One of Lanarkshire's most popular visitor attractions is celebrating its reopening after almost two years of being closed.
The restored 18th century New Lanark mill village - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - will return to business as usual following the coronavirus pandemic.
Also reopening is Robert Owen’s house, the former residence of the philanthropist and social pioneer whose enlightened views on the world of work created the world-famous attraction.
Andy Cuthbertson, New Lanark’s heritage and engagement manager, told Lanarkshire Live : “We’re delighted to be back to normal.
"There have obviously been a lot of restrictions put in place due to COVID and the two metre spacing rule, in particular, hit us hard because many of the rooms were too small to allow more than one or two visitors in at any one time.
"Thankfully, we’re on the other side of it and we’re delighted to be fully open.”
There is plenty for visitors at New Lanark to experience such as taking a step back in time to witness Robert Owen’s School for children, millworkers’ housing, and historic working textile machinery.
Visitors can also visit the Annie Macleod experience which tells the story of a child millworker in 1820.
Under Owen’s revolutionary management New Lanark provided workers with improved living standards, reduced working hours, education and the first workplace nursery in the world.
Andy told us : “Visiting Robert’s Owen’s House is a way of seeing how the other half lived. It’s still relatively modest for wealthy people of the day but you just get a sense of the huge differences between people.
"You can visit millworkers' houses in the 1820s and 1930s and see how small they were in comparison.
"Even so, it was a completely different standard of living and anyone coming to live there would have seen a marked improvement in their lifestyle.
“We’re delighted to open all the doors again and welcome visitors back.
"It’s an opportunity to discover the forward-thinking nature of Scotland in the 1780s and onwards and how we were at the forefront of creating better living and working conditions for workers.
“You can discover how people lived, learned and worked and it's amazing how many people can still identify with the lives of workers from the past.
"It’s fully accessible and the stunning scenery and walks around the Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve are worth the trip alone.”
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