Forest bathing at Falls of Clyde

The Falls of Clyde reserve follows the river upstream from New Lanark through a steep wooded gorge, past a series of waterfalls that have drawn visitors for centuries. It is one of the six sites of the Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature Reserve, which protects some of Scotland's oldest woodland, oak, ash, rowan and hazel that have grown in these gorges since the last Ice Age. More than 100 bird species have been recorded, including dipper, raven and kingfisher, and bats feed over the river on warm evenings.

You start in New Lanark village and follow the signs through two stone arches. The Clyde Walkway runs out and back along the gorge, with a steep stepped climb to the Corra Linn viewpoint, and there is a shorter woodland circuit. Paths are steep in places and can be muddy and slippery after rain or frost, so wear good boots. The reserve is open in daylight hours, and the old visitor centre has closed.