Both sites are referred to as nature reserves by the owner, the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

The Lower Nethan Gorge reserve, near Lanark, is one of the best examples of semi-natural woodland still surviving in the Clyde Valley.

[1] The gorge is home to many species of flora and fauna, including green woodpeckers, otters, and badgers.

[1] Lower Nethan Gorge was declared a part of the Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature Reserve in 2007.

[3] The reserve's woodlands support a large range of species, including locally uncommon plants such as broad-leaved helleborine (Epipactis helleborine), wood melick (Melica uniflora), and meadow saxifrage (Saxifraga granulata).