Rengla two

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I really enjoyed this route. I think it is probably wheelable, with dropped kerbs and no steps, but I didn’t do a full survey this time. I enjoyed all the varied shops and cafes through the Glasgow half of the route, although the brief dip into Kelvingrove Park left me wanting more. It was easy to navigate, the plotting even indicates which side of the road to walk on, although I disobeyed at one point because I needed a break from the strong sun!
The only bad point was a nasty road crossing at OS Grid Ref: NS 54777 66564 close to the midpoint of the walk, between the roundabout and the harbour road (South Street). There were dropped kerbs but traffic coming from all directions, so a lot of neck-swivelling was needed to be sure of a reasonable gap.
I really liked the former railway line section towards Renfrew. It provided some tree-lined sections, some relics of the railway days, views of rather lovely red tenement blocks, and those interesting “dookits” Jane mentions. In fact I was shown the inside of one of them when a “dooman” of 40 years standing arrived at his and unlocked the door to show me.
The ferry at the end was fun. It now costs £3 cash per crossing and over the summer, mostly runs to a half-hourly timetable.

I walked this route from Glasgow to Renfrew.

Fun fact: In the past few weeks, I’ve been doing some analysis of the network, and this is *the* route with the most pubs out of any in the whole network! 48 pubs according to my data and like 44 according to my count as I walked it. How exciting is that!

Anyway, this route is certainly quite good and a nice direct route between these two points. It is a very interesting route. I just wasn’t entirely blown away by it.

The route out of Glasgow is fine and direct, but not the most thrilling city centre streets. The footbridge over the motorway is really cool, but it’s still a footbridge over the motorway.

We loved stopping into the museum, right on the route!

Then, the stretch through Partick is indeed vibrant and lively, with lots of shops and pubs. Walking on a Sunday was a bit tedious because the pavements were all full and frequent side streets just means lots of starting and stopping and slow forward progress. There are, believe it or not, quite a few pubs along the way to check out.

At the end of Partick, there’s a pretty desolate stretch along an industrial road which my female companions told me they wouldn’t feel quite thrilled about walking alone. It is short, and the vast majority of the rest of the route is along a lovely disused railway-turned greenway. It’s quite pleasant.

The approach to the ferry is a bit bleak and unassuming, but the ferry ride itself is very lovely and pleasant. We were charged £3 per adult. It said it was an 'on demand' ferry which to me meant 'call the phone number on the twitter page' but I called the number on the twitter page and was told 1) this isn't the right number for requesting a ride and 2) be a bit more patient the driver has to use the bathroom. Anyway, it came within 10 or so minutes.

The approach into Renfrew is, again, perfectly fine but a bit uninspiring (a good way to describe the node too).

I dunno, I fear I’m being a bit harsh. It’s direct, as off road as possible, and interesting. It was easy to follow and there are plenty of resources along the route. It definitely kept me engaged. Very happy for it to be a part of the network accordingly.

Review of SlowWays Route Rengla 2 (Renfrew to Glasgow)
I walked this route backwards (i.e. from Glasgow to Renfrew) in November 2021. Most of the comments I made about Rengla 1 (walked in the other direction) apply here too. The route starts at Glasgow Central Station and heads west along Waterloo Street. It crosses the M8 motorway via an elevated walkway with views of the “business district” of the city (but also of the huge scar left behind when the motorway was created). Thankfully a number of walkways (not always easy to find) connect the two parts of the city which would otherwise be largely cut off from eachother. A long walk (or wheel) along the poker-straight Argyle Street (past a statue of Charles Rennie Mackintosh) eventually leads to the West End of the city at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (a visit is strongly advised). Partick Cross is a little further west. Here, Rengla 1 heads off down Cooper’s Well Street but Rengla 2 heads straight along the busy Dumbarton Road. As the previous reviewer commented, this is a quirky and characterful part of the city with lots of shops, cafes and pubs. When the shops have petered out, a busy roundabout is reached. Here, the route heads under the Clydeside Expressway and merges once more with Rengla 1 at South Street / Castlebank Street. The pace then picks up as the route shifts onto a walking/cycling track and the city starts to be left behind (For anyone interested, this track leads all the way to Loch Lomond and beyond – a fantastic day out). For information about the rest of the route to Renfrew, please see my review of Rengla1. Again, this is a great route, easy to follow, accessible and full of interest. As noted in my review of Rengla1, it is essential to check that the ferry is running before getting there. Also bear in mind that the walking/cycling track from Smith Street to Kelso Street, while busy at times, can also be lonely and a little frightening.

I was walking Rengla one from Renfrew to Glasgow, and got a bit fed up with the road slog along South Street; I could see the cafes and shops on Dumbarton Road through the A814 underpass and thought 'why not? maybe a better route option over there?'. Well I was right!
This is now a full on funky five star route!! Here's what happened.

From Renfrew to the ferry, 10 minutes. The ferry is a tiny passenger walk on boat, it cost £2 cash only. The ferryman runs on demand, it's daytime only, and before you set off check he's running, just in case!

The north side of the Clyde is Yoker. There is a good row of local shops, especially noteworthy is the wonderful old-fashioned kilt shop on the corner, MacGregor and MacDuff, Kings of Kilts. Buy your new walking kilt here!

Before long the route turns onto a long off road cycle/pedestrian path that takes you about 4km directly towards Glasgow.
There are a number of pigeon lofts along this path. The lofts are known as 'dookits' and the pigeon fanciers are 'doomen'. It's a competitive hobby, which involves luring your rival's pigeon into your loft, and it is on the wane, which is good news for the pigeons, less good for local tradition.

At around the 5km mark the route drops out onto the main road. But not for long as soon I turned off to greet the shops, cafes and pubs of the Dumbarton Road, which is the main strip through Partick. I really enjoyed walking along this road, lots of variety and a buzzy feeling. I ate my picnic at Mansfield Park which is nothing to do with Jane Austen.

Before long I was crossing the river Kelvin, and then I couldn't resist a visit to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, free entry, cafe, toilets, and lots to see.

The walk into central Glasgow passes through Finnieston which has a lively arts and crafts community. I passed an alleyway with a sign 'The Hidden Lane', so of course I had to walk down to see what is there, it is well worth a detour for the various studios, a brewery, and cafe, all in a courtyard warren of tiny houses behind the main street.

I am starting to think that no walk into central Glasgow is complete without at least one elaborate motorway crossing point, this time it is the Anderston Bridge across the M8. The Anderston Bridge was for many years infamous as the 'bridge that goes nowhere', because when the M8 was built the bridge was started but not finished, leaving the community in Anderston cut off from central Glasgow by the motorway. Eventually campaigns to complete the bridge succeeded, and it now provides an efficient walking and cycling route into central Glasgow from the west.

I really enjoyed this route and would definitely walk it again.

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