Day 12: September 24, 2026 (New Lanark)

New Lanark

(by Julie & Mélia)

This morning we started the day with a party. The music was loud, colourful lights everywhere, tired eyes and everything was moving. That was our way down to the lobby in the disco lift. After this exciting start into the day and a very delicious breakfast, we took the train to Lanark.

There we walked to the New Lanark mill village, where we had a guided tour that led us through the factory building and learned a lot about Robert Owen. He was the factory owner that introduced many changes for the workers. He had many progressive ideas like reducing working hours, introducing basic education for children and a later start into the work life at the age of 10. He also granted free healthcare for all his workers and a free creche for working mothers. Because of this he is regarded an intellectual father of socialism.

After the guided tour we sat into some pods that lead us through the history of Anne McLeod, a little girl who used to work at the factory.

Then we ate our lunch. When everyone was full and warmed up, we took a walk to a waterfall where back in the day workers used to take breaks to relax and get a break from the hard work.

 

At the end we looked at the school, as well as a worker’s and Robert Owen’s house, which was quite impressive to see. At four o’clock we sat in the train again, back on our way to Glasgow.

  

 

The rest of the day we had some free time. Some of us visited thrift shops after the excursion before they bought food to eat in our rooms, because many of us were tired and had already spent enough money in the last two weeks. A few of us also have a very interesting taste in food. (Have you ever had a whole glass of pickled garlic?) Others relaxed a bit in the hotel before they ate in the hotel restaurant or went to the gym.
To end the day we watched the second half of the movie «grown ups».