20 Attractions to Explore Near Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

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All attractions near Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

Cobbinshaw Reservoir

Cobbinshaw Reservoir

9.8km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

Cobbinshaw Reservoir is a reservoir in West Lothian, Scotland. It is situated near the Pentland Hills, 5 km south of West Calder. The 310-acre site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is popular with wildfowl. It was built by James Jardine to feed the Union Canal via the Bog Burn, Murieston Water, and through Mid Calder to the Almondell Aqueduct and Lin's Mill Canal Feeder which feeds into the canal just east of the Almond Aqueduct.

Baddinsgill Reservoir

Baddinsgill Reservoir

10.23km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

Baddinsgill Reservoir is a small reservoir close to Carlops. The reservoir occupies about 23.7 hectares. The Lyne Water is dammed to form the reservoir, not the Baddinsgill Burn, which joins the Lyne Water further south, below the reservoir. It is close to Baddinsgill House.

Lyne Water

Lyne Water

10.78km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

A beautiful tributary of the River Tweed which rises in the Pentland Hills of southern Scotland at Baddinsgill Reservoir. There is free fishing above Flemington Bridge, and below Flemington the river is part of the Peebles fishing authority. It runs through West Linton and Romannobridge, passes Flemington and Lyne Station and enters the Tweed west of Peebles

West Cairn Hill

West Cairn Hill

10.99km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

West Cairn Hill is a summit in the Pentland Hills region or range in Scotland. West Cairn Hill is 562 metres high. All the walking routes up West Cairn Hill on Mud and Routes can be found below. The Cauldstane Slap pass runs at the saddle point between West and East Cairn Hill. The surrounding hills include Colzium Hill and Torweaving Hill in the southwest, East Cairn Hill in the northeast, and Wether Law in the east.

Mount Maw

Mount Maw

11.07km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

Mount Maw is a summit in Scottish Borders, situated southwest of Carlops Hill, southwest of Carlops Hill. It has an elevation of 535 metres. A huge mountain which has a good trekking area and also it offers some nice views too.

Biggar Gasworks Museum

Biggar Gasworks Museum

11.18km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

One of the first gasworks in Scotland and one of the last to close. Biggar Gasworks operated from 1839-1973 and has been preserved exactly as it was when it closed its doors for the last time. Come on a Steam Day and see the historic equipment at work.

Cauldstane Slap

Cauldstane Slap

11.55km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

Cauldstane Slap is a pass located in the Pentland Hills of Scotland. It marks the border between the neighboring council areas of West Lothian and Scottish Borders and historically the border between Edinburghshire and Peeblesshire. It offers a good trip through the middle of nature and also there are somnay other adventure options too.

Boghall Castle

Boghall Castle

11.87km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

Boghall Castle was a 14th century castle to the south of Biggar, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Boghall became ruinous in the 19th century. The courtyard castle was built in the 14th century by the Fleming family, to replace the motte and bailey castle at Biggar. The castle was strategically sited where the valleys of the River Tweed and the River Clyde meet.

Cairns Castle, Scotland

Cairns Castle, Scotland

12.26km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

Cairns Castle is though to have been built around 1440, and comprises of a rectangular main tower attached to which was a smaller square wing. The castle stands on a raised mound jutting out into the Harperrig Reservoir where it is fed by the Water of Leith. It has been a Scheduled Monument since 30 November 1981. It was a category B listed building until it was de-listed in 2015.

East Cairn Hill

East Cairn Hill

12.89km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

A majestic hill which was located in the Pentland Hills range of Scotland. With a height of 567 m. A good trekking destination and also there are so many things to see and do here.

North Esk Reservoir

North Esk Reservoir

13.76km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

A small and beautiful reservoir situated north of Carlops, close to North Esk Cottage. It has an elevation of 342 metres. The reservoir was built by a consortium of Penicuik mill owners in 1850 to help regulate the flow of water in the river to give a constant supply to the numerous paper mills which had sprung up in the valley. This reservoir receives several streams, including the Gutterford Burn and Henshaw Burn and is the source of the River North Esk.

Linhouse

Linhouse

13.98km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

Linhouse Glen has a mixture of habitats, including heathland, native woodland on steep narrow slopes and species-rich grassland. The grassland provides cover and food for brown hares and birds such as skylark and reed bunting. It offers an easy, disabled walk through woods of about 3 miles over made up red gravel paths.

The Carmichael Estate

The Carmichael Estate

14.38km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

Carmichael Estate is Scotland’s oldest farming family business at the source of the Carmichael name. Located in the Scottish Borders between Lanark & Biggar. The Estate has 13 quality assured self-catering holiday cottages which are dotted around the beautiful and historic Estate. Their farm butchery produces award winning ‘single malt’ meats including venison, beef and lamb. Our meats are available in our farm shop as well as in the tearoom/bistro and at farmers’ markets.

Five Sisters Zoo

Five Sisters Zoo

15.84km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

Five Sisters Zoo is a fun all year round great family day out with over 196 species of mammals birds & reptiles. There’s lion's, lemurs and lynx, bears, meerkats and monkeys, parrots and porcupines, bat earred foxes, bunnies, reindeers and raccoons to name but a few, all adding up to an exciting, educational and great value visit for all the family.

Lanark Loch

Lanark Loch

16.29km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

Lanark Loch is a man-made loch in the town of Lanark, South Lanarkshire, situated 2 kilometres south east of Lanark town centre. Covering an area of 4.9 hectares , it was built in the 19th century by the architect Hugh Marr at a place where there was a small pond which had previously been used by a local curling club. There is a small wooded island in the loch.

West Kip

West Kip

16.69km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

The West Kip is a 551 m high hill in the chain of the Pentland Hills . It is located in the west of the Scottish Council Area Midlothian on the eastern flank in the center of the approximately 25 km long range of hills. The hamlet of Carlops and the small town of Penicuik are located five kilometers south and east, respectively. The neighboring hills are the East Kip and the South Black Hill in the east of Cap Law in the South and the Hare Hill in the northwest.

Tinto

Tinto

17.52km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

Tinto is an isolated hill in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It comprises little more than one top, which stands on the west bank of the River Clyde, some 8 kilometres west of Biggar. The peak is also called "Tinto Tap", with the name Tinto possibly deriving from the Scottish Gaelic word teinnteach, meaning "fiery", which may refer to its ancient past as a look out beacon. Further known as the "Hill of Fire" it is also suggested exposed red hue felsite rock visible in many places on the hill h

Bavelaw Castle

Bavelaw Castle

18.02km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

A majestic historic house in the City of Edinburgh council area, Scotland. Comprising two storeys, an attic and a basement, the original tower was probably the work of the Dundas family, and both Mary, Queen of Scots , and King James VI stayed here. It was now a historic monument and it attracts a lot of tourists.

Livingston Skate Park

Livingston Skate Park

18.16km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

Livingston skatepark is an all concrete park that has existed since the 80s and has recently had a revamp to bring some of the features into the 21st century. It can be found next to the River Almond solely features transitions. It is an example of a free, unsupervised facility which achieved international status. The skatepark was extended during the 1990s with the addition of some smaller bowls. A further extension was added in 2013 adding a fullpipe, pools, square bowl and a new smaller stree

Almond Valley

Almond Valley

18.18km from Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

The fields, woods and green spaces of the Almond Valley site extend either side of the river Almond for nearly a mile. At its heart lies the historic buildings of Livingston Mill and the associated Mill Farm. This is home to many friendly farm animals who are always keen to introduce themselves to visitors. Elsewhere on site, there are all manner of unique and imaginative play spaces set among the fields and gardens.

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Know more about Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay

Stonypath, Dunsyre, Lanark ML11 8NG, UK

Little Sparta is Ian Hamilton Finlay’s greatest work of art. Finlay moved to the farm of Stonypath in 1966 and, in partnership with his wife Sue Finlay, began to create what would become an internationally acclaimed garden across seven acres of a wild and exposed moorland site. The 5-acre Arcadian garden includes concrete poetry in sculptural form, polemic, and philosophical aphorisms, together with sculptures and two temples. Altogether it includes over 275 artworks by the artist, created in co