Riding the Aberfoyle Railway
- lomondappletree
- Jun 5
- 5 min read
With such perfect weather recently, we have been exploring the many cycling opportunities around and close to Appletree Cottage.
The trackbed of the former Aberfoyle Railway forms an excellent cycle track between Aberfoyle and the site of the former Buchlyvie Station. Bikes can be hired from the cycle shop in Aberfoyle. Their website is here: https://aberfoylebikehire.co.uk
Having recently completed the Rob Roy Way route from Old Drymen Road to Aberfoyle, we decided to expand the journey and return to Old Drymen Road carpark where we started via the former Aberfoyle Railway to Buchlyvie, the road from Buchlyvie to Wards Toll, then onto Dalmary and finally along the Old Drymen Road.
Parking at the Old Drymen Road car park, we made our way along the Rob Roy Way to Aberfoyle (see previous blog)
After the now almost statutory stop for an ice cream at Aberfoyle car park, we made our way along the former railway line at the east end of the car park, heading for what was once Buchlyvie station.
The first part of our journey was on smooth tarmac. Passing some pretty former railway cottages as we left the car park, we followed the line of the River Forth in its early stages, having started its journey at nearby Loch Ard.
We continued through pretty bluebell woods on either side of the track.
Scottish bluebells, also known as Harebell or Campanula rotundifolia, differ from the Common Bluebell or English bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), found in other parts of the UK.
Scots bluebells, which are also known as Gowk's Thummies, Cuckoos thimbles and Witch's Bells
form a sea of violet in mixed woodland.
Although abundant in the wild, the Scottish bluebell can be a little fickle to cultivate in the domestic garden. To make matters harder, it is illegal to dig up the wild plants.
As well as the bluebells, the brightly coloured yellow broom accompanied our travel as we neared Gartmore.
Soon, we came to the main road leading up to
Gartmore village.
This time we crossed the road and went through the wooden gate to rejoin the railway at the site of what once had been Gartmore Station.
See the previous blog about Gartmore station appearing on the big screen in the film called Geordie (1955)
We were now on the traffic-free gravel trackbed to Buchlyvie and beyond.
Our journey took us across Flanders Moss, an internationally acclaimed raised bog formed 8000 years ago in the Carse of Stirling and the largest in Europe to remain in a near-natural state. As well as being a haven for wildlife, Flanders Moss plays a key role as a carbon sink. An area of the moss has been preserved as a National Nature Reserve, close to Thornhill near Stirling, where boardwalks and a raised platform enhance the viewing experience.
Being a former railway, our route was almost dead level. We passed over the attractive Kelty Water and other small streams where wooden bridges had replaced the former steel structures.
After a while, on the right, a vast spread of bog cotton wafted in the breeze, with the distinctive shape of Ben Lomond in the far distance. What a beautiful day! In the past, attempts were made to form threads from the fluffy seed heads, but the fibres proved too brittle. However, the plants were used successfully in paper production as well as candle wick manufacture in Germany. In Sweden and Sussex in England the cotton heads were used as a substitute for feather pillow stuffing.
In the past, attempts were made to form thread from the fluffy seed heads, but the fibres proved to be too brittle. However, the plants were used more successfully in the production of paper and candle wicks in Germany as well as feather pillow stuffing substitute in Sweden and Sussex.
Following a long straight section, the line began to curve round to the west as it neared Buchlyvie
We passed the former junction where the Aberfoyle line joined the Forth and Clyde Junction Railway, but little remains at this point other than a signpost and a footpath going off to the east following the line of the Junction Railway.
The Bowling to Balloch railway was one of the first railways to be built in this area. It was supported by shipping merchants as it provided access between the Clyde and Loch Lomond, with further shipping on the loch to take goods further north.
The Forth and Clyde Junction Railway was then created, running from Balloch in the west to Stirling. It formed part of a continuous link from Bowling on the Clyde to the River Forth in the east a few years before a connection was made between Bowling and Glasgow (other than the canal)
The Forth and Clyde purchased enough land to enable the construction of double track.
However, as other railway routes came into being, the anticipated bonanza created by coal traffic evaporated and the track was never doubled, the railway slipping into a poorly frequented backwater. Passenger numbers were low due to road competition and the fact that many of the stations were miles from the villages they served.
The Aberfoyle Railway ran from Aberfoyle to Buchlyvie, where it joined the Forth and Clyde Junction Railway for a few miles before separating just before Gartness, joining the Strathendrick Railway where it headed south through Balfron Station (only two miles from Balfron!) Killearn, Blanefield, Strathblane, Campsie Glen, Lennoxtown, Lenzie and finally Glasgow.
Soon, we arrived at the former Buchlyvie Station. The station house still stands behind a high hedge.
We were now on the B835 road from Buchlyvie village to Ward Toll on the A81. Although not single track this mostly level back road was reasonably quiet as it wound its way through fields of young lambs and provided panoramic views to the north.
As we approached Ward Toll, a large road sign showed us the way. Wards Toll is marked by the presence of the excellent Ben View garden centre and café. A popular location for gardeners and hungry passers-by, it has an excellent delicatessen shop attached.
From Ward Toll, we followed the single-track road with a couple of ups and downs to Dalmary. At Dalmary, we turned left at the T junction and made our way up the Old Drymen road to rejoin our car.
As we looked back, we could see the little village of Gartmore with its whitewashed houses clinging to the side of the hill. The last section was a steep climb past Drymen Road Cottage and made us hugely appreciative of our electric bikes!
