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Walk Avonbridge to Wallace’s Cave

To enjoy this walk, you need to be equipped with a sense of adventure, a picnic and a sturdy pair of boots. 


It starts off reasonably flat and gets more challenging as you go along, with different terrains underfoot and a cave said to have sheltered William Wallace after his defeat at the battle of Falkirk. It was curiosity about the cave that set me off on this walk, and I followed the waymarked River Avon Heritage Trail.


Wooden footbridge beside a flowing river in a leafless riverside landscape under cloudy gray skies

This walk can be started either in Linlithgow Bridge for a shorter walk to the cave, or at the other end of the Trail, in Avonbridge. I drove to Avonbridge, and started the Trail on Bridgend Road. This is a residential crescent and at one corner you’ll see “River Avon Heritage Trail” signed. Follow the track, turning right at some cottages to skirt along a field, then down to the River Avon. It’s uneven underfoot with roots as you go through some trees in places, but for the first part of this walk you’re skirting farmland. It follows the river all the way, so you’re unlikely to get lost, although it is waymarked at regular intervals. You’re accompanied by the sound of the flowing water most of the way.


Continuing beside fields, you’ll eventually come to a stone bridge crossing the river, beside the Old Strath Mill. Pass close by the building to cross the bridge, turn right onto the tarmacked track, then a few metres along you’ll see the sign to head back onto the trail.


Parts of this walk have wooden boards laid down over the wettest parts. When I did it earlier in the year it was very muddy.


Soon you’ll see the striking view of the Westfield Viaduct striding across the landscape ahead. The trail takes you scrambling up and under one of the arches of the viaduct, when the terrain changes to woodland for a while, on high land on the edge of the gorge with the river below, before descending again. This is a very attractive stretch of the trail.


Stone viaduct spans a fast river in a wooded valley beneath a bright blue sky with large clouds
Leaf-covered woodland path with wooden steps winding uphill through bare trees under a bright blue sky

The next feature is a metal bridge which you cross onto the other side of the river. Here you’ll see the rock arch known as Wallace’s Cave. It was created by meltwater being forced through the sandstone at the end of the last ice age, and is said to have been used as a hiding place by William Wallace in 1298. There’s no way of substantiating this, and it’s more an arch than a cave - it wouldn’t provide much shelter, but is a good picnic spot.


Wet mossy rock passage inside a cave, with dim light filtering in from an opening above.
Muddy trail winding through a narrow moss-covered rock crevice in a damp forest, with dark overhanging stone.

From here you can continue the Heritage Trail which eventually takes you to Linlithgow Bridge. However with my curiosity about the cave satisfied, I turned round here and headed back to the car at Avonbridge.


Distance approx 3.5 miles from Avonbridge to Wallace’s Cave. Muddy in places.


Published in Konect April 2021

Author: Helen-Jane Gisbourne


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