I’ve recently been passed a most interesting old document which local man Robert Stewart has kindly given me. Salvaged from an old Graham Street Council Depot, I’ve dated the book around the late 1970’s given its content and references. It appears to be a Right of Way Signage or maintenance booklet, describing in detail many of Lanarkshire’s Rights of Way.(A Right of way is the legal right, established by usage or grant, to pass along a specific route through grounds or property belonging to another.)
Some of permitted Blantyre’s Rights of Way have been illegally closed down by landowners not understanding the concept that people can walk through their land. It’s not just in Blantyre through, that lack of understanding, or whether its done in sheer defiance to the right of the walker, is common place. Over the next few days, I’ll be describing Blantyre’s rights of way from this booklet, which I admit is in a late 1970’s context.
Craigmuir Right of Way (Council reference BL/7, OS map reference NS 65 NE.
“This right of way starts off at the East Kilbride Road and goes North East down to High Blantyre. Before the East Kilbride Expressway was built, the right of way ended at High Blantyre Parish Church, but now turns right in front of the expressway to end at the bottom of Sydes Brae. The track is hard packed earth, 6 to 7 foot wide narrowing in places to 3 foot and except for the last 400 yards is in fairly good condition. It is bounded by fencing and hedges with numerous mature trees along its 3/4 mile length. At the top, the right of way gives excellent views across the Clyde Valley from Hamilton across to the Campsie Hills. On the left past the ruins of Craigmuir, there is the remains of a bing and a track of an old Trainway which wan between a quarry (between Craigmuir and Sydes Brae) down to the Railway siding at High Blantyre Station. The names of Auchentibber is said to come from the Gaelic “field of the well.”
A beautiful place to walk at any time of the year, pictured here in 2007 by Jim Brown. I’ve attached a little map to show where the right of way is. It is easily accessed from the end of Hamilton Drive.
