St Athanasius RC Church

The red sandstone facade of St Athanasius stops you dead on the high street in Lanark. It's a proper Victorian church, built in the 1880s when the town was booming, and it's one of those places that rewards a quiet five minutes inside. The interior is genuinely lovely - high ceilings, stained glass that catches the light properly, and that particular smell all old churches have. There's no fuss about it, which is exactly what you want.

This isn't a tourist tick-box. You're looking at local faith and craft from a specific moment in Scottish history, which matters if you're into Victorian architecture or ecclesiastical design. Families won't linger long unless the kids are already church-curious, but anyone on a walking tour of Lanark should step in. It takes ten minutes, maybe fifteen if you're examining the details.

The real appeal here is context. Lanark itself has proper industrial heritage - David Dale's mills, the falls, the whole story - and St Athanasius sits right in that narrative. If you're staying at Ecosse Glamping nearby, you're close enough for a morning wander through town before heading elsewhere. There's no admission charge that we're aware of, though opening hours aren't advertised, so check locally. Go on a weekday morning if you want quiet, though you might find it locked on random days. Not a destination in itself, but the kind of place that rounds out a solid day exploring what Lanark actually is.