South Lanarkshire – Holiday Apartments amid Nature, River Trails and Culture

South Lanarkshire combines culture, landscape and active experiences across a remarkable variety of clearly distinctive places. Between historic sites, river valleys, moorlands, woodland areas and trails of varying lengths, there are also waterside attractions, as well as the Low Parks Museum and Biggar Museum. This creates a destination where you can discover history, nature and activity with different areas of focus.

Culture and History

The most notable historical introduction is provided by New Lanark. The village is an outstanding example of a purpose-built 18th-century mill village. The New Lanark Experience combines historic buildings, immersive exhibitions and interactive displays. It also includes the Annie McLeod Experience, an immersive ride that brings the history of the mills to life.

At Low Parks Museum, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Gallery tells the story of the unique regiment over more than 300 years. The museum itself is a heritage attraction on the former estate of the Duke of Hamilton. Hamilton Mausoleum was built as a tomb and memorial for Alexander, the 10th Duke of Hamilton. Tours of the mausoleum can be booked through Low Parks Museum; the chapel has a 15-second reverberation.

Biggar also bears traces of regional life reaching far back into the past. The collections at Biggar Museum cover 14,000 years of rural life in Biggar and Upper Clydesdale. In addition, the leaflet for the Biggar Town Trail can be read and downloaded. Chatelherault Country Park is also home to a listed 18th-century hunting lodge.

Nature and Landscape

The Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature Reserve consists of six protected woodland areas along steep river valleys. The main sites can be visited for walking, enjoying the views and observing wildlife. Langlands Moss represents a different type of landscape: the area is a rare and significant lowland raised bog. Langlands Moss Local Nature Reserve is open to the public and has a boardwalk allowing visitors to experience the landscape safely.

At James Hamilton Heritage Park Local Nature Reserve, wetlands and small islands provide habitat for birds and other wildlife. The wooded valley of Calderglen stretches for more than 5 km along the Rotten Calder and includes waterfalls and geological features. Calderglen Country Park also has a zoo and a tropical greenhouse. Chatelherault Country Park covers 500 acres of landscape and woodland.

Trails and Discoveries

Several trails combine nature experiences with named starting and ending points. A 3-mile self-guided trail to the Falls of Clyde begins in New Lanark. The 1.2 km Power Trail at the Falls of Clyde also starts there and ends at Corra Linn; along the way, it passes Dundaff Linn and Bonnington Power Station.

Four official nature trails begin at the Information Point at the upper end of the main access road in Calderglen Country Park. The park also has more than ten miles of signposted paths. The Route 74 Heritage Walk begins at Low Parks Museum and follows the Rivers Clyde and Avon to Chatelherault Country Park in the High Parks. The Clyde Walkway is a 65 km trail along the river from Glasgow to the Falls of Clyde at New Lanark.

For access to Low Parks Museum, Hamilton Central railway station is 0.7 miles away; the walk takes approximately 15 minutes. The distance and walking time should be understood as approximate figures.

Water and Places to Visit

James Hamilton Heritage Park is an accredited training centre of the Royal Yachting Association and Paddle Scotland. It includes a 16-acre loch for water sports and leisure boating. At Lanark Loch, coarse fishing is permitted only with a licence; the loch is stocked with carp.

Whitelee Visitor Centre offers free parking, an electric vehicle charging station, Wi-Fi and a bicycle shelter. Alongside the landscape and cultural sites, this provides specific visitor facilities with named amenities.

Further Places

For further location options, open the pages for Abington, Leadhills, Lanark, Biggar, Larkhall, Strathaven, Hamilton, East Kilbride, Uddingston, Cambuslang, Carluke, Lesmahagow, Blantyre, Carstairs and Chapelton.

For the higher-level travel overview: Scotland.