River Forth walk, Stirling to Craigforth

A fine June day with some showers expected so we travelled light. Begin this walk from the junction of Cornton Road and Causewayhead Road with nearby bus stops on Causewayhead Road. Alternatively you can park at the car park by the river near the M9 bridge over the Forth at Craigforth. Either way this is an out and back walk through surprisingly rural landscapes yet close to the Stirling city centre. We started at the historic Stirling Bridge crossing over from Cornton Road to follow the path on the south side of the river heading west towards Craigforth.

At this time the river seemed to be flowing the wrong way but this was a tide effect as the river is tidal all the way to the M9 road bridge at Craigforth. It was a quiet day during the Covid lockdown and we enjoyed focusing on the birdlife including ducks, heron, gulls and sand martins. Just after the Allan Water joins, the river becomes more rural and we pass the islands and Old Mills Farm before arriving at the car park at the M9. The structures on the river here were for the mill and salmon netting. Today this is a favourite spot for anglers with a sandy bank ideal for casting a fly line.

If you have time it is worth crossing the Forth here at the pipe bridge and following the path on the opposite bank towards the Allan Water before returning.

We retraced our steps back to Stirling and had to wade a short section of flooded path which had been dry on the way out but had now succumbed to the tide, worth checking the tide tables before you go!

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