And at number 1...

ADRUMROLL PLEASE. The absolute worst-selling Explorer map in Britain is – not somewhere totally remote – but number 343 Motherwell & Coatbridge. We’ve come close by here already in this rundown – Lanark & Tinto Hills is the next map south – but this one swings so close to Glasgow it takes in some of the satellite towns that merge almost seamlessly into the city’s eastern suburbs.

The south-east quadrant of the map is the emptiest of road and building, but with plenty of plantation conifer and wind turbines, the views won’t be to everyone’s taste. It’s in fact among the north-west quarter’s dense conurbation that some of the best walks lie, sneaking into what look like tiny patches of greenery but are in life, on foot, plenty big enough to escape the hustle. There’s the Monkland Canal and Drumpellier Country Park, close to Coatbridge, edged by rail and motorway, but rich with wildlife and green views. There’s Strathclyde Loch, wedged between Motherwell and the M74, with a mirrorsheen that’s an oasis of calm. And then as the urban loosens its grip slightly in the map’s south-west corner there’s the Avon Gorge. The 18th-century hunting lodge at Chatelherault and the ruin of Cadzow Castle stand either side of this deep cleft, a valley dense with woodland and floored by the chuckling Avon Water. A circuit through the leafy glen is gorgeous, particularly in autumn, and will take you by the gnarled Cadzow Oaks which have been growing here for seven centuries, making them some of the oldest broadleaf trees in Scotland.

Or for a bigger waterside adventure, the longdistance diamond symbols of the Clyde Walkway

march onto the map close to the famous explorer David Livingstone’s birthplace, tread through Strathclyde Country Park and then trace the riverbank south through scenic meanders to leave the sheet again some 12 miles later near Crossford.

There are clearly tempting walks to be had here, so why is this this the worst-selling Explorer in the entire nation? Our guess is the locals know all about it already and don’t need a map, and that tourists pour direct into the city centre. But if you’re not from this part of Lanarkshire and you want to discover somewhere new this summer, why not unfold the least-used sheet in the country?

WALK HERE: Turn to Walk 24 in this issue for a route from Coatbridge, or download Chatelherault or Crossford at www.lfto.com/bonusroutes