam (Loch) east of Alloa is Scotland's oldest reservoir, created initially by the sixth Earl of Mar to aid mining and other industries in the area. There are a few examples of those industries close to the shores but today part of the loch is a nature reserve with a network of paths both lochside and in the extensive woods round about. I had been there before- Gartmorn Hill to the north of the loch used to be a Tump but was removed from the list following a resurvey. The shore path is about 3 miles long on an excellent track/path; just the right distance to measure my return to fitness. And there is a cafe which of course I visited after the walk......

Swans and a few water fowl close to the start of the walk.....

The track and views across the loch from the north shore.....

The remains of a building at the site of the former Sheriffyards Colliery at the north-east corner.....

The loch from the east.....

Views from the south shore with the Ochil Hills in the background. Disappointingly mostly clag covered today so I will have to come back on a clear day for a better view.....

Views from the dam wall......

The cafe......

This is an excellent walk which I suspect is not all that well known outwith the local community.

Culross- an historical village

 2 December 2025

A different type of walk today visiting a village that I had previously only driven through. Culross is in Fife on the north side of the river Forth and is a good example of a 16th century Scottish burgh.......

I started my walk in the main square on the north side of which is the Palace and the Town House. The Palace was built by Sir George Bruce in 1597. It was eventually partitioned into flats for 16 different families and by the 1900's had fallen into disrepair. It was then bought and restored by the NTS; today it was closed so I could only view it from the outside. I will have to come back in the main season......

The Town House was the centre of local authority where the councillors met and courts were held. It also served as the local prison for those convicted either of criminality or of being a witch......

I then made my way up several of the cobbled streets, the houses which are still lived in today look fabulous......

About half way up is the Mercat Cross. Only Royal Burghs in Scotland can have such a  thing. This one has a unicorn on top!

I continued up the hill with the Abbey now in sight. This has been a religious site since St Serf founded the town in the 6th century and the first monastery (Cistercian monks) appeared in the 1200's. Today only ruins of part of this building remain and the area is now occupied by the Parish church. This can be visited but today the door was locked; another reason to come back......

I then made my way back downhill to the car via an excellent coffee shop, The Biscuit Cafe. It had been a day full of interest and best visited in the off season, it gets rammed with tourists in the summer months.

Mugdock Country Park

 29 November 2025

It was a few years since I had visited Mugdock Country Park but it seemed an ideal place for me to add to the list of places that I am visiting to create photograph records. Mugdock is, in my view, the best of the Country Parks which are situated around Glasgow. It comprises 270 hectares of moorland, heathland and woodland gifted to what are now Stirling and East Dunbartonshire Councils in 1981 by Sir Hugh Fraser (House of Fraser family). The Park includes a couple of former castles in differing states of disrepair, WW2 gun emplacements, a loch, and a plethora of paths so lots of different walks are to be had. The weather was quite atmospheric, mostly cloudy but with the sun breaking out from time to time.....

There is courtyard building which serves as a visitor centre and includes toilets and cafes so I was able to purchase my usual latte at the end of my walk.....

There is not much remaining of Craigend Castle, indeed, it has been fenced off for a number of years as it is now in a dangerous state. I suppose that it's main claim to fame is that the final occupants used the ground round about as a zoo!

My route then took me to the high ground to the south of the Park to visit the remains of the WW2 defensive bunkers.....

They certainly commanded a good view south over Milngavie towards Glasgow and north to the Campsie Fells......

Mugdock Castle was the next point of interest, It was originally built by the Graham family in the mid- 14th century and was abandoned in the 17th century. There are connections to the Marquess of Montrose. The remaining tower has been renovated and apparently now contains a museum. It is open to the public at times during the summer so I will have to go back on one of these days.....

Mugdock Loch lies below the castle. A sign says that it is reckoned to be a "kettle hole"......

After walking around the east and north side of the loch, I made my way back to the visitor centre and the car park passing a pretty little waterfall and a pond......

An excellent walk!