The Herald - The Herald Magazine
Our windows into the past
The village of New Lanark has been beautifully restored as a living community
by Nan Spowart
SCOTLAND has a much-loved wealth of well-preserved prehistoric sites – and global interest in the country’s history has more recently been rekindled by the phenomenally successful TV series Outlander.
And tourists visiting sites mentioned in popular programmes hosted by the likes of historian Neil Oliver are rarely disappointed. They are no doubt envious of Scots who have so many stunning places on their doorstep but with so much to see and do, it can sometimes be tricky to know where to begin.
Why argue, then, with Unesco and start with the six sites awarded Unesco World Heritage status. The accolade has been awarded to places that date from Neolithic times right up to the turn of the 20th century. Among them is the award-winning New Lanark, where the Visitor Centre tells the fascinating story of the cotton mill village founded in the 18th century. New Lanark quickly became known under the enlightened management of social pioneer, Robert Owen. He provided decent homes, fair wages, free health care, a new education system for villagers and the first workplace nursery school in the world.
The village has been beautifully restored as a living community, and it is also the gateway to the famous Falls of Clyde and the Scottish Wildlife Trust Visitor Centre.
The Antonine Wall was once the most northern frontier of the Roman Empire and today there are six locations at which visitors can discover more about it including Rough Castle, Kinneil Estate, Polmonthill, Callendar Park, Seabegs Wood and Watling Lodge. At Callendar House there is a free permanent display about the Wall – nearby are the Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel, also well worth visiting. The Forth
Bridge is the world’s longest cantilever bridge and Britain’s first all-steel bridge. Travel over it by train to visit the Kingdom of Fife or go to Edinburgh to explore the beautifully preserved Old and New Towns. Inspired by the lofty ideals of the Scottish Enlightenment, the neat and ordered grid of the New Town provides an elegant contrast to the labyrinthine design of the Old. Its broad streets boast spectacular neoclassical and Georgian architecture.
Those wanting to visit places associated with other famous Scots could follow the Robert Burns trail in Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway or travel to Kirriemuir to the birthplace of JM Barrie. Another good day out can be found at Abbotsford House in the Scottish Borders, the former residence of Walter Scott.
Other historic trails which reveal more about the country’s past include the Castle Trail or the Highland Pictish Trail.
Whisky, of course, is a major part of Scotland’s heritage and many of the distilleries offer interesting tours which feature a dram as part of the experience.