Bishopbriggs: Canal Routes, Culture and Leisure

Bishopbriggs combines an impressive canal history with opportunities for exercise, culture and leisure. Those planning a trip can choose between waterside walks, historical discoveries and sporting activities. This makes it possible to tailor the search for a holiday apartment or holiday home to your own travel interests, without limiting the area to just one type of experience.

Exploring the canal: routes for different day plans

The Bishopbriggs–Cadder-&-Mavis-Valley Trail begins at the leisure centre on Balmuildy Road and then follows the canal towpath towards Cadder Church. For a longer tour, the 18 km Thomas Muir Heritage Trail is an option. It runs between Kirkintilloch and Bishopbriggs along the towpath of the Forth and Clyde Canal. Along the towpaths, activities such as walking, cycling, running, using mobility aids and riding scooters are possible in several local communities.

The canal's historical character is also remarkable. The listed section of the Forth and Clyde Canal extends for approximately 6 km from west of Bishopbriggs Sports Centre to Westermains in Kirkintilloch. The section includes the waterway, the banks and the towpath running along one side. The section between Bishopbriggs and Kirkintilloch is considered a nationally significant example of Georgian engineering. Those who enjoy combining longer walks with a cultural perspective will find a concrete reason here not to focus their stay solely on individual sights.

Cadder: Church and Roman history

Cadder Church has been a place of worship and prayer for almost 900 years. The churchyard also contains a small watch house and a so-called mort-safe. After a burial, the heavy mort-safe was placed over the newly buried coffin for several days and then removed for reuse. This detail makes the history of the churchyard particularly vivid, without reducing the visit to a general date.

The remains of the Roman fort of Cadder lie north of Bishopbriggs. They are located west of the roundabout at the junction of the A803 and A807 and south of a sharp bend in the Forth and Clyde Canal. For travellers interested in Roman history, this site adds another historical layer to the later canal and church history that shaped the area.

Leisure, nature and sporting activities

Bishopbriggs Park is considered an area rich in species and important for wildlife. The park is intended for outdoor activities, including walks and experiencing the natural surroundings. This provides a quieter complement to the longer canal routes and leaves room for part of a day in which the landscape, rather than the distance, is the focus.

The Leisuredrome in Bishopbriggs has a 25-metre swimming pool used by competitive swimmers from the surrounding area to prepare for national swimming competitions. EDLC's Swimming Development Team also offers swimming lessons for beginners at the Leisuredrome's pools. Charlie's Big Adventure at the Leisuredrome is open to the public and can be hired exclusively. Those planning to play golf can hire golf club trolleys, electric trolleys and pull trolleys at Bishopbriggs Golf Club; availability should be checked with the club in advance.

Getting there and choosing accommodation

The nearby Bishopbriggs railway station offers regular train services to Glasgow and Edinburgh. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can therefore first consider which combination of canal routes, history, the park, swimming or golf suits your trip.

Research further destinations

If you would like to compare other destinations in addition to Bishopbriggs, you can also look at Milngavie, Balgrochan, Lennoxtown, Campsie Glen and Bearsden.

For the higher-level travel overview: East Dunbartonshire.