Menoturals; Around New Lanark

On Monday, I promised you a Nature Friday post on the surroundings of New Lanark. Having shared with you the fact that the milling village is set at the bottom of a steep incline—into what might be termed a gorge—I did mention that the power gained from the water wheel was achieved by the flow of the River Clyde. Many people think of the Clyde as the wide and deep river that enabled Glasgow and other towns stretching along its widening girth to the north and west of the city to build enormous ships and trade internationally... not least in the cotton and sugar goods that dominated the 19th century. However, as with all rivers, it starts off small, up in the border hills above Moffat, gathering speed, size and strength such that it is quite the raging torrent by the time it reaches Lanark.

I also mentioned that NL is within a National Nature Reserve (read more about NNRs here)—specifically, it is part of the Clyde Valley Woodlands NNR. Six woods along the valley are included: Cartland Crags, Cleghorn Glen, Chatelherault, Lower Nethan Gorge, Mauldslie Woods, and (not least) the Falls of Clyde.

The falls are in three stages. Bonnington Linn (linn is the Gaelic for falls), Corra Linn, and Dundaff Linn (in the picture above). Some of the water is siphoned off a little up the way to create the mill lade for turning the enormous wheel. Hydroelectricity has been generated from the river since the 1920s (it is now managed by Scottish Power, and between the Corra Linn and Stonebyres Linn further south, around six megawatts of power a year is produced). Within the New Lanark mill village, the power was (and is) provided by that water wheel.

There is abundant wildlife in the area, including badgers, otters, deer, birds of prey, and many other bird species, as well as the ever-present foxes, rabbits, and squirrels. I have seen deer on one occasion, and on this visit to the waters, a heron was spotted - there will be film of it coming up on Saturday Sounds later. However, some of the natives of these woods are depicted in artful form up on the roof garden of the mill museum...

Meanwhile, in the older town of Lanark, nature has not been forgotten. 

...and here's this week's rose for Rosy!