Falls of Clyde and New Lanark, UNESCO World Heritage Site

· by · in Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. ·

Thank you everyone for all the good wishes regarding my move to the UK ! I’ve settled down, and everything is great (so far :p)! Just after the move, we went to Scotland for a little road trip, but I’m back now, the head full of good memories and it’s going to be a pleasure to share them with you during the next following weeks :-)

Falls of Clyde and New Lanark, UNESCO World Heritage Site

The first stop of our Scottish journey was in New Lanark, a restored 18th century cotton mill village located in South Lanarkshire. The village is located on the banks of the River Clyde, close to the Falls of Clyde and has been a UNESCO world Heritage site since 2001.

New Lanark, UNESCO World Heritage Site

New Lanark, UNESCO World Heritage Site

In the beginning of the 18th century, New Lanark was he biggest cotton mill in Scotland and formed one of the largest industrial groups in the world. Thousands of people were working in the village. The mill owner, Robert Owen, was an idealist and a humanist. He was concerned about the well being of his workers and he believed in an industrial model where the creation of wealth was not synonym of exploitation of people. He provided schools for children, education and spacious houses of his workers.

I was amazed to see how well preserved the village was. Apparently, it has been restored as faithfully as possible, and the result is breathtaking ! The weather was not very good when we first arrived, but it finally cleared up a few hours later and we could enjoy the beautiful buildings under a bright sun !

It is possible to visit different part of the site but not all buildings are open to the public as is it a living and working village. We visited the Mill #3, Robert Owen’s House, the mill worker’s house and the village store. In the Mill #3, you can enjoy the Annie McLeod Experience Ride.  We took a seat and enjoy a dark ride where the ghost of mill worker Annie McLeod told us her story :-) It was a very strange and new experience for us !

Today, the mill is still producing wool and it’s possible to buy it… and guess what ?! Their wool was used to create the xmas jumpers features in the Harry Potter films :D This is so cool ! All the money they made from the sales of textiles are reinvested in the care of this World Heritage Site.

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New Lanark, Mill 3

Around the village, the scenery is also beautiful. In the Falls of Clyde Wildlife reserve, you can see the wonderful waterfall but also some woodland and a lot of flora and fauna. We really enjoyed this walk !

Packing my Suitcase
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116 responses to “Falls of Clyde and New Lanark, UNESCO World Heritage Site”

  2. I am so happy to hear you are fine in England. Also looks like your trip to Scotland was a great one.:) I have never heard about this place, but it looks like a very interessting and beautiful one! Love your pictures as always :)

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  3. I’m so happy to hear you’re doing well! And I’m doubly happy to see you went to Scotland! Your photos and adventures are gorgeous as usual!
    (The Annie McLeod pic is sooo funny!)
    Can’t wait to hear and see more about this trip! Xoxoxo

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  5. glad to hear you’ve settled and enjoying as well. thank you so much for sharing your Scottish journey! you took beautiful photographs :)

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  6. So glad you’re settled and traveling again. Looking forward to seeing the rain through your eyes again.

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  8. Gorgeous! One day we’ll get to Scotland. It’s torture. I like to check on airfare and vacation packages every once in a while so I know what prices to look for when we are ready. Stupid. We made a pact to not take any big trips since Iceland/Paris killed our budget. I said to Vic we can stay at the Marriott in St Thomas for 6 nights for $1800 for both of us together not each – he had to remind me that we are saving for next year. I tend to get side tracked by traveling. The stopover to Iceland prices are killing me too! Need to ban myself from the internet. I have a friend that wants to go to Africa next year. That’s going to be expensive. We decided we’ll save for it. If the trip happens – it happens. If not grizzlies near Vancouver or something nature related. Even our cheap trips don’t end up cheap because of the way we eat and we come back with bushels of sweets. Thankfully, we live in a walking city helps us keep in some kind of shape.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I like looking at airfares as well to find the cheapest period ! Iceland is quite expensive, I can imagine how it can ruin a budget.

      But you are living in a nice place where there is much to do and a lot to explore for free :-)

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Oh, it’s so nice to read something from you and your lovely trip to Scotland. The buildings looks really impressive to me. And it’s a joy to read that the Mill Owner was such a kind person! The waterfall is a little bit icelandic, I guess. Reminds a little bit of Hraunfossar. ;)
    Have a lovely start to the week!

    Liked by 1 person

    • This person was very inspirational. His business partners didn’t like his way of conducting business I’m sure ;-)

      Oh yes, you are right, now that you have mentioned it I can see the similarities :-)

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  11. I’m so behind on my blog reading and commenting, but I’m glad your move has gone well so far! I loved Scotland; I enjoyed this post and look forward to more!

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  13. I’m very happy to see you went to such a gorgeous place! I can see why you wanted to stay longer. It’s always hard to say goodbye to such locations. I hope you’ll visit soon. Welcome back, by the way! I missed your posts <3 x

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  14. I love that opening shot ~ serene, but understanding its past it was anything but being the largest cotton mill in Scotland. Coming from the textile side of business, I have a soft spot for the old, historical mills and the way the industry worked back then…very cool to read and see/experience this place through your photos and words.

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  17. I’m glad the sun appeared for you Gin ! So important to keep industrial and social history like this accessible and meaningful for everyone .
    Lovely collection of photos … looking forward to some more of the Highlands and Islands . I may get there someday :-)

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    • It was very accessible, and we learnt a lot from the exhibit. It was nice to hear how things were at that time. Very instructive.

      It will come soon :-) But first, around Loch Lomond and the Trossachs :-)

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Glad your move went well! What a beautiful restoration of this picturesque mill. I’ve heard of the social reformer Robert Owen so it’s fascinating to see your photos and read about your interesting visit to New Lanark. Love your photographs. Wishing you a happy week ahead! :))

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    • Yes, this guy was quite strange and interesting for its time :-) It was very nice to hear about his ideas and how he tried to change things. I’m not surprised it has become a UNESCO site !

      Thank you ! I also wish you a nice week ! :-)

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  19. Love you photos from the New Lanark cotton mill. Looks like a beautiful site and the location long the river is just perfect. And I like the fact that it is still an active mill, I think it adds to the charm:)

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    • Yes, it’s a UNESCO site and it’s still active, I think it’s awesome ! They found a way to preserve it and maintain it by generating some money from the houses renting, the museum and the wool selling.

      Thanks Inger, I hope you are enjoying your summer :-)

      Liked by 1 person

  20. I’m glad you settled in well and enjoying it – even fitting in a little road trip! I love Scotland, but haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Clyde or New Lanark. I never realised it was a UNESCO site. It’s stunning :)

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  21. Great to know that you have settled in nicely in Leeds. Your photos of Scotland are beautiful. I have always wanted to go there. Such breathtaking scenery and I find Scottish music quite pleasant to the ears!

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  25. Among the stories of that industrial period I think this is the brightest one I’ve ever read… Robert Owen, I’ll not forget the name, besides makes me remember to the architect Owen Jones who designed the Crystal Palace in 19th century… Happy for your return to the writing, take care :-)

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    • Usually, the industrial period is full of sadness (both ecological and social). I agree with you, it’s also one of the brightest I’ve ever heard ! It’s good to be aware of some people that tried to do well and respect others human being.

      Yesss, I’m back ! :p

      Liked by 1 person

  30. What an interesting site, that’s so great that it’s still a functioning village (and that they made the Harry Potter wool!). Glad to hear you are settling in!

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    • Coucou Vivien ! J’ai déménagé en Angleterre aux alentours du 16 juin, et puis.. le temps de s’installer et de faire quelques formalités administratives.. le temps est passé très vite ! En plus, on s’est octroyé quelques jours en Ecosse, histoire de se relaxer après toutes ces démarches :-)

      Mais je suis de retour, avec une boite mail pleine à craquer, mais j’arriverai à rattraper mon retard ! :-)

      Merci, bon weekend à toi aussi ! Ça va, tu ne souffres pas trop de la vague de chaleur ?

      Liked by 1 person

  35. This is so interesting Gin – amazing that the mill is still operating as so many have closed down now. I’m not surprised it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site. The photos look lovely even if the weather wasn’t so great. Hope you’re settling into your new home well and have a lovely weekend too :)

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  39. So good to hear you enjoyed the trip though it was a bit wet. So cool that they make wool, and used to make it for the Harry Potter jumpers. It must be very soft, made with love and money comes back round for a good cause :D Aww, you can even buy it!

    Glad to hear the move went well. Enjoy the UK :)

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    • Oh you know, it’s Scottish weather after all :p It has rained almost every day, but we also got a bright sunshine, nearly all the time. The weather was very unpredictable and changing. Always bring your waterproof with you even with the sky is super blue :-)

      How are you Mabel ?

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      • Good to hear there is sunshine. Blue sky and sun always make a place look so much more cheerful. Ah, but the weather can be unpredictable. Sounds just like Melbourne – one minute sunny, the next minute, all wet :D

        I’m not too bad. It’s so cold here this winter. But spring is just around the corner <3

        Liked by 1 person

  40. Hi there – the place looks magical! Like from a fantasy movie.
    I see you moved to Scotland. I lived there for a year in Dundee and enjoyed the castles, old houses with rock roofs and the nature. They have it rich. Edinburg is magical too. What is your itinerary?
    – Ruta

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    • Hi Ruta ! Well, I didn’t move to Scotland :-) I moved to Leeds (West Yorkshire), but I did a Scotland road trip these last two weeks :-)

      We didn’t get the chance to visit the East Coast of Scotland, we mainly stayed on the West coast. We visited some places around Loch Lomond, Killin, Oban, Mull, Isle Skye, and the Highlands before driving back to Leeds yesterday :-)

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    • I think this place is full of important history, it’s a model for socialism. I understand why it is featured on the UNESCO list, it is really one of the base of our society when you think about it :-)

      Thank you for your nice comment ! I hope you are going well !

      Like

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