Glasgow to Troutbeck

After checking out of White House Apartments yesterday, we drove to the World Heritage site of New Lanark, 51kms south of Glasgow. We walked from the carpark to the complex and, from there, enjoyed a strenuous uphill walk along the banks of the River Clyde to the viewpoint for the Corra Linn waterfall. The river was in spate with swirling rapids and the waterfall was quite spectacular.

After lunch in the Mill Pantry coffee shop, we visited all the major sights including Mill No 1, the 'Annie McLeod Experience' ride, the rooftop garden, a millworker's house and Robert Owen's house. Robert Owen was manager of the cotton mill from 1800 to 1835 and transformed the lives of the mill workers through his revolutionary ideas. Corporal punishment and child labour were abolished and decent housing, fair wages, free health care, a new education system and the first workplace nursery school in the world were provided for his workers. The buildings have now been restored and are home to a new community.

New Lanark

Our destination for the night was the Queen's Head Hotel, Troutbeck in the Lake District, Cumbria. We have a cosy room in the annex of this 17th century coaching inn, complete with a collection of teddy bears on the bed. The scenery on the way here was stunning and we are looking forward to some interesting walks in the next few days.