Established in 1779 near Forth, Scotland. Its story is one of great enterprise, innovation, family disputes, hard work - the story, in fact, of the early industrial era in Scotland.
Natural Plan and Wildlife, Lanarkshire
A walk around the Ironworks today is nothing like it would have been 200 years ago.
With many paths to explore you will stand a chance of not only discovering hidden features from the Ironworks but also some of the plants and animals that now call this place home.
The remains of industry have now been colonised by wonderful plants such as quaking grass, wild thyme and field gentian.
In summer, thes flower-rich areas attract insects like butterfiles and six spont burnet moth. marshy areas are the spons to find the small perl- bordered fritalliry whilst the railway line to Kingshill is the best place to see the dark green fritillary and common blue butterfly.
Beautiful Woodland in South Lanarkshire
The grass lands are teeming with dy-flying moths such as the latticed heath and the chimney sweeper.
Autumn is also a great time to experience the natural heritage of the Ironworks. the Wilsons left us with a wonderful legacy of parkland next to where their grand mansion house stood. They planted Beech, Lime, Sycamore, Ash and Oak trees which now stand beside the beautiful native woodland along the banks of the Moose. The sutum colours are great and attract photographers keen to ge some seasonal colour.
Transport Links
You'll find the Ironworks in Heathland Forest, managed by Forestry Commission Scotland.
There is a small car park and 3 waymarked paths to follow that range from 0.5 miles / 800m to 1.25miles / 2km in length.
The closest town is Forth, and the OS grid reference for Heathland Forest is NS950565.
By Car Join the A706 from Junction 4 of the M8. Proceed south along the A706 towards Lanark. Take the B7016 north of Forth and follow signs for Wilsontown.
By Public Transport There are regular rail connections to Lanark from Glasgow and Edinburgh. From Lanark, buses run around once an hour to Forth, taking 15 minutes. From the main street in Forth, it's around a mile's walk to the access point for Heathland Forest.
For transport details see the Traveline Scotland website at www.travelinescotland.com.