Uplawmoor can be explored through a specific walk and its local history. The “Uplawmoor & Loch Libo” route crosses the Lochliboside Hills, passes Caldwell Tower and returns to Uplawmoor via visible remains of a former railway line. Its architectural history includes a church, a former school and Caldwell House.

Walking through the Lochliboside Hills

The “Uplawmoor & Loch Libo” walk is 7.25 kilometres long, classed as moderate and estimated to take around 2.5 hours. The historical walking guide names the Uplawmoor Hotel as the starting point; check this before your trip.

The path crosses the Lochliboside Hills. The section through the hills is considered suitable for most walkers, but can be rough and boggy at times; weather can affect conditions. Check the path conditions before setting out.

From a viewpoint, on a clear day you can see as far as Arran, Galloway, Ailsa Craig and the Arrochar Alps. The route passes the 15th-century Caldwell Tower. The return to Uplawmoor follows visible remains of the former railway line from Ardrossan to Glasgow.

Loch Libo and nature

Loch Libo, a Scottish Wildlife Trust nature reserve on the A736, lies near Uplawmoor. The shallow freshwater loch has a stand of mature deciduous trees on its slope. The loch and wooded slope provide a different landscape setting from the hill route.

Examples listed in the walking guide along the route include beech, rowan, buzzard, brown hare and fieldfare.

Local history and architecture

Uplawmoor’s links to the Mure family date back to the 14th century, beginning when Godfrey Mure married the heiress of Caldwell. Uplawmoor developed from a small settlement near Neukfoot, surrounded by a farming community. Early cottage industries included handloom weaving, quarrying local limestone and sandstone, and coal mining.

Colonel Mure laid the foundation stone for Caldwell Church in 1888. Uplawmoor Old School Hall was built in 1877 as a former primary school. The building is characterised by stone porches and pierced ornamental gablework. It replaced an earlier schoolroom that had been in use since 1857. Inside were a single schoolroom and a small office that was later converted into a kitchen.

Caldwell House is a three-storey, castellated mansion with a basement. Its corners are defined by distinctive pepperpot-style turrets; it was built to designs by the then well-known architect Robert Adam. The grounds include overgrown paths and rustic stone bridges that run through heavily wooded areas.

A village meeting place

Mure Hall is a self-managed community hall in the village of Uplawmoor. It is used for activities including playgroups, badminton, community meetings and bridge groups. The activities on offer depend on bookings and the programme.

Discover more destinations: Renfrew, Lochwinnoch, Elderslie, Paisley, Clarkston, Eaglesham, Giffnock, Newton Mearns

For the wider travel overview: Renfrewshire.