Beecraigs Country Park, on the hill behind Linlithgow, can keep children occupied all the way through the up coming summer holiday - everything from archery to a deer farm, a fancy play park to orienteering will grab their attention.
If you only have an hour or so it is well worth popping up there to feed the fish at the trout farm within the park, and enjoy a short walk around a loch. Staff are on hand to sell fish food.
To get there go to the main car park, down the hill from the park centre. From Linlithgow, turn up Preston Road from the High Street (opposite the Black Bitch pub). The road eventually emerges from the town and climbs steeply to a sign pointing left for Beecraigs Country Park. Follow this and take the first right, go past the centre and the car park is on the right, at the bottom of the hill.
For the short walk, cross over the road and go through a large wooden gate. Turn left onto a path which leads through woodland, along the lochside. Ignore a path going left (up to the deer farm - worth a detour if you have time) and go straight on, following a red arrow. At a second junction of paths go right, again following a red arrow, and walk along a path on the loch's dam wall. Halfway across, some steps lead down to the fish farm.
The walk can be muddy and if you have a push chair you need to follow the service road opposite the car park, by the other side of the loch and down to the fish farm.
The fish farm is normally open 10am to 3.30pm every day except Friday when it closes at 3pm. (Lunch is noon to 1pm.)
For more info go to:
www.beecraigs.com/fishery/fishfarm.htmThe full article contains 331 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
