Getting There
Southbound route only
Leave the M74 at Junction 7 and turn right signed Larkhall A72.
Turn left at a set of traffic lights, brown signed Chatelherault Country Park.
Return to M74 southbound
Exit Chatelherault Country Park and turn left onto the A72. Continue following the A72 until taking a right turn onto the A723.
Follow the signs to return southbound on the M74.
Chatelherault Country Park
Length of walk: 30 minutes to several hours
There are six signed trails of different lengths and directions around this enormous country park, and free leaflets for the trails can be obtained from the visitor centre.
We started off on one of the shorter ones, The Cadzow Oaks trail, but then got diverted by a couple of dripping Labradors as water-mad Jem realised swimming was a possibility here. If your dog is equally keen on a dip, then stay on the visitor centre side of Avon Water and follow the path to the water’s edge.
On the other hand, to avoid the scent of wet dog in the car afterwards it may be a good idea to take the Riccarton Path anti-clockwise past the disabled parking bays. This is the longest of all the trails and certainly too long for a mid-journey break, but the route will keep dogs away from the water, and you can just turn round at your own half-way point.
This is a fantastic environment for dogs, as well as families. There is plenty of space for everyone, and an ideal stopping point before heading into one of the big cities.
Facilities
At the visitor centre: Free parking, WC, café. First aid point. Dog poo bins, big buckets of drinking water for dogs. Exhibits and information at visitor centre. Childrens’ adventure playground.
Fully accessible to wheelchair users (suggest checking gradient of paths before starting trail routes).
On the way to the park, the bustling small town of Larkhall has bakeries, several supermarkets and grocers for picnic provisions. Also a small, well stocked pet shop (J A Pet Supplies) on the left at the beginning of the town.
This is OUR favourite walk
Donny and Scout