Introduction
In the very centre of Scotland, Muiravonside is a gorgeous and peaceful spot, ideal for a day of trekking. Everyone, from seasoned trekkers to newcomers, will find something to their liking at Muiravonside. Muiravonside is a popular destination for hikers and outdoor lovers due to its picturesque landscape, which includes rolling hills, flowing streams, and a rich history. Gather your supplies and come along as we take a hike around Muiravonside Country Park. You’re going to have a great time on the trail, we promise!
Walk Details
Route Information
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Route Map
Points of Interest Along the Walk
The Farm Park (1)
Want to see amazing creatures up close and personal? Want to see the wonders of nature? If you’re looking for a farm, your search ends at Muiravonside Country Park. In this interactive farm, you’ll find a wide variety of animals to fascinate and delight you.
The magnificent Highland cattle are the farm’s centrepiece. A glimpse at Freddie, Kyla, or Haggis will leave you in awe of their regal bearing and massive stature. And good news if you share my enthusiasm for equines! Shetland ponies Robbie, Teddy, and Eddie join Clydesdale horses Charley and Jake to create a genuine equine adventure.However, the farm’s offerings extend far beyond the equestrian and agricultural. There is a small flock of Hebridean sheep, several goats of various breeds, and a few pigs of the Wessex and Gloucester Old Spot varieties. Yes, there’s more! Amazon parrots Chico and Del live on the farm, and their antics are sure to keep visitors amused.
Every park visitor should check out the restored farm steading buildings. Rabbits, guinea pigs, and unusual birds are just some of the smaller animals that call these charming structures home. Also, the wildfowl pond and bird enclosures in the area are fantastic for birdwatchers. Larger birds such as chickens, geese, and ducks congregate here, making for a more authentic bird-watching experience.
Lime Kilns (2)
There is a fantastic piece of industrial history in Muiravonside Country Park. Located about 120 metres north of Newparks, this beautiful stone structure was cut into the north side of a gorgeous valley. These aren’t just any old buildings—they’re a pair of magnificent lime kilns!
In case you’re wondering, a lime kiln is a type of industrial boiler that produces lime from limestone. Lime is used extensively in construction materials such as mortar and plaster, and it is also used in the production of agricultural fertilisers. Lime kilns were undoubtedly important in the development of advanced civilisation. What was the firing procedure for these kilns? Limestone would be broken down into lime and carbon dioxide in a kiln by being heated to extremely high temperatures. Lime would be extracted and used, whereas carbon dioxide would be released into the atmosphere. Kilns would have been in continuous use for many years, with this process repeated several times per day.
One of the most impressive features of Muiravonside Country Park is undoubtedly the limekilns. These old buildings have been remarkably well preserved, despite the passage of time and the ravages of the elements. The kilns, built from massive stone blocks expertly arranged to create an impressive structure, will astound you with their attention to detail and elaborate design.
Guests to Muiravonside have the option of taking a stroll through the park and viewing the kilns from afar, or getting up close and personal for a more in-depth exploration. Just picture yourself at the kiln’s entrance, gazing up at the soaring walls and being struck with amazement at their massive size. It’s the kind of experience that stays with you forever.
Avon Aqueduct (3)
The Avon Aqueduct, a feat of Scottish engineering and architecture, can be found in the heart of the country’s picturesque countryside. This magnificent structure, designed by Hugh Baird and built between 1818 and 1822, spans the River Avon and connects the Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal on either side. Although it is hard to get a good look at the entire aqueduct because of the steep, winding, and partially forested valley in which it is situated, it is an absolutely breath-taking sight.
The Avon Aqueduct is second only to the Pontcysyllte in Wales as the longest and highest aqueduct in Britain, stretching over 270 yards in length and rising 86 feet above the river’s surface. Twelve magnificent segmental arches, each with a span of 50 feet and a height of 25 feet above its springing line, support the aqueduct proper. Piers are internally braced to give them a slimmer profile; they are hollow and taper slightly on all sides. Heavy iron balustrades line the tops of the arches and rest on top of the flat, tapering buttresses that connect them.
The Avon Aqueduct features an iron trough, an innovation that was first used by Thomas Telford on the Pont Cysyllte aqueduct of the Ellesmere Canal. This allowed Baird to construct hollow arches supported by struts, making the aqueduct more lightweight and graceful in appearance. The water is contained in a 13-foot-wide, 6-foot-deep iron trough that has a stone front and iron railings on top. The aqueduct’s towpaths, which run along its periphery, are 4 feet wide and paved with stone.
The Avon Aqueduct is not just a stunning work of architecture; it is also an impressive feat of engineering. Baird drew inspiration from Telford’s Chirk and Pontcysyllte Aqueducts on the Ellesmere Canal for his design, and Telford provided guidance as well. There are a total of twelve arches that add up to the building’s 86-foot height and 810-foot length. The use of an iron trough instead of puddled clay allowed for the creation of lighter, hollow arches and pillars, giving the appearance of a more slender and graceful structure.
Designed and constructed with great skill and ingenuity, the Avon Aqueduct is an impressive example of Scotland’s architectural and engineering history. It may be out of the way, but history buffs and admirers of Scotland’s architectural achievements would do well to make the trip anyway.
The Graveyard (4)
The family cemetery of Muiravonside Estate can be found in the beautiful Avon Valley to the east of Muiravonside House. The Stirling family has been laid to rest in this sacred enclosure, which was built in 1862 by Charles Stirling.
In July of 1862, the Bishop of Edinburgh, Charles Terrot, consecrated the land that would become this cemetery.
The cemetery is a rectangular terraced plot enclosed by brick walls with sandstone copes. Graves line the hillside to either side of the centre path, with the ground rising to the west.
Charlotte Dorothea Stirling, wife of Charles Stirling and daughter of Vice Admiral Charles Stirling of Woburn Farm, Surrey, was the first person to be buried here. Charlotte Dorothea, wife of Charles Stirling, Esq. of Muiravonside and daughter of Vice Admiral Charles Stirling of Woburn Farm, Surrey, died at 18 Curzon Street, London, on June 26, 1862. She was 62 years old.
There are many more Stirling graves to discover as you make your way through the cemetery, and each one has its own story to tell. Falkirk Council has restored the stones, and what’s left is a testament to the family’s illustrious past.
For instance, Charles Stirling’s family has a tombstone dedicated to Janet Fleming, who served as their nurse for 46 years.
Another gravestone remembers 4-year-old Charlotte Stirling, who drowned in the Atlantic in 1880. Charlotte Stirling died at sea in 1880 at the age of four.
John Stirling, who was born in November 1860 and died in December 1906, and Commander T.W. Stirling, O.B.E. R.N., who was born in 1866 and died in 1930, are both buried here.
Thomas Stirling, a part-time resident of Muiravonside House, was the final person to be laid to rest in the family cemetery. At the age of 64, he passed away on March 17, 1930, and was laid to rest next to his family.
The Dovecot (4)
If you enjoy learning about Scotland’s past through its architecture, then the Muiravonside Dovecot is a must-see. This unusual structure, now used as a store, protrudes from the garden wall on the east side of Muiravonside House, which separates it from the residence’s offices.
A dovecot, you ask? What is that? Historically, pigeons and doves were kept in a special sort of coop called a dovecot. These birds were kept for their usefulness as a source of food, meat, and even fertiliser. From the seventeenth century onward, dovecots were frequently found on large estates and in cities across Scotland.
The Muiravonside Dovecot, constructed out of rubble, is quite a sizable structure at 19’3″ by 15’5″. It has a design typical of that which was popular in the seventeenth century, but it appears to be devoid of any elements older than the early nineteenth century.
The Muiravonside Dovecot has been through many changes over the years, but its history is rich. Speculating on its original appearance and the pigeons it may have housed is a fascinating exercise. Make time, if you ever find yourself in the fortunate position of visiting Muiravonside House, to ponder its place in Scottish history.
Muiravonside House (5)
Muiravonside House, with its breathtaking views and centuries-long history, is located on the north side of a steep valley overlooking a loop in the River Avon. This region was perfect for agriculture and economic growth, with its rolling hills that were ideal for forestry and pasture and its arable land on the lower slopes.
There was little money put into the manor of Muiravonside for many years because it was a part of larger baronies. Andrew Ross, the occupier at the time, paid for the superiority in 1685, and Muiravonside was established as a separate barony. Numerous owners came and went from the estate over the ages, a societal reflection of its fluidity. Muiravonside was owned by the heirs of prominent families who made their fortunes in the military, as well as the heirs of wealthy landowners who became officers in the armed forces.
In 1799, after establishing himself as a prominent attorney in Spanish Town, Jamaica, one notable owner, Alexander MacLeod, purchased the estate. Regrettably, he became wealthy by exploiting others; he was a slave-trader on at least four voyages to the Unity Valley Pen, St. Ann, and Raza Mount plantations.
In addition to the interesting inhabitants, the house’s history is also noteworthy. The first stone house in Muiravonside is rumoured to have been constructed around the middle of the 16th century by John Ross, the illegitimate son of Ninian Ross. The earliest known version of the building was a two-story block measuring 46 feet 7 inches in length by 20 feet 8 inches in width, with well-built walls of random rubble and dressed quoins, as documented by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland in 1953. The building’s ground-level door and upper-level window openings gave it the appearance of a bastle house, a type of fortified home common in the borderlands between Scotland and England.
Wildlife at Muiravonside Country Park
Located in the gentle Scottish hills just 2.5 miles from Linlithgow, Muiravonside Country Park is a tranquil haven for wildlife. The park’s 250 acres of beautiful forests and open fields are home to a wide variety of animals that are sure to delight visitors of all ages.
While exploring the park, you may come across some majestic deer ambling through the grasslands or hear the chirping of some bright birds flitting from tree to tree. The River Avon, which meanders through the park, is home to a family of playful otters, and if you’re lucky, you might even see them having a good time.
Bats such as the pipistrelle and long-eared bat, both of which can be seen soaring above Muiravonside at dusk, rely on the area as a critical habitat. These fascinating animals help maintain the park’s delicate natural balance and are therefore essential to the park’s ecosystem.
The park is a haven for birdwatchers, as numerous species of birds, such as the elusive kingfisher, the crafty woodpecker, and the graceful swan, make their home there. You’ll be astounded by the variety of birds that make Muiravonside their home, whether you’re an experienced or novice birdwatcher. As such, Muiravonside Country Park is ideal for those who want to get away from the noise and bustle of the city and spend some time in harmony with nature and its inhabitants. It’s a great place to take in the splendour of Scotland and come away feeling renewed thanks to the area’s stunning scenery, plethora of wildlife, and tranquil atmosphere.
