Bowling Basin

This surprisingly pleasant spot affords some spectacular views of the Erskine Bridge and Kilpatrick Hills, and represents the ideal location for a quiet picnic or, as some others have discovered, a loud «bevvy».
Situated around a mile and a half further on from Old Kilpatrick along the canal path, if you catch the basin on a quiet day it’s also a great place to take kids, with several things there for them to swing on, prod and torment. With plenty of green space, they can basically be rowdy to their heart’s content while you sit back and admire the view.
It’s not life-​changing but, you know, it’s nice.

Bowling Basin is a lovely spot that lies to the west of the Forth and Clyde canal, encased on one side by the Kilpatrick Hills and the other by the River Clyde. The lower basin is overlooked by the Custom House, a reminder from the past when the boats were engaged in overseas trade. It is now used by British Waterways as the harbour office.
My boyfriend and I stumbled across Bowling Basin as we walked along the canal path from Clydebank. We could have continued to Loch Lomond if we wanted but decided to stop at the basin to admire the stunning view of the Erskine Bridge.
The dedicated picnic area overlooks the harbour towards Dunglass Castle which dates back to the 1400s and was the former home of Charles Rennie Macintosh. Visitors also get a view of the Henry Bell Obelisk erected in 1872 which is dedicated to Henry Bell who built The Comet, the worlds first steam ship to travel on open sea. It is a pleasant place to stop for a picnic on a sunny day as there are several picnic tables surrounded by wooden sculptures.