I love this colourised postcard from the 1890’s. Such a quiet rural scene. Taking your horse, unhooking from the cart, down off the Bothwell Road for a drink at the river.
A sunny day, the river low, this looks a summer scene as the boys play in the burn, the boundary between Blantyre and Hamilton Parishes.
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Jim Leishman Here’s a modern perspective from 2017, on the Lido walkwayManage
Blantyre Project Great photo! Been a LONG time since i was down there.
Jim Duffy I remember the days, when it was a day out for us. there was a little ice cream shop in the middle, and it was choc a block.
Brian Weaver Quiet and rural scene it may seem to be, but the pollution in our rivers then would have endangered your horse’s life! Pits, steelworks, mills and and towns dumped their effluent wherever it would go and the rivers were usually filthy.
Lynn Leishman And now you can catch salmon in it.
Blantyre Project I agree the Clyde was a murky, polluted river in Glasgow, but this location at Bothwell Bridge was upstream of Blantyre mills. Even in the 19th Century, victorian accounts have the river abundant in Salmon. Im sure though by modern standards it would have still been heavily polluted, as you say Brian with effluent from large towns further up like Hamilton and beyond.
Andy Callaghan When I was a kid what we called the Rushin’ Burn cascaded in a torrent downhill from the Priory Pit, down through the steep sided woods into the Clyde. The water stank of sulphur, had a yellow tinge and was actually pumped from the flooded pit workings directly into the river. It went on for many years. No salmon in those days!!
Moyra Lindsay Hi, Paul, can you tell me where New Land was in Blantyre? Near Knightswood Terrace?
Blantyre Project Moyra – dont quote me on this next part as i still need to investigate Newlands properly, but i think it was a tenement (that looked like Shuttle Row with circular stairs at the back). (I think) it was on the same side as the village bar, further down, just beyond Ulva Place. It was definitely demolished by early 1930s hence why the name may have dissapeared and this coincides with the building of Knightwood Terrace and the estate across the road from it. I think the space the building once occupied later gave itself over to Tommy Morgans wee sweet shop.
Blantyre Project Today, Newlands looks like this.
Moyra Lindsay I remember mr Morgan and his glamorous wife well. That could be correct, Paul, his first wife died in Cross Row as did his infant daughter. We don’t travel much Don born in Ulva, I lived there later. Boring. Waiting for Don’s DNA to see if it’s more exciting than mine! Thanks again.
Robert McLeod-Wolohan i used to go fishing there and go and steal some plums from the tiny orchard on the opposite side on the hill lol
Blantyre Project pinching fruit from Bothwell gairdens. That sounds a popular Blantyre pastime of old. 
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Robert McLeod-Wolohan it certainly was, i used to rip the lining of my jacket and fill the jacket up with plums lol those were the days lol
Alan Baird i used to hear the older ones talking about going over to bothwell ang pinching fruit our the rid dyke
Jim Duffy Oh how I remember it was a day out for us, it was the equivalent of going to Ayr for the day lol.