Walk: Chatelherault – walk in le parc

📌 Hamilton, South Lanarkshire
★★

This fairly lengthy circuit follows the rim of the gorge carved by the River Avon as it meanders through Chatelherault Country Park on the south side of Hamilton. Broad and thickly forested, the gorge is so deep that you can barely hear the river, let alone see it, except at the two points where you cross the water on long bridges. Elsewhere, views are instead typified by mixed woodland (deforested in places at the time of writing) and rolling farmland. So no drama here, but this is still a pleasant place to while away a few hours, and within easy reach of Scotland’s larger cities. A bridge at the mid-point theoretically provides an option to shorten the route, but it’s been closed due to landslips for years now, to the dismay of dog-walkers and joggers from miles around.

📷 Chronological photo guide

🌍 Location

📌 Start / finish at Chatelherault Country Park main lodge, off A72 1 mi southeast of Hamilton

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 738539

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.761675,-4.012972

🚆🚌 Train / bus to Chatelherault railway station (0.5 mi)

🚗 Car park

📝 Key info

▶ 8 km / 5 mi | ▲ 180 m | ⌛ 2 hr

Features: 🏰 Chatelherault hunting lodge ★★ & country park; 🏰 Cadzow Castle ★; 🌳 Cadzow Oaks; 🌊 Avon gorge & bridges

⬤ Easy | Wide paths & tracks, some of which have been improved since our photos were taken. Steep sections with steps, mostly around Green Bridge.

➡️ Anticlockwise circuit: start – Chatelherault hunting lodge – Duke’s Bridge – Cadzow Castle – Cadzow Oaks – Green Bridge – return on east side of gorge

Download file for GPS

🥾 On our last visit

Wildlife: Buzzard and grey squirrels; sheep, cows and horses in adjacent fields. Blackberries and elderberries just starting to ripen.

Weather: Sunny with light winds and temperatures in mid teens.

September 2017