Dog-friendly walk
Car parking available at Greenock Cut Visitor Centre (PA16 9LX). No public transport to start point.
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From the Visitor Centre return to the car park entrance and turn right onto the minor road. At the crossroads take the footpath directly in front of you signposted for The Greenock Cut. Follow this track until you come to a clearly marked footpath leading off to the left downhill, the start of the Nature Trail.  The trail meanders through some lovely woodland with various footbridges across the burn. Look out for the Wood Spirits along the way! The path turns to boardwalk and you will emerge out onto an open hillside. Here the walk heads uphill to join up with the Kelly Cut. Turn left here and follow this track back to the Visitor Centre.Â
WALK REPORT: 25th July 2016
I had picked up a leaflet about this walk at the Visitor Centre when I had come to do The Greenock Cut a few weeks ago. I thought it looked interesting for the boys and I to try during the Summer holidays. Today the forecast wasn’t great but never one to let that put me off we ventured out in full waterproofs to see what it was like!
The Nature Trail is really special and so well made. A narrow footpath leads you into the heart of the woodland and when you reach a burn some boardwalk criss-crosses back and forth across it using footbridges. So quirky, I loved it!
Then you emerge out onto open hillside with fern and heather all around, the boardwalk leading you uphill safely through it all. I spared a thought for the Rangers who created the trail as laying this boardwalk could not have been an easy task!
Wood Spirits have been carved and placed around the trail for visitors to find. This made things interesting for the kids and it became a game who would be first to spot more! We found 10 of them. Apparently there are 18 but a few of them are so well hidden you need to use GPS to find them. Sounds like fun for grown ups too then! A map can be collected from the Visitor Centre to help you on your quest 🙂
The Nature Trail joins up with the Kelly Cut to loop you back to the start. On the day of our visit this section was particularly waterlogged, probably as a result of the heavy rain we had encountered for most of the morning. Another big hit for the kids though, who enjoyed jumping in the puddles!
