Saturday 18 March – A mill, some martyrs and, of course, William Wallace

 A promising day; 10^o forecast and glimpses of sunshine as we left the lovely Linlithgow, surely the most beautiful town we visited.  However we were to be plagued by brief showers throughout the day.

We drove through green countryside, past several wind farms (we have noted a distinct absence of solar panels on the roofs of houses – probably not enough sun to make it worthwhile). 

Our first stop was at New Lanark, a World Heritage listed adaptation of an early 18^th century woolen mill.  It is an enormous complex of original buildings, still in excellent condition, filled with two hundred years of industrial and social history.  Waterwheels, steam engines, giant weaving looms on display, as well as the cottage occupied by the mill owner, Robert Owens, a school for the young children of the workers, and reconstructions of the room and apartments occupied by the workers, who number up to 2,500 in the mill’s heyday.  We were taken on a leisurely 12-minute chair lift ride through dark corridors in one of the mills, as the story of working and living in the mill was voiced over by a 10-year-old girl.  Such harsh conditions – 10 hour days, one day off a week, dirty, noisy working conditions.  But Robert Owens was a social reformer, paying the workers good money, providing their accommodation, building the school and providing education for the children, providing medical care for the workers and their families.  A very interesting experience.

We headed into Lanark proper and, after a drive around town and seeing some of the sights (including St Nicholas Church with a statue of William Wallace above its entrance) and a bit of lunch, off to the ruins of St Kentigern’s Church and the adjacent cemetery, with St Murray’s Chapel in its midst and the Covenanters Memorial that commemorates those from Lanark who were tortured and martyred (or banished) for taking part in the 1966 “Pentland Rising”, where committed Presbyterians from the Scottish south and south-west rose against Scottish government and military oppression.  One of those listed on the memorial, among the “traitors” was Alexander Anderson – Elizabeth’s late father’s name.  Oh dear!

We then moved on to Castlebank Park, where William Wallace slew William de Heselrig, the High Sheriff.  It is now a lovely, peaceful community park.  Then to our B&B, just outside the small town of Strathaven, pausing to get some dinner and have a walk through the lovely park, complete with running stream.