Falls of Clyde
The conservation village of New Lanark is the gateway to the Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve, which is owned and managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. From New Lanark you can enjoy beautiful riverside walks through the Reserve, following in the footsteps of the many poets and painters including Wordsworth and Turner. There are three waterfalls upstream from New Lanark lying on the Clyde Walkway: Dundaff Linn (3 metres) is the close to the village. Corra Linn (28 metres) is about 20-25 minutes walk, and Bonnington Linn (11 metres) about 30-45 minutes walk. For information about the Falls of Clyde Reserve, visit the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Visitor Centre at the old mill Dyeworks in New Lanark, and explore the Wildwood interactive guide to the surrounding countryside.
The reserve is host to over 100 species of bird including a pair of nesting Peregrine falcons. The Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve boasts unrivalled views of these wild birds. No where else in Great Britain can you get as close to these wonderful birds as you can at the Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve. High powered telescopes and Binoculars are available alongside the guidance of an expert species protection officer.
Look out too for kingfishers and otters and listen for owls hooting or watch for bats flying as dusk falls. On summer evenings why not come on a ranger led badger or bat walk on the reserve. The Scottish Wildlife Trust run a summer events programme and educational group visits can be arranged.
Opening Times
The Wildlife Reserve is open all year round, although restrictions will be in place during 'Operation Peregrine' which runs between April and July. The Falls of Clyde Visitor Centre and "Foragers" shop is open every day 11.00 – 17.00, except during January and February when opening hours are between 12.00 -16.00.
There is good wheelchair access to the visitor centre however access is limited on the adjacent Falls of Clyde reserve. A comprehensive upgrade of access will be carried out in the coming years please contact the ranger service for more details.
Waterfall Days at the Falls of Clyde
The last few years have seen low rivers levels on the planned Waterfall Day dates, so rather than fix two weekends for Waterfall Days, we will now advertise all the days that the Power Station is closed for maintenance; normally available a month in advance, so keep an eye here for the dates as they become available.
You can also check the SWT webcam 4 (July to March) for live pictures from Corra Linn before you visit or click here to be taken to the SEPA Monitoring Station at Hazelbank (updated at 8am every day). If the river level shown is around 2m or above, the Falls will definitely be worth a visit.
For the best chance to see Corra Linn and Bonnington Linn at their most spectacular, even with the Hydroelectric Power Station operating, we recommend that you come to the reserve within a day of heavy rain, especially if the ground is already wet.
For further information please contact the SWT Visitor Centre Manager, Falls of Clyde Visitor Centre, New Lanark, ML11 9DB. Tel. 01555 665262 or E-mail, fallsofclyde@swt.org.uk.
