Trifter

The River Clyde is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom and the third largest river in Scotland. It is famous because it flows through the city of Glasgow which used to be a major centre for shipbuilding and is Scotland’s second city.

Source

Source: Eric Hardman, Creative Commons License

Looking into Glasgow City Centre from the West.

The headwaters of Daer Water are dammed to form the Daer Reservoir. Below the reservoir, Daer Water meanders towards Watermeetings through a broad valley.

New Lannark

Corra Linn, The Falls of Clyde. Source: Wikipedia

Just south of Lannark, the Clyde cascades through four waterfalls. Corra Linn is the highest and most spectacular with a fall of  90 feet.

This torrent was put to good use by David Dale and his son in law Robert Owen. Dale founded a cotton mill in 1785. Owen turned it into a model community with exemplary working conditions. The mill closed in 1968. It has been redeveloped as a heritage centre.

Today, a hydro-electric powere station generates energy from the falls.

New Lannark Mills. Source: Wikipedia

Strathcylde Park

Stratchcylde Loch. Source Wikipedia

North of Lannark, the Clyde enters the West Scotland connurbation.  It passes between Hamilton and Motherwell and skirts the edge Strathclyde Park. The residence of the Duke of Hamilton, in Hamilton was said to be the grandest private palace in Britain. It was demolisted in 1921 due to subsidence. In the 1970s the former grounds of the Palace were redeveloped as a country park. The project involved building an artificial loch in the former palace grounds, flooding a deserted mining village and diverting the course of the river Clyde. The Hamilton family mauseleum still stands in Strathclyde Park.

Hamilton Palace c1880. Source: Wikipedia

Bothwell Castle

Bothwell Castle. Source: Wikipedia

A few miles further downstream the river passes Bothwell Castle. Bothwell Castle occupies a prominent position above the River Clyde. Thw castle played a prominet role in the Scottish Wars of Independence.

From Boswell Castle he river begins to widen. It passes through the former industrial areas of Rutherglen and Dalmarnock before reaching Glasgow city centre.

The Clyde is considered to begin with the confluence of two streams at Watermeetings in South Lannarkshire. Here, Portail Water meets Dale Water.