WALK 5


ROUTE INFORMATION


Ordnance Survey Explorer 333; Landranger 64


Ample parking next to Neilston Railway Station


Neilston Railway Station GR NS479571


Pavement, farm road, hill paths and tracks. Steepish climb onto Neilston Pad. Suitable for most walkers. The route crosses farmland so it is advisable to keep dogs on leads


One


Buzzard, stonechat, roe deer, foxglove, harebell


Accommodation available locally


The Bank Cafe, Neilston


Train: Scotrail Glasgow Central to Neilston


Bus: Henderson Travel Service 395


Barrhead to Neilston


McGills Service 54 Paisley to Neilston


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NEILSTON PAD | NEILSTON


DISTANCE: 6.5km/4miles


TIME: 2.5 hours


GRADE: MODERATE


Harelaw Dam from Neilston Pad at dawn Glasgow from Fereneze Braes


The first written record mentioning Neilston was in the 12th century when Sir Robert de Croc built a chapel in the village which was correlated with Paisley Abbey and during the Industrial Revolution Neilston, with its abundance of burns and rivers, flourished becoming a centre for cotton manufacturing. Neilston Pad, the villages highest point, is an ideal spot to survey the wonderful, wild landscape that was crucial to Neilston’s development and at 260m above sea level views from ‘The Pad’ extend as far afield as Tinto Hill and Arran.


1


From Neilston Railway Station turn R onto


High Street (Kingston Road) and walk past a park, cross over Kingston Avenue and Glen Shee Avenue. Cross over to the left hand side of Kingston Road, then turn L onto a farm track. Follow the track as it meanders away from Neilston with the countryside immediately opening out to reach Craig of Neilston Farm. Bear R here to reach a gate. Go through the gate and climb gently beside a wood, passing a track on the R to reach a wall and


here the track turns L making its way over a field (watch out for cattle) to reach a gate.


2


After the gate turn R from the main track climbing onto the lower slopes


of Neilston Pad. At a wooden post turn L and traverse the slopes along a narrow path through fantastic woodland with great views across Snypes Dam towards Dod Hill. The path continues through the woodland and then climbs quite steeply to reach a broader path. Turn R and follow the path to a fence and a makeshift stile, cross here and follow path onto Neilston Pad which has views of Arran and Ben Lomond.


3


Retrace steps back to fence, cross over onto the path and descend


past some conifers. The path narrows as it turns L then R at a seat. Follow the path, which can be boggy, down to a wide track. Turn R then R again onto another track, follow this through lovely countryside for a few hundred metres, passing an indistinct path on the L. From here there are 2 options: the main track can be followed to point 4 or take the next track on the L leading to Craighall


Scots Pine, Neilston Pad


Dam. For this option follow this narrow path passing by a dry-stone dyke to reach the dam then walk through a conifer plantation towards a main road. Just before the main road an indistinct path turns R. Follow this through more conifers to return to the farm track just north of Craighall Dam.


4


Turn L and follow the track alongside conifers to a gate. Go through the


gate and descend to a wood, go through two gates, then bear L onto the farm road leading down, through one more gate, to Craig of Neilston Farm. Follow this back to Kingston Road , turn R and walk back to Neilston Railway Station.


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