This coastal route to formidable Blackness Castle offers impressive views across the Forth and is now part of the John Muir Way; the return is made by retracing your steps.
Aggregate tracks and cycle path.
Bus to Bo'ness.
Industrial estate behind Carriden Parish Church, Bo'ness.
A rough road runs east from the corner of Carriden Brae and Bridgeness Road, and there is informal parking by the industrial units. Begin the walk by heading through the metal gate at the end of the track onto a aggregate path that soon offers views over the Forth, with both bridges in view ahead and the coastal towns and villages of Fife just across the water, including the deepwater piers of the former munitions depot at Crombie. As it reaches the coast it joins the John Muir Way - continue along this, taking advantage of the excellent views.
Heading east the path makes for hassle-free, pleasant walking, having been much improved following the construction of the John Muir Way. It runs above a shingle and rock beach, and later runs along the top of the sea wall. Follow this path, eventually rounding a corner from where the views open out over Blackness Bay and Castle on the headland beyond.
The path continues into the village of Blackness itself, formed as a port to serve the royalty in residence at nearby Linlithgow until superseded by Bo'ness in the 17th century. The harbour now houses Blackness Boat Club, and their vessels can be seen on the moorings in the bay.
Follow the road around the bay to reach Blackness Castle, standing impressively on the promontory overlooking the bay. The castle was built in the 1440s by Sir George Crichton to protect the port, and then became crown property in 1453 serving as a state prison before becoming the most formidable artillery fortification in Scotland in the mid 16th century. The castle served as an ammunition depot in the late 1800s before being handed into the care of Historic Scotland after the First World War. Although now open to visitors, the castle has also been used in various films including Franco Zeffirelli's Hamlet in 1990, and Doomsday in 2008.
After exploring the castle retrace your steps along the coast to Bo'ness, where it is possible to detour around the industrial units, following the John Muir Way a little further until it passes south of the Carriden Boatyard - from here a track cuts inland back to the start point.
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