Clyde Valley

The River Clyde rises in the heather-covered mountains not far from Wanlockhead, an area where prospectors have searched for lead and gold since the 13th C. The water flows downstream between narrow walls of rock, first slowly and then speeding up before reaching the Falls of Clyde, a dramatic beauty spot which has inspired many painters and writers including Wordsworth, Scott, Coleridge and Turner. The power of the water also impressed some key figures during the Industrial Revolution such as Richard Arkwright, David Dale and the socially committed Robert Owen. New Lanark was chosen by Owen for the site of one of Britain's largest cotton spinning mills. The Clyde with its rich green woodland and orchards, its fauna and flora and its fertile fields is still a popular destination for locals and visitors alike. A signposted tourist route leads along the Clyde valley. It starts near Abington on the busy M74/A74 where the A702 turns to the east and then follows the course of the river northwards from the idyllic little villages at the foot of Tinto Hill via Biggar, Lanark and Hamilton and on to Blantyre. Further north in Monklands District based on Coatbridge, the industrial traditions of the valley become stronger. The Clyde then flows through Glasgow where a stroll "doon the watter" is an essential part of any tour of the city. For pure nostalgia, there is no substitute for a trip on the river in the "Waverley" steamer. Further downstream docks and huge shipyards used to dominate the skyline, striking symbols of the Victorian era, but today the centers of Port Glasgow and Greenock are now having to adapt to a post-industrial age. The Victorian resorts of Rothesay, Dunoon, Gourock, Millport and Largs along the Firth of Clyde continue to be popular destinations for the inhabitants of Scotland's major conurbations.