Corra Linn

Today's the day ...................... to follow the Clyde

We went to the village of New Lanark today.

It is situated on the River Clyde about 30 miles southeast of Glasgow - and it was founded in 1786 by David Dale, who built cotton mills and housing for the mill workers. The mills were built there to take advantage of the water power provided by the only waterfalls on the River Clyde. Under the ownership of a partnership that included Dale's son-in-law, Robert Owen, a Welsh philanthropist and social reformer, New Lanark became a successful business and an epitome of utopian socialism.  It is an early example of a planned settlement and like Saltaire, Port Sunlight, and Bourneville - it is an important milestone in the historical development of urban planning.  It is now one of the five World Heritage Sites to be found in Scotland.

So we enjoyed a look round - and then took a walk upstream along the bank of the River Clyde.  At this stage, the river runs through a steep gorge which gives rise to the Falls of Clyde - the collective name for four impressive waterfalls or linns.

This is the highest of them - Corra Linn - with a fall of 84 feet. The area has long been a popular destination for visitors including the Wordsworths, Coleridge and Sir Walter Scott.  Corra Linn has also been painted by a number of artists, including JMW Turner........................