M74 Junction 5 dog walk near Motherwell, Scotland
Photo © Driving with Dogs 
Photo © Driving with Dogs 
Photo © Driving with Dogs 
Photo © Driving with Dogs 
Photo © Driving with Dogs
Description
A very handy stopping point whether you're heading north or south, as this enormous park spans almost the complete distance between Junctions 5 and 6. Enjoy a tranquil leafy walk alongside the loch or, if you have kids to please, there's a beach and funfair/theme park that should satisfy younger passengers. Update: a DwD member recently visited the park and found things had changed. Please read her review below.
Details
GPS coords for car park: 55.7970, -4.0336 What3Words: ///sunk.able.vital Dog poo bins. Meals available at the Toby Carvery (in the Express Holiday Inn) just before the exit for M74 Junction 5. This walk is easily accessible from junction 6 as well. The park is also home to Scotland's first theme park with a Wimpy and other cafes and children's entertainment. This is on the right side of the road before the 4th car park. Foreshaw beach, the 5th car park, is popular with families and gives access to a grassy lakeside ‘beach', children's playground, WCs, and an ice-cream van in Summer. The final car park, just before the Toby Carvery, serves the visitor centre. The visitor centre is located here, but this dingy building appeared to be closed permanently and the disabled WCs behind it were also locked on the day we visited.
Walk
Length of walk: 25-60 minutes We started from the 3rd car park and headed into the woodland away from the road. The path leads down to the lakeside, and joins what seems to be a semi-circular, hard surface, waterside pathway which can be accessed from most of the car parks. On a sunny July day the park didn't feel at all crowded, and the choice of paths either by the water or criss-crossing the surrounding woodland can make this into quite a long hike if you wish.
Marina McQuade
Green 92 PointsEdited: 15th April 2024. The details of this listing may have changed, and though the Driving with Dogs team do our best to confirm the accuracy of every listing, we cannot guarantee that the details are fully up to date and accurate. If you know that any aspect of this listing is incorrect, please suggest an edit to let us know.
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Not a safe place to walk esp with kids
I dropped my husband and teenage kids with the dog to go for a walk mid afternoon whilst I took the car to charge it up for the next leg of our journey south. He called me after 10 mins to come back. There were a lot of people especially around the theme park but many very drunk and some scoring drugs in the bushes. The lake was not pleasant enough for the dog to swim (many weeds and algae) and our doggie loves to swim every day come rain or shine. There’s nowhere to get a nice drink or bite to eat and the atmosphere is quite rough. Not a pleasant experience at all. We have stopped at lots of other walks recommended but won’t be stopping here again. Sorry!