South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire is a rich mixture of urban and rural, stretching from Glasgows suburbs south to the open moorland of the Leadhills, via one of Scotlands best-kept secrets, the lush Clyde Valley.
This is an area steeped in history and many of the towns in the regions have a range of excellent attractions allowing you to explore their past. The jewel in South Lanarkshires historical crown is undoubtedly New Lanark, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This 18th-century cotton mill village first built by pioneering social reformer Robert Owen, has been beautifully restored and features an award-winning visitor centre whose interactive displays and rides really brings history to life.
Other popular historical attractions include the Bothwell Castle, Scotlands finest 13th-century fortification, Museum of Scottish Country Life at Kittochside, near to the new town of East Kilbride, Hamiltons Chatelherault Country Park which has as its centrepiece the magnificent early 18th-century hunting lodge of the Dukes of Hamilton, and the Leadhills and Wanlockhead Steam Railway where visitors can ride on the narrow gauge trains. In fact, the old market town of Biggar is known as Scotlands Museum Town, boasting as it does no fewer than seven rather unusual museums.
Unlike the northern part of the old county of Lanarkshire, the south was never industrialised and the area is liberally dotted with scenic walks and nature trails amidst some of the most dramatic scenery in Lowland Scotland.
From just beyond Hamilton, you can join the Clyde Valley Tourist Route, which follows the meandering River Clyde towards Lanark, passing the many garden centres and pick-your-own orchards that are a feature of this fertile area. The scenery is gentle and picturesque, as are the villages with their welcoming pubs. Elsewhere, Chatelherault Country Park is criss-crossed with miles of nature trails leading through 500 acres of woods and the Avon River Gorge while there are excellent riverside walks upstream from New Lanark, including the scenic Falls of Clyde.
For something a little different, you can even try panning for gold at Wanlockhead.
