The landscape of the Clyde and Avon Valleys is the result of hundreds of millions of years of rock formation, erosion and deposition. Our soils, plant cover and river systems are much younger, forming after the vast ice sheet of the last glaciation retreated from this part of Scotland. Explore the fascinating story of the formation of the landscape we see today.

The first hunting parties arrived in the Clyde and Avon area soon after the retreat of the ice. Several thousand years later people began to settle here, and families have lived and worked in these valleys ever since. From archaeological excavations on Black Hill to medieval castles perched high above river gorges, find out about the people who made this place home.

As people settled in the Clyde and Avon Valleys, they adapted this dramatic landscape to suit their requirements. Fast-flowing rivers and steep-sided gorges created a challenge for communication, but fords, roads and bridges were gradually built. During the 18th century new Enlightenment ideas led estate planners to incorporate landscape features into their designs.

The Clyde and Avon valleys became a tourist attraction from the 18th century onwards. Writers of both poetry and prose came here, seeking and finding inspiration, and you can listen to some of their words in the exhibition. The rushing waterfalls, atmospheric gorges and steep wooded slopes carved out by geological forces provided an ideal inspiration for the landscape artists of the later 18th and 19th centuries.

The underlying geology has made this landscape exceptionally rich for industrial development. From coal and sandstone laid down in the rocks 310 to 410 million years ago to sand and gravel deposited as the ice retreated, rich resources have been extracted from the ground. Fast flowing rivers provide water power, and the environment and soils are ideal for fruit growing. Find out about these industries, and the communities which grew up around them.

Some of Scotland’s oldest woodlands and most diverse habitats can be found in the steep-sided gorges of the Clyde and Avon valleys. These sheltered woodlands and underlying soils support a rich diversity of plant and animal life. Investigate this special landscape, and find out where you can go to explore the geology, heritage and environment of the Clyde and Avon valleys for yourself.