Blane Valley Railway

I wanted to make the most of the incredible weather before it breaks and I followed a long Strathkelvin Ramblers walk that starts with a 7km chunk of the West Highland Way, follows the old Blane Valley railway track and ends up back in Milngavie via Mugdock Country Park. It twisted and turned all over the place and there is no way I would have navigated it without the GPX route that they had helpfully uploaded. I have never seen the West Highland Way so quiet, perhaps most walkers had left earlier to avoid the heat, even so I only saw 5 people.

The railway line was a delight, swathed in purple foxgloves and more rabbits than I’ve seen in all my time in Glasgow. I spotted two large sandy warrens straight out of Beatrix Potter in between a community wildlife garden and the Blanefield allotments. And superb views towards the Campsie Fells which I blipped.

It seems a little strange to imagine Blanefield as a tourist resort with Glasgow families decamping for the summer to the rows of cottages formerly occupied by print workers. Unfortunately the combination of infrequent services and high fares meant dwindling passenger numbers, and the line closed in the 1950s.

The rain and thunder arrived just after I got home. I opened all the windows and enjoyed the noise and cooler air. The railway line nearest to me has temporarily closed due to flooding.