The Avon Gorge (grid reference NS960792 ) is a small wooded gorge in Falkirk, Scotland.
The Avon Gorge (grid reference NS960792 ) is a small wooded gorge in Falkirk, Scotland.
An area of 19.05 hectares (47.1 acres) of the gorge is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest; [1] it was notified in 1986. The steep wooded banks constitute one of the few remaining ancient, semi-natural woodland sites in Falkirk District. [2]
Plants found here which are rare in Falkirk District include alternate-leaved golden saxifrage (chrysosplenium alternifolium), moschatel (adoxa moschatellina) and hemp agrimony (eupatorium cannabinum). The site also contains pendulous sedge (carex pendula) and lily of the valley (convallaria majalis) both of which are uncommon in Scotland. [1]
The Avon Gorge is one of the few remaining oak-dominated woodlands in the central belt of Scotland, others include the nearby Callendar wood. [3]
After defeat at the Battle of Falkirk, William Wallace reportedly took refuge in a cave in the Avon Gorge. The cave is signposted from a nearby road as 'Wallace's Cave'. [4]
The A801 road cuts through the Avon Gorge and has a small crossing point accompanied by steep dips. This has been recognised as an accident blackspot particularly in bad weather conditions. [5] There have been numerous calls from local politicians for upgrades to take place and for a new bridge crossing to be built over the gorge. However there have been no firm commitments from local authorities or national government for such a scheme. [6]
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence.
West Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its historic counties. The county, which was known as Linlithgowshire, was bounded geographically by the Avon to the west and the Almond to the east. The modern council area occupies a larger area than the historic county. It was reshaped following local government reforms in the late 20th century: some areas in the west were transferred to Falkirk; some areas in the east were transferred to Edinburgh; and some areas that had formerly been part of in Midlothian were added.
Cadzow Castle, now in ruins, was constructed between 1500 and 1550 at a site one mile south-east of the centre of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The earlier medieval settlement of Hamilton was formerly known as Cadzow or Cadyou, until it was renamed in 1455 in honour of James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton. The castle sits above a gorge overlooking the Avon Water in what is now Chatelherault Country Park, but was previously the hunting and pleasure grounds of the Duke of Hamilton's estate of Hamilton Palace - this area being known as Hamilton High Parks. The ruin is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Chatelherault Country Park is a country park in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located in the village of Ferniegair, 1+1⁄4 miles from Hamilton town centre. On the west side of the park, runs the Avon, a tributary of the River Clyde.
The Battle of Falkirk, which took place on 22 July 1298, was one of the major battles in the First War of Scottish Independence. Led by King Edward I of England, the English army defeated the Scots, led by William Wallace. Shortly after the battle Wallace resigned as Guardian of Scotland.
The Union Canal, full name the Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal, is a canal in Scotland, running from Falkirk to Edinburgh, constructed to bring minerals, especially coal, to the capital. It was opened in 1822 and was initially successful, but the construction of railways, particularly the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, which opened in 1842, diminished its value as a transport medium. It fell into slow commercial decline and was closed to commercial traffic in 1933. It was officially closed in 1965. The canal is listed as three individual scheduled monuments by Historic Scotland according to the three former counties, Midlothian, West Lothian and Stirlingshire, through which it flows.
The Avon Gorge is a 1.5-mile (2.5-kilometre) long gorge on the River Avon in Bristol, England. The gorge runs south to north through a limestone ridge 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Bristol city centre, and about 3 miles (5 km) from the mouth of the river at Avonmouth. The gorge forms the boundary between the unitary authorities of North Somerset and Bristol, with the boundary running along the south bank. As Bristol was an important port, the gorge formed a defensive gateway to the city.
Ebbor Gorge is a limestone gorge in Somerset, England, designated and notified in 1952 as a 63.5-hectare (157-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Mendip Hills. It was donated to the National Trust in 1967 and is now managed by Natural England as a national nature reserve.
Acharn is a hamlet in the Kenmore parish of the Scottish council area of Perth and Kinross. It is situated on the south shore of Loch Tay close to its eastern end. The hamlet was built in the early 19th century to house workers from the surrounding estates. A watermill was constructed to harness the power of the nearby Acharn Burn, and this was converted into a craft centre in the 1970s, and later into a private residence. There is a bridge in the middle that goes over the Acharn burn.
Corstorphine Hill is a low ridge-shaped hill rising above the western suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland. Although there has been residential and commercial development on its lower slopes, especially in the south and west, most of the hill is occupied by a local nature reserve, consisting of extensive broadleaf woodland, and is accessible to the public. The hill, which is composed largely of dolerite, was formed by the west-to-east movement of glaciers during the Pleistocene period. There is evidence of prehistoric settlement. Today the hill is popular with walkers, dog-walkers and joggers. Among its interesting features are a 19th-Century tower, a walled garden and a Cold War bunker.
Dunipace is a village in the west of the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The village is 6.3 miles (10.1 km) south of Stirling and 5.3 miles (8.5 km) north-west of Falkirk. The village is situated on the north bank of the River Carron and adjoins the town of Denny, to the south of the river. Dunipace is part of the historic county of Stirlingshire.
Woodlands is a large, prosperous central area (ward) of Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland, which is mainly residential. Much of the ward is taken up by leafy streets where property prices are among the highest in Central Scotland and includes Lochgreen, Slamannan, Rosebank, Gartcows and Southern Pleasance areas. Many of the Victorian and Edwardian houses were built by wealthy industrialists who had profited from Falkirk's economic prosperity during the industrial revolution, often without regard to expense.
Linlithgow is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It was historically West Lothian's county town, reflected in the county's historical name of Linlithgowshire. An ancient town, it lies in the Central Belt on an historic route between Edinburgh and Falkirk beside Linlithgow Loch. The town is situated approximately 20 miles west of Edinburgh.
Hawthornden Castle is located on the River North Esk in Midlothian, Scotland. The castle lies a mile to the east of Roslin at grid reference NT287637, and is just downstream from Roslin Castle. Hawthornden comprises a 15th-century ruin, with a 17th-century L-plan house attached. The house has been restored and now serves as a writer's retreat. Man-made caves in the rock beneath the castle have been in use for much longer than the castle itself.
The Carron is a river in central Scotland, rising in the Campsie Fells and flowing along Strathcarron into the Firth of Forth. It has given its name to several locations in Stirlingshire, as well as a type of cannon, a line of bathtubs, two warships, and an island in the Southern Hemisphere.
Leck Fell is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Lancashire, England. An area of typically heavily grazed open moorland of rough grass and remnant patches of heather with little or no tree cover, it is characterised by the virtual absence of surface drainage and an extensive subterranean drainage network resulting in cave systems and numerous sinkholes. It surrounds the high point of Gragareth 627 metres (2,057 ft) between Leck Beck and Kingsdale.
Glen Village is a settlement in the Falkirk council area of Scotland, situated at the southern end of Callendar Park, and around 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Falkirk town centre. It adjoins the housing estate of Hallglen, with the two localities counted together in most official statistics.
Auchencloigh Castle or Auchincloigh Castle is a ruined fortification near the Burnton Burn, lying within the feudal lands of the Craufurd Clan, situated in the Parish of Ochiltree, East Ayrshire, Scotland.
Muiravonside Country Park is 170 acres of woodland and parkland open to the public all year round with marked trails, picnic sites and a play area. It is situated in the south-east corner of Falkirk, approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Maddiston, 2 miles (3.2 km) south-east of Linlithgow and about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Armadale and Bathgate. It was once the grounds of Muiravonside House and the country estate owned by the Stirling family of Falkirk.
Wallace's Cave in the Lugar Gorge at Auchinleck in the Parish of Auchinleck is an 18th-century grotto contemporary with Dr Johnson's Summerhouse, also located on the Auchinleck Estate. It shows superior workmanship in its construction, possibly being the enlargement of a pre-existing cave. The cave or grotto lies downstream of the confluence of the Dippol Burn with the River Lugar and is reached via a once well formed path, however access is now hazardous due to the condition of the cliff edge path and the vertical drop into the River Lugar.