Walk 1 : Glasgow to Paisley : 13.5 miles
The Whithorn Way starts at Glasgow Cathedral, which, despite alterations, gives a very complete impression of the layout and working of a pilgrimage church, with many similiarities to Whithorn. The route proceeds through the heart of the Merchant City, where you can see some magnificent Victorian architecture, before arriving at the banks of the Clyde and St Andrew’s Cathedral. Crossing the Clyde, you head for Govan, with its fascinating shipbuilding heritage and its not-to-be-missed collection of Dark Age sculptured crosses and gravestones at Govan Old Parish Church. The Way hugs the edge of the river, where ships are still built, before turning south to follow the White Cart Water. Underlying the infrastructure of modern travel at Glasgow Airport are the ancient remains of early church sites, which have left their traces in today’s place names, such as Abbot’s Inch and Inchinnan. This segment ends at magnificent Paisley Abbey.
This part of the route is largely flat and involves river-side walking, with some busy stretches in the city centre, with plenty of cafes and restaurants in Glasgow, and skirts Braehead Shopping Centre on Clydeside. There are railway stations at Glasgow Central and at Paisley Gilmour Street.
Illustrative maps courtesy of David Langworth, Cartographer
Detailed walking instructions can be purchased from www.whithornway.org
