WHEN you go on a walk, the end of the day can often be tinged with sadness, accompanied by comments such as "Wouldn't it be nice to live here?". This is often linked to the idea that you have to travel to find 'proper' countryside. However, one person's day out is always another person's doorstep.
On a number of occasions I have asked locals about the area I had just been walking in and they have expressed surprise that I was planning on wri
ting about a walk that "everyone knows about".
This walk isn't far from my house and no doubt some will say they already knew it and suggest I should have done something a bit further away. However, I would respond that people should take the time to consider what is down the road from where they live, as they might be surprised or reminded of a good walk they haven't done for years.
This walk includes the miniature mountain of Binny Craig (definitely miniature as it is only a little over 700ft), rolling farmland and a canalside offering views over the Royal Burgh of Linlithgow, with its palace and the church of St Michael's dominating.
Once you have negotiated a number of turns along residential roads out of Uphall, you are in countryside pretty much all the way. Although you cross a lot of fields at the start, livestock is not usually a problem as most of the paths and tracks are fenced off.
After clambering up the steep grassy slopes of Binny Craig – take care as it is easy to slip; small children should be kept close to your side – you are rewarded with a fine view. From its trig point you can look across the Firth of Forth to the Ochil hills; Edinburgh and the Pentlands lie to the east and south-east, with the Bathgate hills to the west. Make sure you drop back down the grassy slope and then go right. It may appear there is a more direct route but it is peppered with dangerous crags.
Bridgend is not the prettiest village to walk through but you soon reach the delightful Haugh Burn and after that Philpstoun with the Union Canal and then the final stretch to Linlithgow.
The route can be muddy in places and it takes a few hours, so take water and a snack and have waterproofs with you.
Distance 9 miles.
Height climbed 500ft – most of it at the start.
Time 4 to 41/2 hours.
Map OS Landranger 65.
Park You can park in Uphall and catch a bus back from Linlithgow when you have completed the walk. Or park in the centre of Linlithgow and catch a bus to Uphall. Contact Traveline (www.travelinescotland.com, 0871 200 2233) for details.
In summary Go west on the main A899 out of Uphall and turn right up Forkneuk Road, after an Arnold Clark garage and some flats. Go left after a few yards and follow the road as it goes right, left, then right again to reach a farm track, which you follow.
Go left at a small burn to reach a rudimentary wooden bridge. On the other side, follow the edge of a field to another track. As the main track veers right, after some renovated farm buildings, go straight ahead, up a grass track to a road. Cross this, go slightly left and follow a sign to Binny Craig, on fenced paths between fields.
Climb steeply through gorse to a kissing gate. Go left, then after 50 yards go right, under the face of Binny Craig, before climbing its steep grassy slopes – to the right as you look at it.
From the top, drop back down the grassy slope, turn left and head to the right side of a large patch of gorse. Go left at a wall, ignore a small gap but go through a second, larger, one. A path leads below rocky outcrops to a farm track where you go right.
Go left at a farm and follow a track to a road where you go left again, then right, on another road, following a sign to Bridgend. Go through the village to reach the busy B9080, which you cross. A path directly opposite the junction leads off right, by the side of Haugh Burn to a small road where you go left to reach Philpstoun.
Once under a canal bridge go left, almost doubling back on yourself to reach a towpath. Go right and walk three miles to Linlithgow. At the canal basin, cross the road to your right then go left to drop down to the railway station and beyond that the high street. Go left to reach the Cross, palace and loch.
Refreshments Linlithgow's high street is bursting with places to eat. The Four Marys pub at the Cross is always popular and a few doors down the Marynka restaurant serves excellent lunches. There are many cafés too, including Taste, a few doors further down from Marynka. The Park bistro, passed next to the canal towards the end of the walk, is a great place to stop, but remember there are still a couple of miles to go before Linlithgow.
While you are in the area Linlithgow's loch and palace, now looked after by Historic Scotland, are worth exploring (see
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk or call 01506 842896).
The full article contains 912 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
