Conservation sites
South Lanarkshire has a surprisingly wide range of habitats, from the lowland flood plains of the River Clyde to the upper hill and moorland of Clydesdale.
There are many sites you can visit to experience the variety of wildlife that makes its home in these areas.
The Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature Reserve includes the popular Chatelherault and Falls of Clyde, and the less explored Jock’s Gill and Nethan Gorge. These semi-ancient woodlands are home to many plants, birds, and other animals.
Chatelherault Country Park and Calderglen Country Park are also gorge woodlands, with riverside paths - you may even see kingfishers, dippers and heron.
South Lanarkshire is also home to many lesser known habitats, such as bogs.
Langlands Moss Local Nature Reserve is a lowland raised bog, a rare and important place which has existed for thousands of years. The bog’s deep peat supports heather which turns the bog purple in late summer, while bright green sphagnum mosses, cranberry and carnivorous sundews can also be find here.
Sites don’t need to have special designations to be important – the many parks and greenspaces in and around villages and towns across South Lanarkshire contribute to the green network that allows wildlife to thrive in an urban setting, and move between there and the wider countryside.
You may also be interested in the following: