Falkirk to Cadder
After a lovely stay with Moira and James, I was ready to set off again along the canal. Today, I would follow the canal to Cadder, a little village on the north east of Glasgow.
Along the first part of the canal, there were these posts which encouraged you to use your senses to explore the surroundings. It was really nice, to find them as I walked along. They had one with a little mirror, so that you could look up at the clouds and one with instructions to make a mud pie!
It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining and there were light clouds in the sky.
As I walked along, I found the final/first post which explained that the posts are part of a Safer Communities Youth Action Project.
As I came to the end of the Union Canal, I went through the tunnel to the Falkirk Wheel. There were some cool lights down the tunnel and even a purple one towards the end!
The Falkirk Wheel connects the Union Canal with the Forth & Clyde Canal. I sat and had a snack, marvelling at the wheel. Unfortunately, I was too early to see it rotate.
I joined the Forth & Clyde Canal, which would take me to Cadder. The canal was lovely and green, with a nice and wide tow path.
The tow path was opened in 1773. It was amazing to think that the infrastructure was built over 250 years ago!
I had a lovely time walking along the canal, although it was a little hard underfoot. As I walked along, I spent time spotting all of the different plants and birds. There were also lots of lilly pads in the water too!
The canal took me through Kirkintilloch. As I crossed the road, there was an Italian restaurant called Nonna’s kitchen. I decided to pop in for a drink and some ice cream. As I was sat outside enjoying my well earned snack, I got chatting to some chaps at a nearby table. They had spotted my bag and asked me about my trip. It was lovely to chat to them. When I went to pay, I was so surprised to find out that they had paid for me! It was such a kind gesture and I was blown away. It was amazing that strangers would show such kindness towards me. There really are some wonderful people in the world, and I’ve been so lucky to meet so many of them along my trip.
Fuelled by my orange juice and ice cream, I continued along the canal to Cadder. On the way in, I passed the site of a Roman Fort, which included an information board and replica stones. It is really interesting to see Roman history this far north, as Hadrian’s Wall is thought of as the northern reaches of the Roman Empire.
I finished in Cadder, where I was picked up by Lindsay. Lindsay is a friend of a friend that very kindly let me stay. It was lovely to meet her and her family!
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