The River Kelvin in its upper reaches passes through an area of considerable geological interest which also enjoys a fascinating industrial heritage linked to its geology. There are several important geological sites in the area. North Lanarkshire Council’s (NLC’s) Geodiversity Audit Report (2018) has a list of sites within the NLC boundary and includes those in the upper Kelvin Valley area around the towns of Kilsyth and Cumbernauld.
The Friends of Kelvin Valley produced two leaflets, ideal to take along with you when exploring this part of the Greater Glasgow area. The leaflets list the top ten places around both Kilsyth/Kelvin Valley and Cumbernauld to enjoy the geology and natural landscape, from a roman fort to a ‘notorious’ bog to sites of former mining. The leaflets do not describe geo-trails, but instead give information about the geology to be seen at separate sites around these towns.
The map below is centred on Auchinstarry, an access point to the upper Kelvin Valley and the Forth and Clyde Canal. A bus service passes here on weekdays (November 2022) and there is a railway station at Croy. In this area the canal is an important walking and cycling route carrying The John Muir Way and National Cycle Network Route 75.
Cumbernauld is a short distance away with railway stations and bus services.