MY FAVOURITE little piece of Scotland is New Lanark. It is a World Heritage village and is right beside Lanark, which is full of friendly people. It is special because it was the place where Robert Owen gave a fair education to children. He also tried to give a good life to people who worked in the mill.
Not many children or adults live in New Lanark now but there is a hotel and eight waterhouses. I have stayed in the waterhouses twice and they are really nice.
The hotel has a new swimming pool which is also very nice and is usually quite warm. I
went on a seven-mile walk beside the Falls of Clyde and on the way I visited a peregrine falcon hide where you could look through telescopes and see a nest on the edge of a cliff with four eggs in it. The walk is a bit muddy and tiring but also a lot of fun.
My favourite place in New Lanark is the old sweetie shop. It sells traditional sweets but also things like Freddo frogs. My mum likes floral gums but I think they are disgusting and taste of shampoo.
There is a visitor attraction centre where you buy tickets and then use them to go to different attractions. I like the old school best because you get to dress up and write on slates. It's a real giggle because my dad pretends to be the schoolmaster.
The Annie McLeod film is very good as well as interesting. Annie McLeod is a girl who worked for Mr Owen in the mill. I learnt that from New Lanark.
On my first trip I bought a silent monitor which Mr Owen used on the mill workers. It's a block of wood with four colours. If it's white you're all right but if it's black he writes your name down in a book and gives you a bad look.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust visitor centre was fun and interesting. I drew round a stencil, did a touchy-feely thing and found out how bats see in the dark.
New Lanark is fantastic for a short break.
Lucy Graham, seven, St Madoes, Perthshire The full article contains 372 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
