Hardgate to Craigton Right of Way

A current planning application before East Dunbarton Council’s planning committee could make a radical change to this very old pathway. Tarmac propose to extend their present quarry off the Stockiemuir Road, westwards over more of Douglasmuir and eventually reroute the path eastwards to the edge of the present quarry.

Until the building of the Faifley housing scheme in the 1950’s, the path started at Hardgate Mill. Lead up along the burn and the mill lades past the front of Faifley Mill, up the farm track over Auchinleck Farm and up to Whitehill and Law Farms. From there it still continues north across Whitehill Farm on to Douglasmuir and eventually turns east down to Craigton. From Craigton you can walk on to the West Highland Way, to Mugdock or back towards Milngavie and the Allander

In the more recent past it was a favourite walk to Craigton Loch (subsequently drained) to picnic or camp and for some years to carry on to the ‘Khyber Pass’ to visit Wilson’s Zoo at Craigend Castle (Mugdock). It had several well constructed stone and wooden styles, now sadly vandalised or rotted. The resident colony of black grouse left when the quarrying started. From the muir there are extensive views especially to the east and south and it was possible, in the days when few children could afford a watch, to time your return by reading the time from the giant Singer clock tower. At one time tea and scones could be had at Wattie Kinloch’s Farm at Whitehill

After the First World War, Barnes Graham, the owner of the Carbeth estate allowed an ex-serviceman permission to build a wooden hut, others followed and eventually ‘hutting’ was allowed at a nominal rent and all huts had to be painted green. This perhaps followed from an earlier tradition, when in the late 19th century the socialist Clarion Cycling Scouts regularly camped in the area. The ‘hutters’ came mostly from the west end of Glasgow and in particular Clydebank from where the most direct access was across Douglasmuir.(1)

After the Clydebank Blitz of March 1941when one third of the houses were destroyed and other third badly damaged, there was a mass evacuation of the town and many took up semi- residence at Carbeth, the right of way becoming a major route back and forwards to the town. Many of the children went to school in Blanefield.

In the depression of the 1920’s and 30’s there was a rise in an interest in walking and climbing among the working classes and one focus of this was ‘ the fire that never went out ‘ at Craigallion Loch. Unemployed shipyard and other workers would sleep or camp beside the fire and journey out along the Glasgow Corporation pipe track towards Loch Katrine or into the Campsie Fells. Many returning to Clydebank on pay out days to collect their ’buroo’ money.

In the 1800’s the travellers on the trail were mainly mill workers from Duntocher and Hardgate going to the Bleachworks at Craigton and mills on the Allander north of Milngavie. This is perhaps why the way started at the Hardgate and Faifley Mills. The Craigton Bleach works has been traced back as far as 1787.

So how old is this route?  It appears on Ross’s map of 1777, drawn as the same ‘width’ as the old Dumbarton to Glasgow road via Bearsden or the Stockiemuir Road. The 6”os map of 1861 shows what appears as a cart track over Douglasmuir going north from Law Farm to the east end of Todhill Wood and then to Craigton, with our Right of way running parallel, first to the west across Whitehill Farm and then cutting a considerable corner to the east across the muir itself.

An incident at a meeting of some Dunbartonshire lairds at Law gave rise to a one time local phrase “as gash (pale) as Garscadden”. At the meeting the whisky bottle was passed round and round until even the hardest drinker began to weaken. It was in the small hours that the laird of Kilmardinny said to his host ,”Garscadden looks unco gash”, pointing to the pale face of the laird of Garscadden. “De’il mend him!” was the reply . “He’s been wi’ his Maker these last twa hoors. I saw him slip awa’ but disna’like tae disturb guid company by saying aught aboot it”. (2)

Law was much more important place in the past and was a separate  local estate before

combining with Edinbarnet. In 1569 Andrew Stirling of Law acquired Edinbarnet and became “first of Edinbarnet and Law” and  William Stirling built a new house at Edinbarnet in 1644 which was replaced in 1758 and largely rebuilt by Walter Mackenzie in 1882. This house was badly damaged soon after and again partially rebuilt. The present house, currently a nursing home was also damaged by fire and is somewhat different from the original.

Near the start in Hardgate the route crossed the old road from Hardgate and Cochno to the Clyde at Barns o’ Clyde Farm two miles south. The Earl of  Lennox granted the lands of Kilpatrick Parish to the monks of Paisley Abbey in 1227.Until the Reformation about 1560, they would have collected the rents from the Kilpatrick farmers in kind and this produce was stored at the Barns o’Clyde presumably for shipment, perhaps via the Cart to the Abbey as required. Could the monks have travelled this path to collect their ’rent’ from the farms on the north east edge of the parish?

The start of the path was also within a few hundred yards of the Roman Fort on the Antonine Wall at Duntocher. With  some more imagination we can see the Roman soldiers marching across the muir on forays northwards to impress the natives and perhaps also collect some local produce.

Although  these last two suggestions are pure suppositions, more ancient peoples certainly did use, or at least left their mark, on the path. Near Law Farm can still be seen ‘cup and ring’ marks, carved onto the rocks of the path, perhaps during the bronze age (2000-700 BC). Innumerable travellers must have passed by without noticing these strange symbols. Possibly the best cup and ring marked stone in Scotland is within quarter of a mile, at Auchnacraig estate, but is covered over for protection.

The present route can be accessed from Faifley Road (No 62 bus) at the sharp corner near the Co-op shops/St Joseph’s church, or walk up through the Faifley Knowes from Hardgate. Go up Douglasmuir Road alongside a burn, and take the right fork on the path after crossing a little bridge beyond the last houses. Turn right into Cochno Road and the path is signposted on the left near an electricity power pylon.

At Craigton the path is sign-posted beside the burn next to the former school on the Stockiemuir Road.  The first few yards require a steep scramble up beside the burn.

So this Right of Way has had a long history and could qualify as a Heritage Path it’s a pity that it is to be again radically changed but perhaps the re- routed section could be done sensitively with reconstruction of the old stone styles and other features. As this is a long term project and many of us will not live to see the quarry finished and reinstated for nature and recreation as is now proposed.

1Ian R.Mitchell   Scots Magazine

2I.M.M.MacPhail    A Short History of Dunbartonshire.