Cumbernauld is a town on Clydeside in central Scotland, 13 miles northeast of Glasgow, with a population of 50,500 in 2022. Its centre is a drab vista of 1960s "New Town" concrete plazas and shopping centres, and most visitors are just stopping over on the way to the Highlands. However it's close to attractive countryside along the canal and up in the Campsie Fells.

Understand

The name is Gaelic, comar nan allt meaning the meeting of waters, and it's near the watershed of the Clyde and Forth river catchments. Cumbernauld grew into a weaving centre in the 19th century as the railway arrived, then expanded rapidly from 1955 when it was designated a "New Town". It was the third of five such towns built to alleviate Scotland's housing shortage, preceded by East Kilbride and Glenrothes, and followed by Livingston and Irvine; the intended sixth at Stonehouse was never built. Cumbernauld shares their drab brutalist architecture, and was especially influenced by the 1963 Buchanan Report "Traffic in Towns." In many ways this report was far-sighted, but implementation was shoddy, and 1960s politicians were in thrall to the car. The town's vertical segregation of pedestrians and vehicles meant few pedestrian crossings but many bridges, flyovers and underpasses, which became linear lavatories for the town drunks, and the place was mocked as "Noddytown". It might have overcome this with other attractions, but these are frankly lacking, and most visitors are just stopping over at the M80 hotels.

Get in

Cumbernauld is 13 miles northeast of Glasgow by M80, which continues to Stirling. By bike or on foot you might follow the canal towpath.

By plane

Glasgow Airport (GLA ^IATA) is usually the most convenient. Take Bus 500 into city centre and change to bus or train as below.

Edinburgh Airport (EDI ^IATA has a wider range of flights. Take the bus or tram to Haymarket for fast buses and trains to Glasgow then as below.

Cumbernauld Airport only has private aviation.

By train

Trains run from Glasgow Queen Street every 30 min, taking 30 min via Stepps and Greenfaulds, and continuing east via Falkirk Grahamston, Polmont and Linlithgow to Edinburgh, 50 min.

Trains also run from Glasgow Central every 30 min, taking an hour to orbit the southern suburbs via Rutherglen, Hamilton, Motherwell, Coatbridge and Greenfaulds. Coming from London, the Midlands and northwest England, change for this train at Motherwell.

From Stirling, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and the Highlands, change at Falkirk Grahamston.

1 Cumbernauld railway station is off South Carbrain Street on the east edge of town. It has a ticket office and machines, toilets and a waiting room. There are ramps to the platforms.

Greenfaulds station is a mile further southwest in an industrial area.

2 Croy is on B802 a couple of miles northwest of town, with frequent trains between Glasgow Queen Street, Stirling and Edinburgh.

By bus

Stagecoach Bus X25 / 25A runs from Glasgow Buchanan station every 15 min M-Sa and every 30 min Sunday, taking 25 min via Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Greenfaulds, and continuing from Cumbernauld town centre to the eastern suburbs of South Carbrain and Abronhill. Some of them start from Glasgow University in the west end.

Bus X28 runs from Glasgow every 30 min M-Sa, every couple of hours Sunday, taking 35 min via Mollinsburn, Condorrat and Greenfaulds.

First Glasgow Bus X3 runs to Cumbernauld every 30 min daily via Muirhead, Moodiesburn and Greenfaulds, taking an hour.

First Midland Bluebird Bus X37 runs hourly from Glasgow to Cumbernauld on a similar route to X3, then continues to Bonnybridge and Falkirk.

First Scotland East Bus X36 runs hourly daily from Glasgow to Cumbernauld then continues via Bonnybridge and Denny to Stirling.

Stagecoach Fife Bus X24 / X27 runs from Glasgow (M-Sa every 30 min, Su hourly) via Cumbernauld to Dunfermline and Halbeath Interchange, whence X27 follows the coast to Kirkcaldy and Leven, and X24 goes inland to Glenrothes, Cupar and St Andrews.

Canavan Bus 435 shuttles between Abronhill, Cumbernauld, Croy railway station and Kilsyth, every 15 min M-F and every 90 min Saturday.

Canavan Bus 247 runs M-Sa hourly from Kirkintilloch.

Cumbernauld doesn't have a bus station. Buses stop on dingy draughty Central Way beneath Antonine Shopping Centre.

Get around

You can walk or take the buses which circle the town, to little point as there's nothing to see. But with your own wheels - and a bike will do nicely - you can quickly escape into nearby countryside, north to the canal towpath and Campsie Fells.

See

The Centre Cumbernauld

• 1 The Centre Cumbernauld was built in the 1960s, when the concept of a New Town centre was of a single humongous structure for shops, apartments, hotel, amusements, eating places and police station. It was extended in 2007 with the Antonine Shopping Centre but is now in disrepair. It was voted "Britain's most hated building" in 2005, in a poll organised by Channel 4's programme Demolition, and was twice named Scotland's worst town centre by the Carbuncle Awards. It's to be demolished in 2027 / 28 and the entire town centre redeveloped.
• 2 Carrick Stone is the stubby remains of a Roman altar. It had ceremonial use in later centuries and probably in earlier times, as chances are the Romans re-purposed a prehistoric stone. Looking almost as timeworn nearby are a trig point and water tower.
• 3 Cumbernauld House Park, a mile northeast of town, has open and wooded areas for strolling. It's ranged around 18th-century Cumbernauld House, which is nowadays private apartments, and continues into a bosky glen.
• 4 Palacerigg Country Park has a petting farm, wildlife areas, woodland and open heath. It's two miles east of town next to the golf course, and open daily 9AM-5PM, free.

Do

• Cumbernauld Theatre and cinema is at Lanternhouse on South Kildrum Ring Road.
• Tryst Sports Centre has a gym, fitness classes and swimming pool. It's just north of Antonine Shopping Centre.
• Football is only played at amateur level, as Clyde FC (based here 1994-2022) have relocated to Hamilton. Cumbernauld United play soccer at Guy's Meadow, and Cumbernauld RFC play rugby union at Condorrat.
• Golf: Palacerigg GC (see park, above) is 5972 yards, par 71 / 72.

Westerwood golf course is at the Hilton near M80 jcn 6, see below.

Dullatur GC is on Glen Douglas Drive north of M80.

• Fannyside Loch just east of Palacerigg golf course has sailing and windsurfing, but the footpaths are in poor condition.

Buy

Gregory's Girl Cumbernauld is the setting for the 1981 Bill Forsyth film Gregory's Girl. The gawky teenage Gregory is as inept in love as he is at football, and the girl he pines for is a better footballer, replacing him on the team. In the final scenes he and his pals set off to hitchhike to Caracas, which they can't even spell, but believe that women there greatly outnumber the men. It's as far away from Cumbernauld as they can imagine.

• Antonine Shopping Centre bridges across the lyrically named "Central Way", with ASDA 200 yards north open daily 6AM-midnight.
• Tesco is north edge of town off Eastfield Rd, open M-Sa 6AM-10PM, Su 8AM-10PM.

Eat

• Town centre places include La Bella (daily 11AM-9:30PM), Grill Flames (daily 9AM-10PM) and the usual fast-food chains and takeaways.
• By the railway station are Bombay Dreams (W-Su 4-10:30PM) and Real Spice takeaway.
• The Black Bull (daily 11AM-11PM) is north near M80 jcn 6.

Drink

Town Centre

• The Carrick Stone, 52 Teviot Walk G67 1NG (within shopping centre), ☏ +44 1236 850260. Su-Th 8AM-11PM, F Sa 8AM-midnight. JD Wetherspoon's pub with real ales, and food until 10PM. (updated Nov 2024)
• Twa Corbies is 100 yards north of the railway station at 40 Kilbowie Rd, open M-Th 2-11:30PM, F-Su noon-midnight.

Sleep

• 1 Premier Inn Glasgow Cumbernauld, 4 South Muirhead Rd G67 1AX, ☏ +44 333 777 7285. Decent budget chain hotel near town centre. No a/c so hot weather is unpleasant, and no lift. No parking for trailers. B&B double £70. (updated Nov 2024)
• 2 Double Tree by Hilton Westerwood, 1 St Andrews Drive G68 0EW (by jcn 6 of M80), ☏ +44 1236 457171. Reliable mid-range hotel next to motorway, with spa and golf course. B&B double £180. (updated Nov 2024)
• 3 Eden Leisure Village, Millcroft Rd G67 4AG (off A73), ☏ +44 1236 735464. An odd mixture of glamping pods, camping and wedding venue. Double pod £90. (updated Nov 2024)

Connect

As of Nov 2024, Cumbernauld and its approach roads have 4G from O2, and 5G from EE, Three and Vodafone.

Go next

Or maybe Caracas, where women outnumber men

• Glasgow and Edinburgh are within an hour and both deserve an extended stay.
• Stirling is a miniature Edinburgh, and has routes into the Highlands.
• The Roman Antonine Wall runs a few miles to the north through Kilsyth, with the Campsie Fells beyond.
• To discover if they made a better job of Scotland's other New Towns, see East Kilbride, Glenrothes, Livingston and Irvine. But to be fair to the planners, also go and see what unplanned expansion looks like, for example in Dumbarton.

Routes through Cumbernauld

merges with ←	N  S	→ Coatbridge → The SOUTH (avoiding Glasgow)
Stirling ← Falkirk (via ) ←	NE  SW	→ Kirkintilloch → Glasgow
END ←	N  S	→ Airdrie → (Edinburgh)