Friendship Tunnel

The Friendship Tunnel sits beneath the A73 near Lanark, a short walk from the main road that most drivers barrel past without a second thought. It's a proper bit of industrial archaeology - a Victorian-era railway tunnel that's been reclaimed and opened up for pedestrians to walk through. The tunnel itself is about 400 metres long, brick-lined, and genuinely atmospheric. You'll get your peace and quiet in here, the kind of echoing silence that makes you realise how much noise there is above.

Walkers will find this satisfying rather than spectacular. It's not a dramatic destination on its own - you're walking through a tunnel, after all - but it works brilliantly as a leg of a longer ramble around Lanark or as a novel detour if you're exploring the area. The locals seem fond of it, and rightly so. It takes about 20-30 minutes to walk through at a normal pace, though you could linger if you're into the engineering side of things.

Families with older kids will get something out of this, though younger ones might find it a bit boring once the novelty wears off. There's no visitor centre or interpretation panels that I could see - just you, the brickwork, and your thoughts.

If you're staying at Ecosse Glamping nearby, this makes a decent morning walk before heading into Lanark proper. It's free, accessible, and genuinely quiet - which is harder to find than you'd think.