Short birdwatching visit · NatureScot
Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature Reserve
- Tier
- Good stop nearby
- Best season
- Spring woodland song
- Headline birds
- Wood Warbler
- Parking
- NatureScot lists a small Cartland Bridge parking area and informal parking at the Bellefield Road approach.
- Hides
- Not stated by the operator
- Step-free
- Not stated by the operator
Cartland and Cleghorn gorges, near Lanark
Clyde Valley Woodlands offers a gorge-and-river woodland visit near Lanark. The NatureScot routes between Cartland and Cleghorn provide public approaches into this varied landscape, with spring Wood Warbler, Chaffinch and Long-tailed Tit named in its visitor plan. Take time to listen beneath the trees and compare birds near the path before walking farther. Different entrances allow different outings, but the full gorge route is a substantial one-way walk. Steep and unstable cliffs require care throughout the visit. Choose a manageable section and return plan, remaining on the paths instead of seeking a closer view at an edge.
Birds and seasons
- Wood Warbler · Headline bird — Spring Source for Wood Warbler
- Chaffinch — Spring Source for Chaffinch
- Long-tailed Tit — Spring Source for Long-tailed Tit
Plan your visit
- Hides and viewpoints
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
- Paths
- The gorge route between Cartland Bridge and Cleghorn Bridge is six kilometres one way. The path between Cleghorn Bridge and Leitchford Bridge is closed until further notice after a landslip; use the other official open routes and check NatureScot notices.
- Toilets
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
- Parking
- NatureScot lists a small Cartland Bridge parking area and informal parking at the Bellefield Road approach.
- Dogs
- Keep dogs on a lead or at heel around the gorge paths.
- Access notes
- Steep, unstable cliffs make route choice and staying on paths important.
- Step-free access
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
Getting there: Use the documented Cartland Bridge or Cleghorn Glen entrance near Lanark, selecting the route and return before setting out.
Sources
Social preview: original typographic artwork by Does Your Duck Quack.
Nearby special trips
- Musselburgh Lagoons and Levenhall Links · 34.7 straight-line miles
- Stevenston Point · 37.1 straight-line miles
- Ben Lomond · 46.1 straight-line miles
Continue birding nearby
Nearest full guide: RSPB Baron's Haugh, 9.7 miles away in a straight line.
- Garrion Gill · 6.2 miles in a straight line
- Strathclyde Loch · 10.9 miles in a straight line
- Addiewell Bing · 14.3 miles in a straight line