Collegiate Church Castle Semple, Renfrewshire

March 2016

This is an area in old Renfrewshire where one can now walk around Castle Sempel Loch. Near Lochwinnoch and part of the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park (Scotland's largest), this was an easy, but very pleasant, unchallenging and varied walk, taking in the lochside, woodland Parkhill Wood and various trails and a tarmac cycle path on an old railway line (better for cyclists than for walkers). It was a lovely day (March 2016), with a blue sky and little cloud and the loch was sparkling in the sunlight as groups of swans took off along the loch.

The Collegiate Church was founded in 1504 by John, Lord Sempill, in the grounds of his castle. Lord Sempill was killed in the Battle of Flodden, 1513, and the church was extended to house his monument (pictured, top).

I stayed overnight in Greenock, which has a much improved waterfront area and I walked a mile along the shore to add to my Renfrewshire total.

Other parts of Clyde Muirshiel are certainly worth a trip, so just search for Clyde Muirshiel for more information.