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Town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland
Photo: R Pollack at English Wikipedia, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Lanark is a market town in Clydesdale, 28 miles southeast of Glasgow. Historically it was the county town of Lanarkshire, but that is nowadays Hamilton. It was at Lanark that William Wallace first strode into history, leading a 1297 uprising against the English and killing the Sheriff. This escalated into the First War of Scottish Independence, and Wallace triumphed a few months later at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. But Lanark itself is a tired post-industrial place and commuter town for Glasgow. In 2020 its population was 8880.
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Tells the history of the town.
is the green space south of town centre, flanked by St Patrick's Rd. The castle stood at its east end (the streetname Castlegate being the clue) beneath what is now Lanark Thistle bowling green. It was built in the 1140s and was derelict by around 1400.
6428 yards, par 70, visitor round £45.
Activity based stays: riding lessons, hacking, forest trails, ponies. With its own hotel and B&B on site. The Centre is on the old racecourse, which closed as a racing venue back in 1977.
A National Nature Reserve with oak and ash woodland. There's a one-mile walking track in the glen, or you can walk 2½ miles from Cleghorn Bridge to Mouse Bridge.
Mostly good reviews.
Simple welcoming cafe.
Smart informal bar and restaurant a block north of High Street.
Reliable chain Italian.
Great reviews for cuisine and service.
Cheerful convenient place, eat in or takeaway.
Very mixed reviews for this fish & chips takeaway.
Mediocre Chinese restaurant and takeaway.
Consistently good restaurant by Lanark Loch.
Former hotel and chain pub but now independent. Good selection of food and drink, sometimes has live music.
Trad pub, decent beer but no food, cash only.
Good pub for meals.
Trad pub, cash only, usually quiet.
Tiny friendly pub.
Good pub grub.
Bright friendly pub.
Comfy friendly guesthouse.
By bus
Stuarts Coach 240X runs from Glasgow Buchanan station M-F hourly, taking 70 min via Motherwell, Wishaw, Carluke and Braidwood.
By road
From the south follow M74 to Junction 12 Uddington then A70 north onto Hyndford Road. From Glasgow leave M74 at Junction 9 Kirmuirhill and zigzag onto B7086 for A72.
The town is small enough to walk. New Lanark is two miles south, within walking distance, but you're destined to do a lot more walking once you get there.
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