Glasgow · Linear (one way)

Forth & Clyde Canal towpath at Maryhill

A 2.4 km stretch of canal towpath in north Glasgow, part of the Forth & Clyde/Union route.

Official trail pageScotland's Great Trails: Forth & Clyde/Union Canal Towpath

Distance 2.4 km · 1.5 miles Route length measured from OpenStreetMap geometry
Typical time Not stated The official page gives no time, so we show none.
Ascent Not stated No official ascent figure
Grade Easy Our rule, see below
Route typeLinear (one way) Western end of this section, Maryhill to Eastern end of this section

Take this walk offline

Near the start, along the way and at the finish

Hyndland, Partick & Hyndland — Near the start: Hyndland (about 1.6 km away)Photo: Gordon Dowie, CC BY-SA 2.0

Kibble Palace, West End & Kelvingrove — Near the finish: Kibble Palace (about 1.8 km away)Photo: LornaMCampbell, CC BY-SA 4.0

Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St Luke, Partick & Hyndland — Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St Luke (about 1.6 km from the start)Photo: Bjmullan, CC BY-SA 3.0

Dowanhill, Partick & Hyndland — Dowanhill (about 1.8 km from the start)Photo: Gordon Brown, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photos of named places from our guides closest to each point of the walk, with the straight-line distance. They show the area, not the path itself: follow the waymarks and the official page.

The route

The Forth & Clyde Canal towpath runs through Glasgow on its way east to Falkirk and joins the Union Canal route to Edinburgh. This short section in Maryhill is an easy out-and-back or a way to join a longer walk. Distance is measured from the map; the official page covers the whole 106 km route.

The interactive map needs JavaScript. The start and finish are listed below.

Along the way

Start: Western end of this section, Maryhill
Finish: Eastern end of this section

The line is drawn from OpenStreetMap data and simplified to 342 points. It can differ from what is on the ground: waymarks and the official page take priority.

Route and map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), saved 2026-10-25. Spotted a mistake? Fix the map.

Download GPX Official trail page

The GPX file holds the route as a track and the start, finish and waypoints, for use in a walking or hiking app. It is a planning aid, not a navigation guarantee.

Before you go

Safety and access notes come from official pages. Conditions change, so read the linked page for the day you walk.

Getting there

Nearest station or stop to the start in our dataKelvindale (station), about 0.2 km in a straight line.
Nearest to the finishGilshochill (station), about 0.7 km in a straight line.

Straight-line distances from our station list, not walking distances. Check timetables and the route to the start before you travel. Getting between regions

Step-free and pushchair access

The official page does not say whether this route is step-free or suitable for pushchairs, so we do not either. Check the official page (opens in new tab) or ask the site.

Safety

Cyclists must slow or dismount on narrow sections and under bridges, and some stretches can be very busy with commuters, walkers, cyclists and others. Scotland's Great Trails: Forth & Clyde/Union Canal Towpath (opens in new tab)
Scottish Canals says maintenance work can affect canals, bridges or towpaths and asks you to check its works and updates page before you travel. Scottish Canals: Forth & Clyde and Union Canals walk (opens in new tab)

How these figures were worked out

Distance: route length measured from OpenStreetMap geometry. The official page gives no distance. It is a straight-segment sum along mapped paths, so it can differ from a waymarked figure.
Grade: our rule, because the official page gives no grade. Easy: up to 8 km and up to 150 m of ascent. Hard: over 16 km or over 600 m of ascent. Moderate: everything else. No ascent figure is available for this walk, so the rule used distance only and the real grade may be higher.
Time: only shown when an official page states it.

Sources

Scotland's Great Trails: Forth & Clyde/Union Canal Towpath (opens in new tab). whole route 106 km, towpath goes through central Glasgow, mostly level, cyclists and busy sections. Checked on 2026-10-25.
Scottish Canals: Forth & Clyde and Union Canals walk (opens in new tab). towpaths open all year, check works before travel. Checked on 2026-10-25.
OpenStreetMap relation 1756398 (Forth & Clyde/Union Canal Towpath), clipped (opens in new tab). route geometry (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL; measured 2.44 km. Checked on 2026-10-25.
OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in new tab) (ODbL). Route geometry. Saved 2026-10-25.

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Clyde Walkway: city centre to Glasgow Green
About 4 km of the Clyde Walkway along the city waterfront, from the west end to Glasgow Green.

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