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Helen Rose Outdoor Diary – Cumbernauld.

March 2026

Glasgow Ramblers organised a Twixmas (the week between Christmas and New Year) walk to Cumbernauld. Cumbernauld was designated a new town on the 9th December 1955. It was built in response to the overcrowding in Glasgow. Cumbernauld is the clearest example of a modernist new town vision in the United Kingdom. However, as time progressed the dream started to fade. Regretfully, due to a lack of investment and the poor business acumen of the Cumbernauld Development Corporation, the town did not achieve what was originally hoped for. Cumbernauld has been immortalised in Bill Forsyth’s movie Gregory’s Girl, which tells the story of a young boy coming of age and falling in love. It was filmed in and around Cumbernauld with one of the local high schools featuring. Cumbernauld is located to the south east of Glasgow.

Luggie Water

We took the train from Glasgow to Greenfaulds, an area of Cumbernauld Town,  and walked a short distance out of the town to the Luggie Water. The Luggie Water is one of two streams which flow out of Cumbernauld. The name Cumbernauld derives from the Gaelic for “the meeting of the waters”, which possibly refers to the Luggie Water and the Red Burn, both of which run through Cumbernauld but which never actually meet. Water from the Luggie eventually ends up in the west in the River Clyde which runs through Glasgow.

We had a pleasant walk alongside the Luggie Water passing a waterfall and the weather was kind to us as it has been a mild winter. After some time, we left the track by the Burn and headed up to the entrance to Palacerigg Country Park.

Palacerigg Country Park

Palacerigg Country Park was originally established as a pioneering, albeit harsh, farm colony for Glasgow’s unemployed in the early 20th century. By 1908, nearly 600 men worked on the 600-acre site, planting trees, draining land, and constructing dormitories to transform the moorland. In return they received food (two meals daily), lodgings and a laundry service; 6d a week for tobacco; furlough every second Saturday afternoon to Monday morning, with return fare to Glasgow. The wife or mother received 8s per week for their own maintenance, and 1s 6d per week for each child. The total payment for the dependents was capped at 14 shillings a week.

Established in the early 1970s as a Country Park, Palacerigg has been developed around the objectives of conservation, environmental education and countryside recreation. More than 40 hectares of what was once a bleak upland farm have been planted with hundreds of thousands of native trees and shrubs. This new, sheltered environment provides a sanctuary for wildlife including thriving populations of roe deer, badger, fox and hare as well as sparrowhawk, kestrel, long-eared and short-eared owl. The countryside ranger service based in the park specialise in tailoring environmental education in the countryside to meet the demands of the national 5-14 curriculum, youth groups and adult group. We made our way to the Visitors Centre picnic benches for the morning break while some of the members who were young at heart enjoyed the playpark swings etc! Nearby was an interesting carved throne chair.

Beaver Trail

After our refreshments we walked over to Fannyside Loch to follow the Beaver Trail. Alas, the only beaver we saw was a carved wooden one at the start of the trail! Beavers are large semiaquatic rodents of the Northern Hemisphere. Beavers are the second-largest living rodents, after capybaras, weighing up to 50 kg (110 lb). They have stout bodies with large heads, long chisel-like incisors, brown fur, hand-like front feet, webbed back feet, and tails that are flat and scaly.  Beavers can be found in a number of freshwater habitats, such as rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. They are herbivorous, consuming tree bark, aquatic plants grasses and sedges.

Beavers build dams and lodges using tree branches, vegetation, rocks and mud; they chew down trees for building material. Dams restrict water flow, forming ponds, and lodges (usually built in ponds) serve as shelters. Their infrastructure creates wetlands used by many other species, and because of their effect on other organisms in the ecosystem, beavers are considered a keystone species. Adult males and females live in monogamous pairs with their offspring. After their first year, the young help their parents repair dams and lodges; older siblings may also help raise newly born offspring. Seems like the perfect family!

Palacerigg Activities

Before completing the walk to Cumbernauld Station, we passed by the Golf Course where we were warned of flying golf balls. I am amused by this as it would be difficult to avoid a flying golf ball at the speed of travel! On the walk, we were aware of a buzzing noise which turned out to be a model flying airplane club . There was also the noise of clay pigeon shooting in the distance. Clay pigeon shooting is the sport of shooting flying targets with shotguns. The targets are called ‘clays’, which are round (not pigeon-shaped) and break apart when hit.

Thanks to Helen of Glasgow Ramblers for organising, researching and leading the interesting walk.

Coming attraction; North Queensferry on the Fife Coastal Path.

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