NS3975 : Path to the River Leven
taken 6 years ago, near to Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland
This description covers a subset of West Dumbartonshire's core paths (49—53 inclusive and 157) that, when taken together, make up a continuous path (49 + 50 + 52 + 53) along or near the eastern bank of the River Leven ( Link ), beginning at the Lion's Gate at Kilmalid, and ending at Dumbarton Rock(*). Two shorter paths (51 and 157) branch off from the riverside path. Others paths branch off from it near the SUDS pond at Lomondgate ( Link ); these are also included here, although they are not core paths.
(*) Note that, as of mid-2018, core path 53 stops at the east end of Riverside Lane, but it is intended that it eventually be extended to become a riverside walkway to Dumbarton Rock.
See Link (PDF, 1.3MB, at the West Dunbartonshire Council website) for a visual index to all of these paths. Summary descriptions (where "BMIE" = Broadmeadow Industrial Estate and "CP" = Core Path):
CP 49 (741m): Beside the Murroch Burn; from the Lion's Gate to the Blue Bridge.
CP 50 (1019m): Heads south (beside a golf course) from the Blue Bridge to NW corner of BMIE.
CP 51 (440m): Branches off eastwards from CP 50; leads to Overburn Avenue.
CP 52 (849m): Heads south from NW corner of BMIE to Dumbarton Bridge.
CP 157 (84m): A short path branching off east from CP 52; leads to Poplar Road.
CP 53 (476m+): From Dumbarton Bridge to Riverside Lane (and, later, to Dumbarton Rock).
The area on which the industrial estate now stands was known as the Broad Meadow; it used to be flooded twice daily by the River Leven, which is tidal here. Towards the end of the sixteenth century, bulwarks that had been built to protect the Townend area of Dumbarton from the River Leven failed. The inundated area soon came to be called the Drowned Lands, and later efforts to reinstate the flood defences met with only temporary success. Most of the Broad Meadow would not be permanently reclaimed until 1859, with the coming of the railway line. See Link for more on all of the above.