Environment

Twechar benefits from an exceptional landscape setting, with its rolling hills and numerous sites of historical significance. From the 1850s onwards, the previously predominantly agricultural area was developed for a series of mine works which were located on either side of the Forth and Clyde canal. Large processing areas and housing for the miners were arranged south of the canal and along Main Street.

Although virtually all of the historical industrial areas have now been cleared, the character of Twechar’s Main Street is still clearly defined by the buildings that have survived from the early days of the village, most notably several attractive sandstone terraces, a number of Victorian villas with mature gardens and the landmark Twechar church.

Landscape

Twechar lies in an area rich in history and natural beauty. It is located on the southern flanks of the Kelvin Valley with spectacular views northwards over the flood plain of the Kelvin and Kilsyth Hills. To the south of the village, the rising slopes of the valley culminate in ridges crowned with blocks of mature deciduous woodland.

The Forth and Clyde Canal runs along the northern edge of Twechar and links the town to Kilsyth in the east and Kirkintilloch in the west, and there are many interesting features in and around Twechar that serve as constant reminders of the village’s industrial past.

These include excavations, embankments and structures all of which are linked in some way to the extensive network of mines, quarries, various railway lines and the Forth and Clyde Canal.

Wildlife

Due to its rural setting, many areas in Twechar have been designated Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). A site can only qualify as a SINC if it is an important habitat or harbours a notable species - and Twechar has both.

Bats, otters and water voles are all regular visitors to the village while wild swans and other fowl frequently nest on the canal banks.

The nearby Upper Kelvin Valley, which stretches for 10-kilometres (six-miles), is home to many protected and endangered species, including five species of protected mammal and 12 species of bird, and the Valley can also boast the most extensive area of floodplain grazing marsh in North Lanarkshire.