Let’s explore a quiet part of the Clyde walkway.
We’ll meet at Blantyre train station for 11:30. There are trains coming from East and West for that time, so it should be easy to gather at the north platform. Then we’ll walk to the Livingstone Centre.
If the weather is nice, we’ll exit right and go for the walkway across the bridge. I expect we’ll work an appetite by the time we reach Bothwell castle, which has nice grounds for a picnic (for now plan to sit on the ground. I’ll update this if I can check for picnic tables). The castle is closed, so it shouldn’t be crowded around it. Afterwards we will head back to the Livingstone centre. One of us will gladly walk you to the trains, or you could stay and see their cafe, museum and grounds.
If the weather isn’t great, we can just stay at the Livingstone centre - it has a nice cafe and a museum, which makes for a nice plan B. Please note that the Livingstone centre can sometimes be crowded and it is dog-friendly.
Speaking of which, feel free to bring your dog, but let us know in advance so others are aware.
Transport: there is a car park and it is reasonable by train. There are 4 trains per hour from Glasgow Central, which take 20-25 minutes. If coming from Edinburgh, the 10:20 from Edinburgh and changing at Motherwell is only 1h10min total. The trip back may be significantly longer, though.
Food: Consider that we will decide between eating outside or the cafe on the day, based on the weather. There is a convenience store close to the station, and the cafe has some items, or you could bring your own lunch. The cafe allows outside items but it is unpredictable how busy it will be.
Pets: every potential stop is dog-friendly, but please let us know ahead. We’ll aim to accommodate as some people may not be comfortable around pets. Thanks!
