Falls of Clyde (waterfalls)

Group of waterfalls in Scotland

This article is about the waterfalls. For the ship, see Falls of Clyde (ship).

Falls of Clyde

Corra Linn in full spate

Location| Lanark, Scotland
Coordinates| 55°39′12″N 3°46′36″W﻿ / ﻿55.65333°N 3.77667°W﻿ / 55.65333; -3.77667
Number of drops| 4
Longest drop| 26 m (84 ft)[1]
Watercourse| River Clyde

The Falls of Clyde are a series of linns or waterfalls on the River Clyde, near Lanark, Scotland. They are renowned for their beauty and have frequently been painted by artists. There are four in total: Bonnington Linn, Corra Linn, and Dundaff Linn, all above Lanark, and Stonebyres Linn, some distance below the town. The highest and most impressive of the four is Corra Linn, with a fall of 84 feet (26 m).[1]

## History

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Bonnington Linn Dundaff Linn, seen from New Lanark

The area is a destination for visitors. The Wordsworths, Coleridge and Sir Walter Scott all visited the Falls. In 1802, William Wordsworth wrote a poem about Corra Linn, the largest of the waterfalls. Corra Linn has been painted by artists, including J. M. W. Turner. A legend gives "Cora" as a daughter of King Malcolm II, who leapt to her death here whilst trying to escape imagined danger.[2]

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 Daubenton's, Natterer's and whiskered bats.[3] 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 principal landowning family in the county after the Dukes of Hamilton from the 13th to 19th centuries.[citation needed] Corehouse, built in 1844, the home of the Cranstoun family, is nearby.

## Falls of Clyde Site of Special Scientific Interest

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Stonebyres Linn

The Falls of Clyde Site of Special Scientific Interest (formerly the Corehouse Nature Reserve), a part of the Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature Reserve, is an area of mixed woodland, including semi-natural native oakwoods and some areas of conifer plantation. It provides suitable habitat for badgers, roe deer, and over 100 species of bird. The site has a breeding pair of peregrine falcons, 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.[citation needed] Within the reserve the Clyde River is suitable habitat for otters and kingfishers as well as the protected brook lamprey.[citation needed]

The Falls of Clyde Visitor Centre, operated by the Scottish Wildlife Trust,[4] features exhibits about the waterfalls, the woodland and the area animals, including a special bat display.

## Hydro-electric power

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The Lanark Hydro Electric Scheme is situated between Corra Linn and Dundaff Linn, with a water inlet at Bonnington Linn, and is considered the oldest of the United Kingdom.[5]

The scheme was conceived in 1925 under the chairmanship of Sir Edward MacColl[6] and was completed in 1927 as the first hydro-electric power station in Scotland designed for public supply, rather than industry. The power station at Stonebyres was designed by Sir Robert Lorimer (who also acted as design advisor to the committee looking at the overall concept).

The plant 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 Power.[5]

## See also

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* List of waterfalls
* List of waterfalls in the United Kingdom

## References

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1. ^ a b Colton, Calvin (1836). Four Years in Great Britain. Vol. 2\. Harper & Brothers. p. 220. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
2. ^ Westwood, Jennifer and Kingshill, Jennifer (2009). The Lore of Scotland. A Guide to Scottish Legends. London : Random House. ISBN 978-1-905211-62-3. p. 176
3. ^ "Have you ever seen inside Corra Castle? Now's your chance!". Scottish Wildlife Trust. 17 August 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
4. ^ Filippo Ceragioli (10 May 2019). "Le romantiche cascate del Clyde". Piemonte Parchi (in Italian). Regione Piemonte. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
5. ^ a b "Lanark Hydros technical factsheet" (PDF). Scottishpower. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
6. ^ Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Robert Lorimer

Historical Tours in the Clyde Valley. Published by the Clyde Valley Tourist Association and the Lanark & District Archaeological Association. Printed by Robert MacLehose and Company Limited, Renfrew, Scotland. 1982.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Falls of Clyde (waterfalls).

* Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve
* Visitor Centre
* Lanark Hydro-electric Scheme
* Historic Environment Scotland. "THE FALLS OF CLYDE (GDL00358)".
* Scottish Wildlife Trust Reserve

* v
* t
* e

River Clyde, Scotland

Administrative areas|

* South Lanarkshire
* North Lanarkshire
* Glasgow City
* West Dunbartonshire
* Renfrewshire
* Inverclyde
* Argyll and Bute

Flows into|

* Firth of Clyde, then North Channel

Settlements
(upstream to downstream)|

* Elvanfoot
* Abington
* Symington
* New Lanark
* Lanark
* Wishaw
* Motherwell
* Hamilton
* Bothwell
* Uddingston
* Cambuslang
* Rutherglen
* Glasgow
* Renfrew
* Clydebank
* Old Kilpatrick
* Dumbarton
* Port Glasgow
* Greenock
* Helensburgh
* Gourock
* Dunoon

Major tributaries
(upstream to downstream by confluence)|

* Daer Water
* Potrail Water
* Duneaton Water
* North Medwyn River
* South Medwyn River
* Douglas Water
* Mouse Water
* River Nethan
* Avon Water
* South Calder Water
* North Calder Water
* Rotten Calder
* River Kelvin
* River Cart
* River Leven

Major bridges and crossings
(upstream to downstream)|

* Elvanfoot Viaduct
* Elvanfoot Motorway Bridge
* Elvanfoot Bridge
* Camps Road Bridge
* Crawford Viaduct
* Abington Bridge
* Wandel Road Bridge
* Clyde's Bridge
* Lamington Viaduct
* Lamington Bridge
* Wolfclyde Bridge
* Thankerton Bridge
* Pettinain Bridge
* Hyndford Bridge
* Bonnington Weir
* Clydesholm Bridge
* Kirkfieldbank Bridge
* Crossford Bridge
* Garrion Bridge
* Camp Viaduct
* Clyde Bridge
* Raith Bridge
* East Kilbride Expressway Bridge
* Bothwell Bridge
* David Livingstone Memorial Bridge
* Uddingston Footbridge
* Uddingston Viaduct
* Haughhead Bridge
* Westburn Viaduct
* Clydeford Bridge
* Cambuslang Bridge
* Bogleshole Road Bridge
* Clydebridge Viaduct
* Auchenshuggle Bridge
* Cuningar Loop Footbridge
* Dalmarnock Bridge
* Dalmarnock Railway Bridge
* Shawfield Smartbridge
* Rutherglen Bridge
* Polmadie Bridge
* King's Bridge
* St. Andrew's Suspension Bridge
* Pipe Bridge and Weir
* Albert Bridge
* City Union Bridge
* Victoria Bridge
* South Portland Street Suspension Bridge
* Glasgow Bridge
* Caledonian Railway Bridge
* George V Bridge
* Tradeston Bridge
* Kingston Bridge
* Clyde Arc
* Bell's Bridge
* Millennium Bridge
* Govan–Partick Bridge
* Clyde Tunnel
* Renfrew-Yoker Bridge
* Erskine Ferry
* Erskine Bridge

Longest rivers of the United Kingdom

1. Severn
2. Thames
3. Trent
4. Great Ouse
5. Wye
6. Ure/Ouse
7. Tay
8. Spey
9. Clyde
10. Tweed
11. Avon
12. Nene
13. Eden
14. Dee

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