Route 10 - Explore your boundaries' Falkirk area trail

Length: 75 miles

Route type: Loop

Difficulty: High

Explore your Boundaries routes track the borders of Scotland’s council boundaries as closely as possible. This unique 75-mile loop follows the boundary of the Falkirk Council area. 

Start at the imposing fifteenth century fortress of Blackness Castle on the shores of the Firth of Forth, riding inland across farmland to Muiravonside Country Park. Here you’ll find the River Avon Heritage Trail, Newlands Farm, and the spectacular Avon Aqueduct which towers over the landscape. Cycle further inland, passing wind farms, to reach the boundary with North Lanarkshire, where you’ll come across Black Loch, a popular local fishery. Ride through dramatic moorland before crossing the M80 to reach the spectacular Carron Valley Reservoir. Surrounded by rugged mountains and with tough mountain bike trails, it’s a popular destination for cyclists. 

The route then takes you across farmland to Torwood Castle. Built in the sixteenth century, the ruined castle was once the seat of the Clan Forrester. The woodland near the castle is also the site of an ancient Iron Age broch and a local curiosity known as the Torwood Blue Pool. Continue along the Falkirk boundary to Airth and the Dunmore Pineapple, an eccentric summer house built in the shape of a pineapple in the eighteenth century by Lord Dunmore. 

The boundary now follows the shores of the Firth of Forth. Cycle to Grangemouth, through an area known as Skinflats, to reach the Helix Park and the world-famous Kelpies. Take time to ride around these magnificent steel sculptures and stop for a break at the Visitor Centre. Then, take a left under the motorway to the Charlotte Dundas Trail which commemorates the world’s first practical steamship. Ride through Grangemouth town centre to reach Zetland Park with its cycle paths, new pump track, Ebike station and a bike library offering free bike hire. 

The final leg of your cycle takes you to the historic coastal town of Bo’ness. Once a major Scottish port and centre for heavy industry, you’ll find sculptures commemorating its industrial past on the path along the shore. You’ll also spot steam trains roaring along the track at the nearby Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway. End your journey here.

 

Map location: EH49 7NF

View route (external website)