Snypes Dam Circular

This is a 6 ½ mile circular walk out to Snypes Dam, around Neilston Pad and back via Neilstonside Wood.

Snypes, possibly named after the Snipe birds that were once common in the area, was built between 1847-49. It was one of three dams that were built to store the water of the Kirkton Burn that once supplied Arthurlie Bleach Works. The other dams were Craighall Dam and Kirkton Dam, although the latter was drained back in the 1980's.

These days Snypes Dam is a somewhat dilapidated looking fishery. It was once a popular trout fishery but now seems to be held by a private carp fishing syndicate.

Snypes Cottage appears to date back to 1750-80.

Part One - To The Signpost

1. Starting from the old bank building on Main Street, cross over Main Street, then turn left into Station Road and follow that to the end.

2. Turn right on Kingston Road, cross over the road, go past the railway station and car park, then turn left into Kirkton Road.

3. Follow Kirkton Road. You'll go past Kirkton Farm and Locavore Market Garden on the left, then cross over the Kirkton Burn. Next there's an S-bend in the road with Loanfoot Farm on the right and then Dykes Farm on the left.

4. Keep going until you're almost the end of the road and you'll see a smaller road going off to the right. It's signposted (on a tree) for Snypes Cottage.

Part Two - To Snypes Cottage

1. Follow the road to Snypes Cottage, going past an electricity pylon on your right, for about 1.2 kilometres and you should be able to see the dam on your right. If you turn and look back from the pylon, there's an excellent view out over Glasgow to the Campsies. Be wary of free-roaming cattle on this little road.

2. You can choose to leave the road here and head directly for the dam but it means climbing over a fence. I thought it was worth the effort to get some photos from the dam end of the reservoir.

3. If you don't fancy doing that, then continue on the road, you'll go past a small car park (for fishery users).

4. Whichever path you choose, you'll get to Snypes Cottage after another half kilometre.

Part Three - To Kingston Road

1. Head down to the dam and follow the boardwalk/path, where you'll need to climb over a small metal gate, until you get onto the forest track around Neilston Pad. If you want a shorter walk, then you could just head right and back to Neilston from here.

2. Turn left and follow the path until you reach a junction. Again, if you want a shorter walk, then you could just take the right fork, which goes back round the other side of Neilston Pad, and head back to Neilston from here.

3. Take the left fork and follow that path until you reach Harelaw Road. There's a small car park on the right at the end of the path.

4. Turn right on Harelaw Road and follow it to the end, where it joins Kingston Road. You'll pass a much larger car park on your right.

Part Four - To Neilstonside Wood

1. Turn right on Kingston Road and head back towards Neilston for about 200 metres until you get to another road leading off to the left. Obviously, you could just head back to Neilston from here but I don't like walking on Kingston Road as the traffic can be going at fairly high speed.

2. Cross over Kingston Road and head down the left road for about 800 metres. You'll cross a nice little stone bridge over the Levern Water at Waterside Farm.

3. Go a little way past Waterside Farm and you'll see a gate on the right and a signpost for the Neilstonside Wood footpath.

Part Four - To Uplawmoor Road

1. Take the footpath and follow it through Neilstonside Wood, a pretty little wooded path along the edge of the Levern Water. You'll cross over small wooden bridge over the Levern Water again and eventually reach a gate onto the road. This section can be quite boggy after rain.

2. Turn left on the road, cross over Neilstonside Bridge and almost immediately turn right onto the signed footpath into Midge Glen.

3. Follow the path down Midge Glen, past the waterfalls and you'll come to another fork. The left fork leads you up onto the now-defunct Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway track bed, which you can follow left to Uplawmoor or right, over the bridge, into the Bovis housing estate in Neilston. There was a project to develop the railway track into a walking and cycling route between Neilston and Uplawmoor but, for the moment, that's been put on hold.

4. Take the right-hand fork and follow the path down the glen, going under the old railway bridge and eventually coming out on Uplawmoor Road.  There's space here to park a couple of cars if you're looking to park at this end.

Part Five - Back to the Bank

1. Turn right and cross over Uplawmoor Road. You'll see a small gate in the fence so go through that into the field beyond, which is where the annual Neilston Agricultural Show is held.

2. Follow the path to the right, alongside the Levern Water. Keep following the river until you reach a bridge over it on the right.

3. Cross over the bridge and follow the path uphill, past the ruins of Crofthead Bleachwork, and you'll come out on the road at a junction. Left will take you back down to High Crofthead House and right will take you up to Uplawmoor Road so cross over and take the path into the field beyond and take the leftmost fork to continue across the field.

4. Keep following the path, passing a path to the left that would have taken you down to the Blackwater Dam. until you come out on Millview Terrace. 

5. Follow Millview Terrace and turn right into Mafeking Terrace. Go past the houses and you see a small path on the left between them and a children's playpark on the left so follow that through to Holehouse Brae.

6. Turn left on Holehouse Brae, cross over and turn right into Hillside Road and follow that all the way to end where it turns right into Bank Street, at the end of which is the Bank.