Scotland’s Waterfall Walk
I have been wanting to do this walk for ages. And last Saturday – a crisp sparkling day with blue skies as far as the eye could see – I finally made it. My destination: the Falls of Clyde Walkway, but I prefer the term Scotland’s Waterfall Walk.
The walk is based out of a teeny-tiny village called New Lanark, a 18th century cotton mill village set in a leafy valley east of Edinburgh and south of Glasgow. There is an old general store and a friendly visitors centre in the village, and behind the centre is direct access to the water walkway.
At first the path is a fairly steep incline, a fact evidenced by the tubes carrying water downhill into the power plant still functioning here. However, it’s only a 15 minute walk or so to the main attraction of the day, the Cora Linn waterfall. You can see (and hear!) it here – my first video post! Drumroll, please:
Pretty impressive, eh? I love how the sound of a waterfall completely drowns out the rest of the world and really calms the soul. There are plenty of benches around, so there is no excuse to not sit down and relax. You can do that here too – go ahead and play the video again. Don’t feel embarrassed, I will not tell anybody.
The walk certainly doesn’t end at the Cora Linn – the route goes another 30 minutes or so along a ridge with excellent views of the river cutting through the valley, before reaching another set of falls, the Bonnington Linn. I actually found these the more majestic set of the two; if you walk across the concrete bridge and around to the other side there are some great seats directly across from the falls where you can sit and just soak up the atmosphere (although not literally – unless there is a sharp wind).
The path ends here, unfortunately, and the guides tell you to double-back on the route. We, however, kept going on the opposite side of the river, exploring the wooded forest path, Cora Castle, and after a couple of miles, found ourselves in Lanark, back up at the top of the valley. The entire loop back down into New Lanark took about 3 hours, but it was well worth it, and this included a lunch shop on some logs while we enjoyed the sunny reflections in a quiet bit of the river.
If you’re interested in exploring some of the hidden walking routes in this or other parts of Scotland, I highly recommend the Lonely Planet – Walking in Scotland
Have you been to the Falls of Clyde? What did you think of my video – please be kind!
Does walking in Scotland sound like a travel dream come true?
What are you waiting for? Travel More with our Special Offers
Get hands-on travel help from Donna, our travel concierge.
February 6th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
No snow on the ground I noticed! Looks wonderful to me, though I love all Scotland.
Quite a nice walk, it’s not every day you get to see a beautiful waterfall like that. Lovely video, I love the powerful sound of the fall.
That reminded me of another place in Scotland we did visit, but I can’t recall the name of it right now….
Lifecruiser’s last blog post..Tenerife Horse Power
February 6th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
You’re right – no snow – there is snow up north and down south, but we’ve stayed clear of it here in the Lothians. Pretty cold though.
Thanks for your comments, glad you liked the video – but believe me, it’s more impressive in person.
February 9th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Lovely video Thank you.
I came over from your comments on Someday Syndrome because I saw the word Scotland on your link.
My father was from lowland Scotland via Ontario Canada and then to the US, and I wanted to come and see his homeland. So I bought a tour for my 60th birthday this year….
I will be in Scotland near the end of July visiting tour sites in the morning and walking about on my own in the afternoons….I am so excited I kind of get the feelings I might jump out of my shoes.
I am going to see if I am within walking distance on my trip -
Patricia’s last blog post..I Request the Honor of your Comments
February 10th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Thanks for visiting, Patricia. I’m sure you’ll have a lovely time here in Scotland.
I’ve sent you an email – happy to show you around while you’re here if/when in Edinburgh.
February 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
[...] Experiences is a great photography/travel blog from Edinburgh-based writer Andy Hayes, who recommends “Scotland’s Waterfall Walk” by New Lanark. If the thought of all that walking [...]