Walk: Croy & Castle Hills – an Antonine escapade

📌 Croy, North Lanarkshire
★★★

North of Cumbernauld’s concrete wilderness is a surprisingly attractive belt of verdant countryside. This is the upper glen of the River Kelvin: a communication corridor followed by the Forth & Clyde Canal, roads, railway and power lines, but with plenty of pockets for wildlife and scenic beauty. Directly to the south is a low ridge along which traverses the Antonine Wall: the Romans’ less-heralded, northern version of Hadrian’s Wall, stretching across Scotland’s Central Belt from the Firth of Clyde to the Firth of Forth. This particular stretch features large-scale earthworks and two Roman forts, with the one at Bar Hill still boasting visible foundations for the principia and bath house. Taking in all the above and more makes a pleasant ramble of contrasting halves: following the canal in one direction and tracing the Wall for the return. Midway along the first section is The Boat House restaurant at Auchinstarry Marina.

📷 Chronological photo guide

🌍 Location

📌 Start / finish on minor road by Forth & Clyde Canal 1 mi northwest of Dullatur

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 738774

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.972856,-4.024513

🚌 Bus to Auchinstarry, Croy or Twechar (various points on route) | 🚆 Croy (1 mi from a different point on the route)

🚗 Car parks either side of canal

📝 Key info

▶ 10 km / 6 mi | ▲ 210 m | ⌛ 3-3.5 hr

Features: 💧 Forth & Clyde Canal; 🏰 Bar Hill Roman Fort; △ Castle Hill (155 m); △ Croy Hill (147 m); 🏰 Croy Hill Roman Fort

⬤ Moderate | Tarmac towpath along canal, mostly grassy paths and country lanes for remainder. Short roadside sections.

➡️ Anticlockwise circuit: start – Auchinstarry Marina – Twechar – Bar Hill Roman Fort – Castle Hill – Croy Hill – start

Download file for GPS

🥾 On our last visit

Wildlife: Herons, swans & cygnets, mallard ducks, dragonflies. Fish in the canal

Weather: Full sunshine, reaching 20°C, light winds.

May 2025