Travel: 48 hours in Kilsyth

By Catriona Thomson
Published on 30/09/2012 16:09

• Friday, 2pm Check in to The Coachman Hotel, 4 Parkfoot Street, Kilsyth (www.coachmanhotel.com). Prices for a double room with en suite start from £57.20.

• 3pm Stroll around the nearby Colzium Estate. Wander through the walled gardens or follow one of the woodland trails, working up a healthy appetite.

• 6pm Pop back to the Coachman for lunch and select from the menu of local produce. Try fillet steaks cooked to perfection or slow-cooked burgundy-braised pig cheeks.

• Saturday, 9am

A hearty breakfast will provide fuel for a busy day, packed with activities.

• Noon Saddle up with pre-booked trekking from Woodend Riding Centre (www.woodendrc.co.uk). Experienced riders can choose a one or two-hour hack. Your route will take you along quiet pathways, and it’s quite something to see the Antonine Wall from horseback.

• 3pm Pack a picnic feast and stroll up Bar Hill Fort, Twechar. Take in the stunning views over the Kelvin Valley. Turn back time to 142AD when Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius ordered a fortification stretching 37 miles to be built.

• 6pm Time for sundowners at the picturesque Auchinstarry Marina (tel: [phone], www.boathousekilsyth.com). Relax and enjoy the view over the Forth and Clyde canal, before moving inside for dinner.

• 8pm Treat yourself to a feed at the marina’s restaurant, The Boathouse. A haggis bonbons with whisky sauce starter and Toulouse sausage, chorizo and bean cassoulet main will fill you up.

• Sunday, 10am Hire a canoe or kayak by the hour or for the whole day, tel: [phone] and ask for Eddie McGhee, www.outdoortrax.co.uk

• Noon Cycle along nearby tow paths. Tandems and mountain bikes are available from Outdoor Trax, and Eddie can arrange climbing lessons in the quarry.

• 2pm Take your memories home.

CATRIONA THOMSON

THE FACTS

www.visitlanarkshire.com