Carron Glen – A Wooded Gorge on the River Carron
About 1.3 miles on foot.
Carron Glen is a Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve at Fankerton, just west of Denny, where the River Carron has cut a steep little gorge through old oak and ash woods.
It has long been a favourite with people in Denny and Fankerton, and there was once a bandstand on the south bank where musicians played in the summer. It's a short, lovely walk beside the water, there and back.
- Time
- About an hour, there and back.
- The path
- A path drops downhill from the car park to the footbridge, and the paths along the gorge need care, especially after rain: wear boots.
- Where to start
- A small car park on the B818 at the western end of Fankerton, about two miles west of Denny, with a path down to the footbridge.
- Set off
- From November to January, set off by 2pm.
- When to go
- All year, in daylight: bluebells under the trees in spring, and the woods turn gold and copper in autumn.
- Dogs
- Keep dogs under close control at all times.
- Children
- A short walk for families; keep children close on the gorge paths and by the river.
- Toilets
- There are no toilets at the reserve.
- Before you set out
- The path west of the footbridge is closed after a landslip, so the walk keeps to the east of the reserve.
The walk
Park in the small car park on the B818 at the western end of Fankerton, about two miles west of Denny, and a path drops down through the trees to a footbridge over the River Carron. The path west of the bridge is closed after a landslip, so the walk keeps to the north bank downstream, about two-thirds of a mile to the eastern edge of the reserve, and comes back the same way.
This is native oak and ash woodland in a steep-sided gorge, with the river running fast over mossy boulders below. Watch the water for dippers and kingfishers, and look across the river for the old stone walls of mills that once ran on its water.
In late spring the yellow globeflower, rare in central Scotland, grows on the banks.
If it rains
The oaks give some shelter and the walk is short, so it still works in a shower with boots and a waterproof. After heavy rain the Carron runs high and fast and the gorge paths are slippery: take extra care and keep well back from the water.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Cromlix in Kinbuck, 14 miles away.
For further reading, before you go.
Photograph by Jen Duncan via Google