The walk that visits the Falls of Clyde from New Lanark is a deserved classic - but this much quieter trail from a small unsigned parking area on a private estate visits some equally spectacular viewpoints on the far side of the river.
Mostly waymarked paths, sometimes close to unfenced gorge edge - care needed.
None to start.
Small parking area outside West Lodge, NS877414.
The hardest part of this route is finding the parking at the start, provided courtesy of the estate. It's marked on OS 1:25k maps; head up Kirkfield Road from Kirkfieldbank, then take a left AFTER the Byretown turning, passing some houses and Corehouse Farm to reach West Lodge, where there is parking on the left side of the track. The walk itself is mostly waymarked as two separate loops - our route combines both in a figure of eight. Begin by heading along the waymarked track beside West Lodge. Soon it curves left; turn right at a waymarker post onto a footpath.
The path passes between fields and then reaches a t-junction in the woods. Turn left here, and then immediately turn sharp right along the rim of the gorge to begin the first part of the figure of eight, waymarked in purple. The route runs along the impressive gorge edge; there is a viewpoint with railings down to the left at one point.
Eventually the gorge cliffs lose height and the path descends some steps; ignore a path off right that shortcuts to the return route. Soon a long flight of steps off to the left leads to the first viewpoint for Bonnington Linn - a series of falls on a beautiful bend in the river. Return to the path, passing more viewpoints for the falls.
The path crosses a footbridge over a small tributary, and a dam and footbridge over the Clyde comes into view ahead - this bridge links to the classic Falls of Clyde walk from New Lanark on the opposite side of the river. To keep on our walk, turn sharp right when an earth track is reached. This leads back through the woods at a higher level to the point where the gorge was approached earlier in the walk. The purple waymarker posts lead back left here, but to continue the figure of eight keep ahead, now following the orange waymarkers. Soon the route passes the ruins of Corra Castle, which dates back to the forteenth century. Today it is the home to colonies of Daubenton's bats.
The path now descends past a series of viewpoints for the greatest of the Falls - the Corra Linn. The lowest viewpoint projects spectacularly out above the gorge.
This 27 metre waterfall - the most spectacular of the falls - was immortalised in poetry by Wordsworth as, 'the Clyde's most majestic daughter', and was sketched by JMW Turner. Continue on the path, which descends and gives views through the trees to the hydroelectric power station on the opposite side of the Clyde.
Keep right at a junction to descend to the level of the river. Cross a footbridge over a tributary and stay on the path, rising slightly to a junction. Turn left here (orange marker), climbing up to a stone ruin where the path turns right. When a track is reached turn left along it, then go left again at the next junction (waymarker post). After crossing a stone bridge turn right, and stay on the path as it curves right. It soon leads back to the start of the walk.
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