Lowther Hills in the context of Clydesdale (district)


Lowther Hills in the context of Clydesdale (district)

⭐ Core Definition: Lowther Hills

The Lowther Hills, also sometimes known as the Lowthers, are an extensive area of hill country in the Southern Uplands of Scotland, though some sub-ranges of hills in this area also go under their own local names – see "Hillwalking" below. They form a roughly rhomboidal or lozenge shape on the map with the acute angles being to north and south. It has river valleys along its boundaries to north east (Clydesdale) and south west (Nithsdale) which carry the two largest arterial routes northwards into the west side of the Central Belt of Scotland. A string of small towns have long since developed along these routes. Most of the Lowther Hills lie in the Administrative County of Dumfries and Galloway, though part in the administrative county of South Lanarkshire moves into them around the village of Leadhills and the Daer Reservoir.

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Lowther Hills in the context of River Clyde

The River Clyde (Scottish Gaelic: Abhainn Chluaidh, pronounced [ˈavɪɲ ˈxl̪ˠuəj]) is a major river of western Scotland and the third-longest in the country at about 170 kilometres (110 mi) in length. Its river network extends to 4,244 km and drains a basin of 1,903 km, expanding to 3,854 km when the Clyde estuary system with the Kelvin, White Cart, Black Cart and Leven is included. Around 1.79 million people, 33.8% of Scotland's population, live within this catchment. The river rises in the Lowther Hills and flows north-west through South Lanarkshire and Glasgow before entering the Firth of Clyde.

From the late 18th century the upper estuary and river through Glasgow were systematically engineered using groynes, longitudinal training walls and continuous dredging, and by removing rocky obstructions such as a large part of the Elderslie Rock. This was done to enable ocean-going access and support Glasgow's rise as a world centre of shipbuilding and marine engineering in the 19th and 20th centuries.

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Lowther Hills in the context of Wanlockhead

Wanlockhead is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, nestling in the Lowther Hills and 1 mile (2 kilometres) south of Leadhills at the head of the Mennock Pass, which forms part of the Southern Uplands. It is Scotland's highest village, the village centre being at an elevation of around 405 m (1,329 ft) above sea level. Some sources, including VisitScotland, cite an altitude of 467 metres (1,532 ft) but the highest house in the village has been measured at 444 metres (1,457 ft).

The village can be accessed via the B797, which connects it to the A76 near Sanquhar and the A74(M) motorway at Abington.

View the full Wikipedia page for Wanlockhead
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