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National Cycle Route 756

22 km road cycling route55 m climbing1 h 35 minGPX

East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, United Kingdom · Road

A flat 22 km road cycling route from West Mains, South Lanarkshire through Nerston, Springhall and Spittal, with 55 m of climbing. 56% is on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane.

Signed route The waymarked National Cycle Route 756 (Walk Wheel Cycle Trust), traced from OpenStreetMap and measured against the terrain model; no member has recorded it yet. Ridden it? Add your recording and photos.

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At a glance

Best for
Steady riding away from traffic
Distance
22.2 km
Point to point
Elevation gain
55 m
2 m per km
Riding time
1 h 35 min
moving time, estimated
Difficulty
Easy
Bike
Road bike
from the mapped surface
Surface
Paved
95% paved · 2% unpaved · 2% no data
Traffic
Mostly cycle paths
1.6 km on main roads without a cycle lane · 12.4 km on cycle paths or lanes
Food & water
Regular
367 cafés and restaurants · 70 shops · 2 water points · 2 petrol stations · 5 public toilets · 48 bike shops
Best months
Jun to Aug
East Kilbride climate, 10 years
Navigation
GPX download
free, no sign-in
Start → finish
West Mains

Map and elevation profile

From north
Photo: WeeHolly · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Elevation profile

Total ascent
55 m
Distance
22 km
050100150200m0 km5101522 km173 m · highest, at 4.2 kmStartFinish

Route description

  1. West Mains
  2. Nerstonkm 2
  3. Springhallkm 7
  4. Spittalkm 9
  5. Newfieldkm 10
  6. Shawfieldkm 11
  7. Caltonkm 14
  8. Kingstonkm 16
  9. Sandyfordkm 17

National Cycle Route 756 begins at East Kilbride near West Mains and The Village, passing through several towns including Nerston Village, Springhall, and Burnside before entering Glasgow areas like Bridgeton and Gorbals. The route ends near Kelvindale in Glasgow.

The route has a relatively flat profile with just 55 m of climbing over 22.2 km and a high point of 173 m close to 3.9 km, near Nerston Wardlaw. The longest descent is 5.1 km from 4.2 km to 9.3 km dropping 140 m. The gradients over 5% are very limited, with only 0.1 km each above 5%, 8%, and 10%, located mostly near the start.

Surface is mostly paved (95%) with 2% on gravel or unpaved. Route comprises 56% cycle path, 20% quiet streets, and minor shares of main and minor roads. There is 1.6 km on main roads without a cycle lane. The longest stretch without a cafe, shop or water is 3.2 km from km 3 to 6.2. There are multiple cafés, bike shops, water taps, and stations close enough along the route, including bail-out stations at East Kilbride, Burnside, and Anderston.

Why ride this route?

  • A 5.1 km descent dropping 140 m.
  • 56% on cycle paths or lanes.

Highlights

  • Passing through East Kilbride and Glasgow
  • High point at 173 m near 3.9 km
  • Longest descent of 5.1 km
  • Cycle paths 56% of route

Along the route

Measured from the route line, the Copernicus elevation model and OpenStreetMap.

Places passed

  1. Nerston Village 3.3 km
  2. Turnlaw Farm 4.7 km
  3. Whitlawburn 6.2 km
  4. Cathkin 6.6 km
  5. Springhall 6.7 km
  6. Fernhill 7.6 km
  7. Burnside 8.1 km
  8. Stonelaw 8.4 km
  9. Blairbeth 8.5 km
  10. Spittal 8.5 km
  11. High Crosshill 8.7 km
  12. Wardlawhill 9.3 km
  13. Gallowflat 9.5 km
  14. Clincarthill 9.5 km
  15. Bankhead 9.7 km
  16. Newfield 9.8 km
  17. Rutherglen 10.1 km
  18. Burgh 10.1 km
  19. Burnhill 10.2 km
  20. Farme Cross 10.3 km
  21. Shawfield 11.2 km
  22. Dalmarnock 11.6 km
  23. Bridgeton 11.9 km
  24. Oatlands 12.6 km
  25. Polmadie 12.7 km
  26. Calton 13.7 km
  27. Gorbals 14.2 km
  28. Merchant City 14.5 km
  29. Glasgow 14.8 km
  30. Tradeston 15.2 km
  31. Blythswood Holm 15.5 km
  32. Kingston 15.8 km
  33. Plantation 15.9 km
  34. Blythswood Hill 16.5 km
  35. Anderston 16.7 km
  36. Garnethill 17.2 km
  37. Sandyford 17.3 km
  38. Finnieston 17.5 km
  39. Kelvinhaugh 17.9 km
  40. Woodside 19.1 km
  41. West End 20.1 km

Traffic, surface and gradient

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

Much of the route is separated from traffic: 56% is on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane.

Roads
56% cycle path · 20% quiet street · 9% path · 7% main road · 8% other roads and tracks
Main roads
1.6 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
Cycle paths
12.4 km on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane
Surface
Paved: 95% of the route is mapped as paved, 2% as unpaved and 2% has no surface data.
Gradient
7% climbing · 22% descending · 71% flat
Longest descent
5.1 km from 4.2 km, dropping 140 m

Food, water and services

Within a few hundred metres of the track, from OpenStreetMap. Opening hours change — treat this as where to look, not a promise.

No stretch is longer than 15 km without a café, shop or water. Along the route: 367 cafés and restaurants, 70 shops, 2 water points, 2 petrol stations, 5 public toilets and 48 bike shops.

Food, water and shops in ride order

  1. 2.1 kmAldi · supermarket · 130 m off route
  2. 2.8 kmSainsbury's · petrol station · 60 m off route
  3. 3 kmStarbucks · café · on the route
  4. 6.5 kmBurns Pharmacy · pharmacy · 110 m off route
  5. 8.4 kmHugh's Restaurant · restaurant · 380 m off route
  6. 9.9 kmAldi · supermarket · 80 m off route
  7. 13.8 kmWay to Go · café · 70 m off route
  8. 13.9 kmNumber Ten · bike shop · 60 m off route
  9. 14.4 kmToilets · 50 m off route
  10. 15.3 kmTop Up Tap · drinking water · on the route
  11. 17 kmLG Pharmacy · pharmacy · on the route
  12. 18.6 kmOffshore · café · 40 m off route
  13. 18.9 kmRoots, Fruits & Flowers: Wholefoods, Organics & Deli · supermarket · 40 m off route
  14. 19 kmRepair stand · 50 m off route
  15. 19.9 kmToilets · 90 m off route
  16. 20 kmTop Up Tap · drinking water · 140 m off route

Need to bail out?

  • 0.1 km — East Kilbride (station), on the route
  • 8.4 km — Burnside (station), 280 m off route
  • 16.5 km — Anderston (station), 60 m off route

Whether bikes are carried depends on the service — check before relying on it.

Worth a stop

  • 0.9 km — Rig & Furrow (late medieval) (archaeological site)
  • 5 km — Kirk Burn Motte (archaeological site)
  • 10.1 km — Mercat Cross (monument)
  • 19.5 km — Former North Woodside Flint Mills (ruins)

Stay after this ride

  • Queen Margaret Residences · apartment · 930 m from the finish
  • Ambassador Hotel · hotel · 1.6 km from the finish
  • Belhaven Hotel · hotel · 1.4 km from the finish
  • Kelvin Hotel · guest house · 1.9 km from the finish
  • Argyle Western Hotel · hotel · 1.9 km from the finish

Start and access

Starts at West Mains. Mapped within a short walk of the start and finish, from OpenStreetMap.

At the start

Trains and ferries
East Kilbride (30 m)
Food and coffee
Barocco (290 m), Montgomerie Arms (290 m), Mata Hari (320 m)
Shops
Lidl (590 m)

At the finish

Trains and ferries
Maryhill (550 m), Kelvindale (610 m)
Bikes and repair
Maryhill Library Station (8213) (640 m)
Pharmacy and medical
Maryhill Health & Care Centre (560 m), LG Pharmacy (610 m), Gairbraid Pharmacy (710 m)

Know before you go

  • Longest stretch without café, shop or water for 3.2 km between km 3 and 6.2
  • 1.6 km on main roads without a cycle lane

Routes are for inspiration. Roads, surfaces and conditions change — check locally and ride within your limits.

2 photographs from the road

Photo: RJ Photos UK · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Phil Richards from London, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: WeeHolly · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

About this route

Route line
Traced from the waymarked route’s relation in OpenStreetMap.
Elevation
Recalculated from the Copernicus GLO-90 terrain model every 50 m, not the device’s barometer.
Roads, surface, services
Measured along the line from OpenStreetMap extracts.
Best months
Ten years of ERA5 weather for East Kilbride (Open-Meteo).
GPX
Generated from the route line: track points only, no timestamps or personal data.
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Page last updated

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