Kilsyth Voyage Tips and guide

Kilsyth is a town on Clydeside, historically part of Lanarkshire, in the Central Belt of Scotland. It's 15 miles northeast of Glasgow near the watershed between the Clyde and Forth river catchments, at a point where the natural lowland routes become pinched between the Lanarkshire moors, the abrupt Campsie Fells, and sucking bogs. So this way have passed the Romans, cattle droves, warring armies (the Battle of Kilsyth was fought here in 1645), and later road, canal and rail routes. The town claims to be the birthplace of the ice-sport of curling and to host the oldest club, though there are stronger contenders for both titles. With a population of 11,000 in 2022, it's nowadays a commuter town for Glasgow, along with the neighbouring villages of Croy and Dullatur. Four miles southeast is the drab "New Town" of Cumbernauld.

The islanders built the wall which they had been told to raise, not of stone, since they had no workmen capable of such a work, but of sods, which made it of no use.

- the Venerable Bede blamed the state of the Antonine Wall on lumpen British workmanship.

The Roman Empire colonised Britain from 43 AD: they quickly secured England, and marched up the east coast of Scotland. In 84 AD Agricola fought the battle of Mons Graupius against the Caledonians, probably somewhere near Stonehaven. He won, but Rome was preoccupied by threats elsewhere, and couldn't spare troops to garrison Scotland. They fell back to a line of control between the Tyne and the Solway, building Hadrian's Wall in 122 AD. After a few years they were again ready to advance.

So it was in 142 AD under Emperor Antoninus Pius that a new wall was built, stretching 39 miles (63 km) from Bo'ness on the Firth of Forth to Old Kilpatrick near Dumbarton on the Firth of Clyde. The Antonine Wall was a turf barrier on a stone foundation topped by palisades, with a deep ditch on its north side and a military road to its south. There were 19 forts and a series of fortlets or lookouts along it, of similar homespun construction. The wall took 12 years to complete and for the following eight years the Romans enjoyed standing sentry in the rain and occasional skirmishes with the Caledonians. Then the Empire retrenched and in 162 AD the troops again fell back to Hadrian's Wall. They re-occupied the Antonine Wall briefly in 208 AD but remained on Hadrian's Wall until Rome abandoned Britain altogether early in the 5th century.

Later centuries called the Antonine Wall "Gryme's dyke" - Gryme being the devil. Britain was first accurately mapped in the late 18th century, and those maps capture features of the wall that have since been lost. It didn't have masonry to be looted, but it followed the natural route across the narrow waist of Scotland and was therefore carved through by later infrastructure. Roads, canals, railways, motorways — it only lacks an airport runway for its full set.

What you see today is primarily the ditch and earthworks, and Kilsyth has the best preserved sections, at Croy Hill and Bar Hill. You can also trace it east at Falkirk (Rough Hill Fort), and west at Cumbernauld (Castle Cary) and Kirkintilloch (Peel Park). Findings from the Wall are to be seen in the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow and the NMS in Edinburgh.

There isn't a long-distance path along the Wall but the Forth and Clyde Canal towpath is close.

55°58′12″N 4°3′36″W

Map of Kilsyth

Glasgow Airport (GLA ^IATA) is 25 miles west of Kilsyth. Take the airport bus 500 to Glasgow city centre then onward bus or train as below.

Edinburgh Airport (EDI ^IATA) is 30 miles east. Take the airport bus or tram to Haymarket then a westbound train.

Cumbernauld airport only has private aviation.

55.9556-4.03641 Croy is the nearest railway station, two miles south of Kilsyth along B802. This has trains from Glasgow Queen Street every 15 min, taking 15 min. These continue either east to Edinburgh (every 30 min via Falkirk, taking 35 min) or north to Stirling (every 30 min, taking 20 min) and Alloa. Change at Stirling for Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness: those trains rush through Croy non-stop. Croy has a staffed ticket office and machines, a waiting room, toilets and coffee kiosk. There is step-free access to both platforms.

Between Kilsyth and Croy, take the bus as below.

From Glasgow follow M80 to jcn 4A, then B802 through Croy. You could also take A803 through Bishopbriggs and Kirkintilloch, but it's an undivided road dragging through residential areas. From Edinburgh follow M9 then M876 to the M80.

First Greater Glasgow Bus 89 runs M-Sa every 30 min from Glasgow Buchanan station via Caledonian University, Springburn, Bishopbriggs, Cadder and Kirkintilloch to Kilsyth, taking an hour. There's only two on Sunday.

Midland Bluebird Bus 72 runs M-Sa hourly from Glasgow via Lenzie and Kirkintilloch, taking a hour, and continues west to Falkirk, another 40 min. Change at Falkirk for Stirling or Edinburgh.

Canavan Bus 435 runs M-Sa every 30 min between Kilsyth, Croy and Cumbernauld. Bus 344 / 349 also plies between Kilsyth and Croy station.

You can reach Colzium, Croy and Bar Hills on foot. A bike will be handy for exploring the canal towpath or Campsie Fells.

• 55.984-4.038841 Colzium House, Stirling Rd, Kilsyth G65 0FF. The park has a walled garden, the remains of an old ice house, a curling pond, and attractive scenery. The visitor centre and cafe are open April-September. The 18th-century Colzium House is not open to the public but is often hired for functions such as conferences and weddings. Free.  (updated Mar 2026)
• Banton Loch half a mile east of Colzium House is the feeder reservoir for the Forth and Clyde Canal. The site of the 1645 Battle of Kilsyth is submerged beneath it, and bodies of those slain were found during construction. As part of the Civil Wars, the Royalist general Montrose trounced a weary Covenanter (Parliamentary) force, seemingly ending their cause in Scotland. But it was too late, as the Royalists in England had been smashed at Naseby.
• 55.9651-4.03082 Croy Hill on the Antonine Wall only ranked as a minor fort, though its camp and civilian settlement may have been large. It's one place where the Romans gave up on digging a ditch, as they hit hard basalt.
• 55.959-4.0723 Bar Hill was a larger fort. Findings here include a well, shoes of men women and children, and a stone altar to Silvanus. That fellow in mythology was the boozing companion of Dionysus, only more dilapidated, a fine subject for a regimental toast.
• See Cumbernauld for Westerwood and Castlecary, the next forts east, and Kirkintilloch for Auchendavy fort going west.

• Burngreen Park is a short walk from Main Street. There's a children’s playpark, tennis court, trampolines and a miniature putting green.
• Visit Lanarkshire "Ten Walks Guide" features two local routes - the Antonine Wall and Forth-Clyde Canal Walk, and the Colzium House and Tomtain walk.
• Golf: Kilsyth Lennox GC is north side of the village, and Dullatur GC is south of Croy Hill on the edge of Cumbernauld.
• Swim: the public pool is in town centre on Airdrie Rd, open M-F 11AM-8PM, Sa Su 9:30AM-4:30PM.
• John Muir Way is a coast-to-coast hiking trail, which hereabouts simply follows the canal towpath.

Lidl is on Garrell Rd, open M-Sa 8AM-9PM, Su 8AM-8PM.

Co-op Food is on Main Street, open daily 7AM-10PM.

• 55.9761-4.05571 Scarecrow Bar & Grill, 2 Main St, Kilsyth G65 0AQ, ☏ +44 1236 829166. Su-Th 10AM-11PM, F Sa 10AM-1AM. Good reviews for food and ambiance, and can be busy even midweek.  (updated Mar 2026)
• Himali is Indian / Nepalese at 7 Market St next to Scarecrow, open Tu-Su 3-10PM.
• 55.9668-4.05012 Boathouse Restaurant, Auchinstarry Marina, Kilsyth G65 5SG, ☏ +44 1236 829859. Daily 8AM-8PM. Mid-priced restaurant and bar by the canal marina south of town. They have rooms but they're old and creaky.  (updated Mar 2026)

• Campsie Bar is within Coachman Hotel.
• The Broch is on Balmalloch Rd.

• 55.9786-4.05831 The Coachman, 4 Parkfoot St, Kilsyth G65 0SP, ☏ +44 1236 821649. Pub with decent clean rooms, okay for a stopover but noise from the bar till late on Friday and Saturday. The pub food gets good reviews. B&B double £125.  (updated Mar 2026)
• Allanfauld Farm has guest rooms and a garden cottage. It's north edge of town on Allanfauld Rd.
• See Cumbernauld#Sleep for accommodation along the M80 south of town.

Kilsyth and its approach roads have 4G from all UK carriers. As of March 2026, 5G has reached nearby Cumbernauld but doesn't extend to Kilsyth.

• Glasgow and Edinburgh both rank as must-see.
• Campsie Fells are just north, and you can travel by back roads to Loch Lomond.
• Stirling is a pocket-sized Edinburgh, with its well-preserved castle, the Wallace Monument and the historic battlefields of Bannockburn and Stirling Old Bridge.
• Hadrian's Wall is the much stouter Roman defensive structure between Newcastle and Carlisle. The best of it is the central section between Hexham and Haltwhistle.