{"id":1788,"date":"2020-01-06T11:57:30","date_gmt":"2020-01-06T11:57:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/?p=1788"},"modified":"2020-12-08T10:53:54","modified_gmt":"2020-12-08T10:53:54","slug":"blantyre-the-five-minute-spare-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/blantyre-the-five-minute-spare-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Blantyre: The Five Minute Spare Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Blantyre – Everybody loves this place\u2026 take it from a Scot. It\u2019s the kind of town that folk in Edinburgh work all their lives to retire in. It\u2019s just far enough away from the metropolitan centres of Hamilton<\/a>, East Kilbride<\/a>, and Glasgow<\/a>, to be a nice, peaceful neighbourhood. Rumour has it that there are areas of Blantyre where you can still leave your door unlocked without fear of burglary\u2026 it\u2019s just that nice.<\/p>\n

Blantyre was famously birthplace to David Livingstone and this is commemorated with bridge as well as a church and primary school in the town being named in his honour. As well as being part of the popular-to-this-area Livingston clan<\/a>; David went on to explore Africa<\/a>. To this day, the second biggest town in Malawi is called Blantyre. So we Scots do have something in common with the Tropics, after all.<\/p>\n

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The David Livingstone memorial bridge at Blantyre, spans the River Clyde.
Image: TreasureGalore\/Shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n

High Blantyre<\/h3>\n

High Blantyre is thought to be the oldest part of the town and Bronze Age remnants have been found here. The town itself is an amalgamation of several sweet little hamlets \u2013 which is probably what makes it so nice. Historically there is also a Priory in the area which dates back to the early thirteenth century. It is safe to say that this area has been populated for a long, long, time.<\/p>\n

So asides from being a lovely place to live and having roots as far back as the Bronze Age, what sort of things does Blantyre have to offer your average visitor? We took a wee five minute look and put together the best bits, on your behalf.<\/p>\n

The Best Bits of Blantyre<\/h2>\n

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So if you were having a holiday in central Scotland and found yourself with a few days on your hands in Blantyre \u2013 what should you do? Here are the best bits according to the locals\u2026<\/p>\n

The David Livingstone Centre<\/a><\/h3>\n

Every school within a ten-mile radius comes here at some point to learn about the great explorer himself. The centre is packed with his journals, objects related to his life, and the tools of his exploration. It is closed until the 2020 holiday season but has just undergone a 6.3 million pound refurbishment courtesy of the National Lottery fund. We can\u2019t wait to see what they unveil. Legend says they have added a whole bunch of activities, as well as restoring the ancient house to its former good looks.<\/p>\n

We expect a caf\u00e9 and a gift shop at the absolute minimum. This centre attracts visitors every year so it won\u2019t stay closed for long. Watch this space and feel free to report back that it is open!<\/p>\n

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Statue of the famous explorer situated at the centre.
Image: Ulmus Media\/Shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n

The Wee Mud Hut<\/a><\/p>\n

This is one of those quaint attractions that make Blantyre such a sweet place to live. This lady is a pottery teacher and she has all of her own kit. You can go to her and learn how to make pots or she can come to you and do a class. She\u2019s not the best-known attraction in the area but if you are looking for a taste of local, to learn a new skill, and to pass an afternoon in the blink of an eye? Then this is the place.<\/p>\n

Blantyre Priory Ruins<\/a><\/h3>\n

For those that love a free day out all wrapped up in historical interest; we suggest you go and visit the ruins of Blantyre Priory. This scheduled monument is found straight across the river Clyde from Bothwell Castle<\/a>\u2026 which would make for a lovely afternoon of ruin spotting if you visited both.<\/p>\n

The ruins of the thirteenth-century Priory are set in their own parks and on the crux of the river. You could probably take the tent down and camp in summer. It\u2019s a beautiful area.<\/p>\n

Redlees Urban Park<\/a><\/p>\n

For any Urban Explorers or War buffs this is just the ticket. This woodland park is in a former quarry\u2026 presumably, red sandstone although we are not certain. There is a pond, and sometime during the war, they hid a bunch of big guns down in there. You can visit the gun site, take a hike through the woods, have a picnic by the pond, and learn all about anti-aircraft guns while you are there.<\/p>\n

They have just put forth plans to turn the gun site into a living museum. Keep your eyes peeled; this will probably get better in future.<\/p>\n

Other Notable Attractions<\/h2>\n

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There are loads of other things to do just outside of Blantyre that we haven\u2019t covered yet. Some of our best bits from the surrounding areas include:<\/p>\n