Greenock Cut & Shielhill Glen

This is another walk taken from the pathfinder guide Glasgow, Clyde Valley, Ayrshire & Arran book (walk 24) The walk is 9 miles - and listed as 4hrs 30 mins but it is a fairly easy walk and can be done in a lot less.
It starts at the Cornaless Bridge Vistor Centre next to Loch Thom and the Reservior, with ample parking and a handy cafe & toilets for the way back. It seems that the reservoir is quite a popular fishing spot (permit only)
and you start climbing the hill next the reservoir past rows of fisherman. The road leads uphill towards a further 2 small reservoirs before running back downhill towards Greenock (this is the only slight incline until you get to the Glen towards the end of the walk.

Once you get closer to Greenock you get a great view of the local area and further afield out towards Dunoon and the islands. The path throughout the walk is very starightforward and easy to follow, you just have to negotiate a large number of kissing gates along the way. After you have descended past the small reservoirs you come to the Waterman's cottage and the cut, at this point your turn left to follow the run of the Greenock cut for over half of the walk. You may think this is boring but in fact it offers some great photo opportunities and some great views along the way.

The Greenock Cut was an aqueduct constructed by Robert Thom and opened in 1827 to take water from the reservoir to Greenock, providing both power and drinking water to the town and local mills.
Not all the reservoirs currently have water in them though, as you will see

Along the way there is an abundance of wildlife and an awful lot of sheep, and of course from May an awful lot of cute lambs too.

As you continue westwards along the cut the views open out and you loose the house of Greencok in the distance. Along the way there are also a lot of attractive stone bridges which come in useful as a place to stop for a rest or lunch and offer protection from the wind too.

Unfortunatley the cut is strewn with beer cans and bottles which detract from the natural beauty, but this aside it would be interesting to know what lurks at the bottom of the silt. The next building you come to is Shielhill farm, at this point cross the road and continue along the cut behind the farm for about 300 yds. At this point you turn right and head downhill into Sheilhill Glenn. This is a delightful change to the last 5 miles and the Glen enchanting.

And of course once you reach the bottom you have to come back up, the way back up is over a series of boardwalks which make it steep but easy going.



Once you get to the top of the boardwalks you reach Kelly Cut built in 1845 as a supplement to the Greenock Cut. Turn left back towards the starting point and more sheep!!

A thoroughly well deserved cold drink and ice cream finished off the walk nicely..........on a Baaalmy day!