Geo-Trips :: Walking the Union Canal between Winchburgh and Philpstoun
Union Canal
A walk from Winchburgh, Sun, 29 Sep 2013 by Anne Burgess
preceding leg | This trip is part of a series. | next leg |
This is part of my plan to walk the full length of the Union Canal. I set off from Winchburgh and followed the canal, with occasional diversions, to Philpstoun and back.
Click the blue circles to see a photograph taken from that spot and read further information about the location. The blue lines indicate the direction of view. There is also a slideshow of this trip. ( )
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Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
The view from the bridge at Stonecouple, with a train travelling towards... more
Bridge at Stonecouple
This is [[[1808178]]]. Just beside this accommodation bridge was a cottage at... more
Looking West from Bridge 33
The Union Canal from the accommodation bridge west of Craigton Bridge.
Looking East from Bridge 33
The view of the canal from the accommodation bridge west of Craigton Bridge.
Canalside Greenery
From a rough track on the south side of the canal, the canal is almost enclosed by... more
Canalside vegetation
From a rough track on the south side of the canal, the canal is almost enclosed by... more
Winter Cereal
The green shoots of next year's crop are already well grown.
Lady Walk
Last time I was here, this path, or at least the east end of it, was under water... more
Lady Walk
Last time I was here, this path, or at least the east end of it, was under water... more
Lady Walk
Last time I was here, this path, or at least the east end of it, was under water... more
Auldcathie Kirk
There is a [[[3254918]]] by the canal bridge pointing to 'permissive path to... more
A Bridge and a Bench
The first few miles of the Union Canal from Edinburgh are quite well supplied with... more
Canal Curve
One of the pleasant features of a contour canal is that it curves gently as it... more
Boundary Stone
The inscription on the tall stone reads, 'Division Between Second and Third... more
Water Weed
This stretch of the canal suddenly seems to have a lot of floating water weed.... more
Reflected Umbellifers
The tall seed heads of Hogweed in [[[3682417]]] reflected in the almost calm water... more
Land Tame and Wild
There's quite a contrast between the riot of vegetation on the canal bank and the... more
View North from Bridge 33
Looking towards Philpstoun and Linlithgow. On the left is a small basin to allow... more
View South from Bridge 33
Looking south along the canal towards Winchburgh and Broxburn.
Bridge 33 in Autumn
The trees and bushes beside the Union Canal are red with rose hips and hawthorn berries.
Union Canal Bridge 33
The first bridge north of Winchburgh is an accommodation bridge, giving access to... more
View across the Canal
The far bank here is devoid of tall vegetation, allowing views across the fields... more
Contraption in the Canal
It's probably just as well that this, whatever it is, is on the opposite side of... more
Hips and Haws
Autumn colour beside the canal towpath.
Union Canal
Trees and bushes reflected in the calm waters near Winchburgh.
Arboreal Archway
The arching branches frame a view of a not-very-inspiring field beside the canal.
Cottage by the Canal
Maybe the 'For Sale' sign applies to the cottage rather than to [[[[3682384]]]. Or... more
Ruin for Sale
The old building with red pantiled roof is in a precarious state, but I'm sure it... more
Gate on the Towpath
The gate prevents four-wheeled vehicles but allows pedestrians and cyclists to... more
Union Canal at Winchburgh
Looking north from the bridge at Winchburgh. Compare this leafy summer view with... more
Oakbank Place Rear
The rows of brick cottages south of the main road in Winchburgh are some of the... more
Oakbank Place
The rows of brick cottages south of the main road in Winchburgh are some of the... more
Miners' Rows
The rows of brick cottages south of the main road in Winchburgh are some of the... more
Once a School
Having been replaced by a concrete box more conveniently sited for most pupils in... more
Old School Building
Having been replaced by a concrete box more conveniently sited for most pupils in... more
Former School
Having been replaced by a concrete box more conveniently sited for most pupils in... more
Steps by the Union Canal
Unusually, Bridge 35 at Craigton is provided with a proper flight of steps for... more
Union Canal
For some reason the vegetation between the towpath and canal here is not as tall... more
Approaching Bridge 35
The canal widens here, and the mid-Victorian six-inch map shows that there was a... more
Looking towards Craigton Bridge
Between trees, lush vegetation and floating water weed, it's not so easy to see... more
Stonecouple Bridge
This is probably not the proper name of this bridge, not least because the now... more
There's a Quarry in them thar Trees
The reduction in density of the trees on the opposite bank here is because there... more
Union Canal near Cockmuir
Looking west along the canal.
Shady Waters
Eastwards from here the canal runs through woodland to both north and south,... more
Track to Cockmuir
This is shown on the maps as a track. Given that Cockmuir has been long abandoned,... more
Rolling the Ground
This field has been harvested and ploughed and was being rolled to produce a fine... more
Bridge 37
This bridge is crossed by what has only ever been a path rather than a road as far... more
A Tranquil Scene
This stretch of the canal towpath is much less busy than some; I saw only a... more
Near Fawnspark
East of Fawnspark the canal leaves the sunshine and enters the deep shade of a... more
Union Canal at Fawnspark
The 19th century maps show a quay on the right where the canal widens. Just beside... more
Into the Sunlight
The narrowboat is about to emerge from the gloom between the Philpstoun bings into... more
Narrowboat between the Bings
A narrowboat passes along the Union Canal east of Philpstoun. In the background is... more
Philpstoun North Bing
The earlier of the bings at Philpstoun Oil Works. When they ran out of space here... more
North Buttress
This is the top of the buttress opposite [[[3684254]]]. It's not easy to see now... more
South Buttress
This buttress is matched by another on the north bank of the canal. It supported... more
Union Canal and Bridge 39
The bridge was used by the Philpstoun Oil Works for transporting material across... more
Bridge 39 and the North Bing
This bridge is the one that was used by the Philpstoun Oil Works to carry material... more
Burs
Seed heads of Lesser Burdock (Arctium minus) showing the hooked bracts that enable... more
Union Canal near Philpstoun
This is the view eastwards from the bridge at the site of Philpstoun Oil works.... more
Spent Shale
After heating to extract the oil, the shale is the characteristic red colour seen... more
Site of Philpstoun Oil Works
The woods at the far side of the canal are where the Philpstoun Oil Works stood.... more
Philpstoun Bing
Looking from the large bing south of the canal to the smaller bing on the north... more
Union Canal near Fairniehill
The view of the canal from the top of the large shale bing west of the B8046. With... more
Deadly Nightshade (Atropa bella-donna)
I had never seen Deadly Nightshade before, but recognised it instantly. There were... more
Gullying
The gully has been formed by water erosion. Run-off from higher up during heavy... more
Fairniehill
This farm is named on the Ordnance Survey 19th century six-inch maps as Easter... more
Effects of Erosion
Following the removal of some of the spent shale from the bing, erosion has... more
Gullying
The gully has been formed by water erosion. Run-off from higher up during heavy... more
Shale Shapes
The spent shale comes in a range of shades of red, and in this view you can see... more
Interior of the Shale Bing
The big bing is almost like a miniature mountain landscape. This is the result of... more
Tutsan (Hypericum androsaemum)
A few late flowers of Tutsan were among the plants that have colonised the bing.
Inside the Philsptoun South Bing
The big bing is almost like a miniature mountain landscape. This is the result of... more
Inside the Shale Bing
The bing must have been quarried, perhaps for road or building material. You can... more
Uphill Track in the Bing
This is in the extensive shale bing west of the B8046. It's a steepening straight... more
Cottage at Fawnspark
An attractive traditional cottage in the steading at Fawnspark. It is constructed... more
Seven-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)
There were two ladybirds sunning themselves on a fence post beside the track. This... more
Fawnspark
The house and older buildings are partly hidden by trees, but the large red byre... more
Union canal near Fawnspark
This is taken from the accommodation bridge between Cockmuir and Fawnspark,... more
Union Canal near Cockmuir
This is taken from the accommodation bridge between Cockmuir and Fawnspark,... more
Field at Cockmuir
The field has been harvested, ploughed and is about to be rolled before being... more
Field at Cockmuir
The field has been harvested, ploughed and is about to be rolled before being... more
Cockmuir
The farm house and buildings at Cockmuir are no more than an empty shell. If I... more
Old Window at Cockmuir
This window frame is the only one at Cockmuir to survive, perhaps because it had... more
Cockmuir
The farm house and buildings at Cockmuir are no more than an empty shell. If I... more
Stones
Why did I take an image of some large round grey stones? Because, and I know it... more
Cockmuir Quarry
The 1:25,000 map shows a large flooded quarry here, but try as I might, I could... more
Rear of Abercorn Place
The rows of brick cottages south of the main road in Winchburgh are some of the... more
St Philomena's Church
This is the Roman Catholic church serving Winchburgh and environs. It has a web... more
Niddry Burn Nature Area
Nature was certainly flourishing profusely here, mostly in the form of Willowherb... more
A Fine Specimen
I was very taken by this magnificent tree which, I am told, is a Wych Elm. Thanks... more
Red Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum)
Two remaining flowers, with the empty calyxes of several more.
Cottages in Faucheldean
Faucheldean consists of a dozen or two houses lining the south side of the minor... more
Tippet Knowes
The various small clumps of trees in the fields north of Faucheldean are labelled... more
Fields near Faucheldean
Fields ready for their 2014 crop between Faucheldean and Winchburgh. The houses... more
Faucheldean Woodland Strip
My eye was caught by the [[[3684615]]] half-hidden among the leaves.
Fields near Faucheldean
A textbook rural scene which belies the surrounding industrial history. Only a... more
Old Glendevon Farm Cottages
Traditional pantiled cottages beside the road from Glendevon to Faucheldean.
Fields at Old Glendevon Farm
Harvested fields, still waiting for ploughing.
A Tight Fit
A tractor eases a folded-up seed planting machine through a narrow gap beside Old... more
Glendevon Cottages
These cottages are relatively recent, probably built in the early 20th century and... more
Fields near Glendevon
The fields west of the road between Glendevon and Faucheldean have been prepared... more
Ford at Glendevon
The ford and accompanying footbridge cross the burn at Glendevon Farm. On the far... more
Bridge at Glendevon
Not so much a bridge, really, as a wall with gaps for the burn to flow through.
Glendevon Pond
The pond at Glendevon Farm is home to a large flock of Mallard.
It was a Flood
For an explanation of this title see [[[3341507]]] and [[[3341502]]].
New Houses beyond the Fields
Just a year or two ago, this was a fully agricultural view. Since then, two... more
Landscaping
This is a bit of conundrum. According to the maps and satellite view, the land... more
Cage for What?
If it is supposed to be a cage or a no-entry area, for whatever reason, it has... more
A Muddy Mess
According to all the maps, and the satellite view, there is a building here, so it... more
Ground Marker
There are several of these fixed firmly in the ground beside the track across the... more
East from Priestinch Bridge
It looks much more appealing under summer skies than in dead of winter. Compare... more
Looking west from Priestinch Bridge
The canal here is shaded and gloomy. When I visited it in winter [[[3254855]]] I... more
Bedlam Paintball
I caught sight though the trees near the canal of what looked like a building... more
Bedlam Paintball
I caught sight though the trees near the canal of what looked like a building... more
Bedlam Paintball
I caught sight though the trees near the canal of what looked like a building... more
Bedlam Paintball
I caught sight though the trees near the canal of what looked like a building... more
Bedlam Paintball
I caught sight though the trees near the canal of what looked like a building... more
Union Canal Towpath
Looking westwards from the bridge at Priestinch, through the part of the canal... more
Stone Bench
Seats and benches are quite scarce along this stretch of the canal.
In the Shade
On the right is [[[3683596]]], and the canal is in deep shade.
Rolling the Field
As well as rolling, this operator was using the forks to pick up some large... more
Detail of Bridge 35
Most of the Union Canal Bridges are very plain, but for some reason Craigton... more
Detail of Bridge 35
As well as [[[3684433]]], and unlike most if not all of the canal bridges,... more
All images © Anne Burgess and available under a Creative Commons licence .