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Cleghorn Glen, Lanark

Last week, we featured Chatelherault and various places of interest within the park. This week, we're going to be focusing on Lanark, a market town in the Clydesdale area of South Lanarkshire roughly 36.25 km south-east of Glasgow and 47.5 km south-west of Edinburgh. Where better to start than with one of Lanark's three Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Cleghorn Glen. This, together with Chatelherault and the other four sites listed below, forms part of the Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature Reserve.
  • Cartland Craigs, Lanark
  • Chatelherault, Hamilton
  • Cleghorn Glen, Lanark
  • Falls of Clyde, New Lanark
  • Mauldslie Woods, Carluke
  • Nethan Gorge, Crossford
Set in a gorge carved out during the last ice age, Cleghorn Glen surrounds the majestic Mouse Water (a tributary of the River Clyde) as it winds its way through several acres of dense woodland between the village of Cleghorn, near Lanark, and Mousebank Road, Lanark, where Cleghorn Glen ends and, separated by a road, Cartland Craigs begins.
One of the small, but nevertheless beautiful, waterfalls found within Cleghorn Glen.
Unlike many other woodlands in the local area, Cleghorn Glen features very few non-native species of tree. Owing to the challenging geography, commercial forestry was never really commercially viable and so the forest remained unchanged for centuries. Today, little human intervention has taken place within the site. There are two bridges, one a wooden suspension bridge (Fulwood Bridge) over a stream and the other a metal girder bridge (Leitchford Bridge). The footpath also contains steps in some parts. Wooden board with information about the reserve and the mascot (a badger, which is a common species throughout the Clyde Valley Woodlands NNR) can be found at each of the three entrances. Slightly off the marked footpath, there is a private burial ground, with the remains of eleven of the Elliot-Lockharts interred here (the family which owns the adjoining estate).
The sign at the entrance off Bellfield Road.
Native species of tree you'll encounter here include aspen and Scots pine, with many mammals calling this place home including roe deer, badgers, and otters. If you're interested in bird watching, keep your eyes and ears peeled for dippers, wood warblers, great spotted woodpeckers and tawny owls. The best time of year to visit is spring, as there is a more diverse selection of species thriving within Cleghorn Glen, however many birds and mammals can be seen all year round.
Scots pine is one of the native tree species you'll encounter whilst walking through Cleghorn Glen. [1]
Throughout Cleghorn Glen, there are plenty of viewpoints offering fantastic scenes of undisturbed, ancient woodland that seems to go on forever. At several points along the course of the river, there are also a number of small but eye-catching waterfalls, some of which you can walk right up to.

During the Lanark Lanimers, an event known as the Marches takes place, where townsfolk inspect the burgh's boundary stones. This takes the participants through parts of Cleghorn Glen and across Mouse Water, where young people will usually come out at the other side covered head-to-toe in mud.

Cleghorn Glen is a truly remarkable site and, together with the five other sites which make up the National Nature Reserve, is a truly valuable piece of Scotland's natural heritage.

This week's focus is on Lanark. Subscribe or check back every day for articles on:

  • Tuesday, 12 December 2017 - Lanark Moor Country Park
  • Wednesday, 13 December 2017 - St Nicholas Church
  • Thursday, 14 December 2017 - Smyllum Orphanage
  • Friday, 15 December 2017 - Cartland Craigs

Bibliography

  • Scottish Natural Heritage (2015). Cleghorn Glen and Cartland Craigs. Scotland's National Nature Reserves. Scottish Natural Heritage.
  • Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership (2016). Cleghorn Glen Trail. Clyde and Avon Valley. Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership.

Image Attribution

[1] Originally taken by Adam Black in 2010, released into the public domain.

Images with no attribution are Copyright © 2017, Adam Black. All rights reserved.

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Location: Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature Reserve (Cartland Crags and Cleghorn Glen), Lanark ML11 7RH, UK

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