Cumbon one

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Review of Slow Ways route Cumbon one (Cumbernauld to Bonnybridge)
This is an interesting route which crosses the march between North Lanarkshire and Stirlingshire. I walked it on a dry day in February 2021 but after a week of rainy weather which had some impact on underfoot conditions. The route begins in Cumbernauld Town Centre which is a huge, multi-floored retail and leisure centre. The first challenge is to get out of the building (not as easy as it sounds). Once out of the centre, the route makes its way, via some of the many walkways and underpasses that criss-cross the town, to Forest Road. The route then follows the busy Forest Road for a kilometre or so but there is only a grass verge to walk on so I left the route at this point and followed various pedestrian paths through Abronhill, re-joining the route just after Forest Road turns onto the much quieter Walton Road (at NS79197607). The route then follows Walton Road to a sharp left hand turn where it leaves to join a very rough, muddy track heading east. To access this track, it is necessary to negotiate a locked gate and high fence. These appear to have been installed to prevent fly-tipping, but they present a significant obstacle to the walker/cyclist. There are gaps which can be squeezed through (with difficulty) but a stile here would have greatly simplified access. The path for the next 2.5km is rough and in places indistinct (and I would think not suitable for most bicycles). However the route as mapped is perfectly clear and the views across surrounding land very enjoyable. After crossing another secured gate and passing between some forestry blocks, the route begins to drop downhill in the direction of Lochgreen. There are two more gates to negotiate on this section, but stiles are helpfully provided next to both. Unfortunately, as the track arrives at the road (at NS81897734), there is a final (for this section) locked gate to cross, this time with barbed wire and no stile or any alternative way through. The only option is an awkward climb over. Once on the open road, the going is considerably easier but there are two more gates to climb, the first at NS82027789. From here, the route follows a track through fields, becoming indistinct in places before passing through a gate in a deer fence into an attractive Birch Wood. The path snakes downhill and leaves the wood through another gate in another deer fence. A short stretch of footpath leads to the public road at Greenhill and then there is a pleasantly straightforward meander to the centre of Bonnybridge and the end of the route. I found this a fascinating route which crosses what appears to be a rarely visited and surprisingly remote area of upland. The views from the highest point are impressive, and there is much to interest the traveller along the way. However the section along the verge of Forest Road in Cumbernauld and the large number of locked gates that had to be negotiated both mean that I am unable to fully recommend the route to anyone else. I have therefore suggested it should only "maybe" be recommended.

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