Union Canal, West Lothian

10 miles / 16 km

The walk on the towpath from Falkirk High train station to Linlithgow. This is a long, good walk on the canal, starting with a long tunnel. The walk also includes the crossing of a river on a long aqueduct. This between some rural landscapes. This is a good walk but not the best walk on the Union Canal. It is taken as part of the whole Union Canal walk.

Hard

The walk is flat, no hills. There is no hills or locks at all at this canal. There are some uneven surfaces, most notable in the tunnel and on the 250 yards/meters long Avon Aqueduct. Personally, I did not like either of them. The tunnel was not well-lit when I walked it in April. The cobblestones on the aqueduct were too slippery and uneven. That aside, the rest of the walk is good. I have included the short detour to Linlithgow Castle in this walk as it is one of the most historic castles in Scotland and the British Isles.
Bring plenty of drinks, a flashlight for the tunnel and some good shoes on this walk.

Train from Glasgow Queen Street to Falkirk High 4 times an hour.

From the railway station, cross the railwayline on the footbridge and head for the canal on the path to the left through a park. The canal is now straight ahead. Take the towpath to the left here, towards the tunnel.




Yes, I know you can bypass this tunnel by walking over it on a path. But what is the fun of not being scared witless?

The canal is 630 yards/meters long. Turn on the flashlight before entering this canal and light up the surface in front of you. The surface is a blend of cobblestones and dirt. It is falling from the walls towards the canal. Don't trust the so-called barrier between the canal and the towpath, as the timber is rotten and gives you a false sense of security.



To say that passing through this this canal is exciting is an understatement. I called my experience on one of the first days in April scary. I was frankly very happy at the end of this tunnel. 10 - 15 minutes of being scared and fully alerted. Others may disagree with me and have had a much more positive experience. This tunnel most certainly adds value to a life. So don't do the detour over the hill. OK ? The picture is me, with a very high pulse, looking back through the tunnel at the end of this experience.



The canal is a bit uneventful after the canal. Everything would be uneventful after this experience. The landscape is OK rural and the surface is good.



The landscape opens up a lot over the next miles and the canal enters some slow bends. The next two pictures are from this part of the canal.







Then the canal arrives at the Avon Aqueduct which is another construction with some cobblestones, uneven cobblestones, that is. There are no barriers between a stumble and the canal here (yes, the water is wet). A slow, careful walk on this 250 yards/meters long aqueduct is highly recommended here. The views are also pretty good here.



The final two miles to Linlithgow train station are good and the castle comes into view. Bypass the railway station by walking down to the main street here. Take this street to the left. The castle is 200 yards/meters along this street, to the right. Make a detour around the castle too as it has some good views.



Return to the main street again in this beautiful village. There are some good souvenir shops here and some other good shops. Return to the railway station again where this walk ends.

Train from Linlithgow to Falkirk High/Glasgow 4 times an hour.