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This set of spectacular waterfalls is only 30 miles from the centre of Glasgow

26 June 2017

While New Lanark might be best known for Robert Owen’s model village at New Lanark, the area is also home to astounding natural features that you might expect to find in the Highlands.

The Falls of Clyde (by drone)

The stunning waterfalls that lie just an hour from Glasgow & Edinburgh.

Falls of Clyde

Falls of Clyde are a collection of waterfalls upstream of New Lanark which have long been admired for their natural beauty.

Romantic poets Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth visited in the early 19th Century. Dorothy Wordsworth noted they were both so moved by what they saw that it sparked a lengthy conversation about ‘the precise meaning of the words [like] grand, majestic, sublime’.

Wildlife

Image by John Hawkins / Surrey Hills Photography

As well as the pleasant woodland walks taking you past dramatic waterfalls, there’s also a chance to spot wildlife at New Lanark.

You can see badgers in their natural environment, otters on the riverbank and a range of bird species, like kingfishers and peregrine falcons.

Bonnington Pavilion

Although Bonnington House was demolished in the 1950s, part of Bonnington Pavilion can still be seen and is of ‘outstanding national value’ according to Historic Environment Scotland.

Overlooking Corra Linn, the highest of the four waterfalls at the Falls of Clyde, the pavilion is the ’earliest surviving Scottish garden building situated so as to enjoy a Picturesque view’.

Robert Owen’s model village

It was on a visit to Scotland that Welshman Robert Owen fell in love with Caroline Dew. Her father owned the New Lanark cotton mill and Owen took over the running of this following their marriage in 1799.

He set about creating a better living environment for his staff who lived on the site, although there is debate among historians as whether he was a benevolent figure or speculative businessman.

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