Falls of Clyde (waterfalls)
Encyclopedia
The Falls of Clyde is the collective name of four linn (Scots
: waterfalls) on the River Clyde near New Lanark
, South Lanarkshire
, Scotland
. The Falls of Clyde comprise the upper falls of Bonnington Linn, Corra Linn, Dundaff Linn, and the lower falls of Stonebyres Linn. Corra Linn is the highest, with a fall of 90 feet. Bonnington Linn (fall of 30 feet), Corra Linn and Dundaff Linn are above New Lanark and located within the Falls of Clyde Reserve managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust
, a national nature conservation charity. Stonebyres Linn is located several miles downstream from the reserve and New Lanark.
immortalised Corra Linn, the largest of the waterfalls, in verse. Corra Linn has also been painted by a number of artists, including J. M. W. Turner
. The name comes from the Gaelic 'currach', a marshy place. A legend gives 'Cora' as a daughter of King Malcolm II
, who lept to her death here whilst trying to escape imagined danger.
Near Corra Linn is the Pavilion, built by Sir John Carmichael of Bonnington, probably in 1708. The Pavilion
had mirrors on its back wall, and when the doors were opened visitors had the illusion of standing beneath the falls. The 15th century Corra Castle is next to Corra Linn. It is now home to a family of rare bats. Corra is Gaelic for "weir", and as Corra Castle's early history is vague, some historians believe it was an early possession of the Weirs, the principle landowning family in the County after the dukes of Hamilton from the thirteeth to nineteenth centuries. Corehouse
, built in 1844, the home of the Cranstoun family, is nearby. At Stonebyres Linn the ruins of 15th century Stonebyres Castle may be seen.
s, roe deer
, and over 100 species of bird. The site is well-known for its resident breeding pair of peregrine falcon
s, which are protected during the breeding season by Operation Peregrine, providing security for the birds and a chance for the public to view the birds through scopes and CCTV. On the 22nd October 2011 at 1500 GMT a very rare pine martin was spotted within the reserve and was photographed. The photos will appear here once they have been uploaded and approved approved. Within the reserve the Clyde River is suitable habitat for Otter
s and Kingfisher
s as well as the protected Brook Lamprey
.
The Falls of Clyde Visitor Centre, operated by the Scottish Wildlife Trust
, features exhibits about the waterfalls, the woodland and the area animals, including a special bat
display.
. The station's water draw off means that the waterfalls are not always in full spate, but agreed 'Waterfall Days' allow visitors to see them in their natural state.
long distance path passes all four falls and ends at Bonnington Linn.
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
: waterfalls) on the River Clyde near New Lanark
New Lanark
New Lanark is a village on the River Clyde, approximately 1.4 miles from Lanark, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It was founded in 1786 by David Dale, who built cotton mills and housing for the mill workers. Dale built the mills there to take advantage of the water power provided by the river...
, South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The Falls of Clyde comprise the upper falls of Bonnington Linn, Corra Linn, Dundaff Linn, and the lower falls of Stonebyres Linn. Corra Linn is the highest, with a fall of 90 feet. Bonnington Linn (fall of 30 feet), Corra Linn and Dundaff Linn are above New Lanark and located within the Falls of Clyde Reserve managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust
Scottish Wildlife Trust
The Scottish Wildlife Trust is a registered charity dedicated to conserving the wildlife and natural environment of Scotland.-Description:The Scottish Wildlife Trust has over 32,800 members...
, a national nature conservation charity. Stonebyres Linn is located several miles downstream from the reserve and New Lanark.
History
The area has long been a popular destination for visitors. The Wordsworths, Coleridge and Sir Walter Scott all visited the Falls. In 1802, William WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....
immortalised Corra Linn, the largest of the waterfalls, in verse. Corra Linn has also been painted by a number of artists, including J. M. W. Turner
J. M. W. Turner
Joseph Mallord William Turner RA was an English Romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker. Turner was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting...
. The name comes from the Gaelic 'currach', a marshy place. A legend gives 'Cora' as a daughter of King Malcolm II
Malcolm II of Scotland
Máel Coluim mac Cináeda , was King of the Scots from 1005 until his death...
, who lept to her death here whilst trying to escape imagined danger.
Near Corra Linn is the Pavilion, built by Sir John Carmichael of Bonnington, probably in 1708. The Pavilion
Bonnington Pavilion
The Bonnington Pavilion or Hall of Mirrors, now a ruin, is situated in the grounds of the old estate of Bonnington, near New Lanark, overlooking Corra Linn falls on the River Clyde in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Alternative names are the Corra Linn Pavilion and the Falls of Clyde summerhouse. The name...
had mirrors on its back wall, and when the doors were opened visitors had the illusion of standing beneath the falls. The 15th century Corra Castle is next to Corra Linn. It is now home to a family of rare bats. Corra is Gaelic for "weir", and as Corra Castle's early history is vague, some historians believe it was an early possession of the Weirs, the principle landowning family in the County after the dukes of Hamilton from the thirteeth to nineteenth centuries. Corehouse
Corehouse
Corehouse is a large country house and estate, located approximately 30 miles to the south east of Glasgow, Scotland. The estate is by the Corra Linn Falls on the River Clyde, and close to the World Heritage Site of New Lanark, in South Lanarkshire....
, built in 1844, the home of the Cranstoun family, is nearby. At Stonebyres Linn the ruins of 15th century Stonebyres Castle may be seen.
Falls of Clyde Reserve
The reserve is an area of mixed woodland, including semi-natural native oakwoods and some areas of conifer plantation. It provides suitable habitat for badgerBadger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
s, roe deer
Roe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
, and over 100 species of bird. The site is well-known for its resident breeding pair of peregrine falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
s, which are protected during the breeding season by Operation Peregrine, providing security for the birds and a chance for the public to view the birds through scopes and CCTV. On the 22nd October 2011 at 1500 GMT a very rare pine martin was spotted within the reserve and was photographed. The photos will appear here once they have been uploaded and approved approved. Within the reserve the Clyde River is suitable habitat for Otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
s and Kingfisher
Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
s as well as the protected Brook Lamprey
Lamprey
Lampreys are a family of jawless fish, whose adults are characterized by a toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth. Translated from an admixture of Latin and Greek, lamprey means stone lickers...
.
The Falls of Clyde Visitor Centre, operated by the Scottish Wildlife Trust
Scottish Wildlife Trust
The Scottish Wildlife Trust is a registered charity dedicated to conserving the wildlife and natural environment of Scotland.-Description:The Scottish Wildlife Trust has over 32,800 members...
, features exhibits about the waterfalls, the woodland and the area animals, including a special bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
display.
Hydro-electric power
A hydro-electric power station is situated between Corra Linn and Dundaff Linn, with a water inlet at Bonnington Linn. This plant was built in 1927 and was the first hydro-electric power station in Scotland. It generates approximately eleven megawatts of power. Another hydro-electric power station is situated near Stonebyres Linn, about three miles south of Corra Linn. This generates approximately six megawatts of power. Both stations are owned and operated by Scottish PowerScottish Power
ScottishPower Ltd. is a vertically integrated energy company with its headquarters in Glasgow, Scotland. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but in 2006 it became a subsidiary of the Spanish utility Iberdrola...
. The station's water draw off means that the waterfalls are not always in full spate, but agreed 'Waterfall Days' allow visitors to see them in their natural state.
Clyde Walkway
The Clyde walkwayClyde walkway
The Clyde Walkway is a foot and mountain bike path which runs from Glasgow, Scotland, to just above the UNESCO World Heritage village of New Lanark. The path runs close to the River Clyde for most of its length...
long distance path passes all four falls and ends at Bonnington Linn.