South Lanarkshire

South Lanarkshire (Sooth Lanrickshire, Siorrachd Lannraig a Deas) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages.

South Lanarkshire Council
South Lanarkshire Council has its headquarters in Hamilton, has 16,000 employees, and a budget of almost £1bn. The council plan for 2007-2012 when the next council elections are due is Connect. The large and varied council area takes in rural and upland areas, market towns such as Lanark, Strathaven and Carluke, the urban burghs of Rutherglen, Cambuslang, and East Kilbride which was Scotland's first new town.

There are 20 council wards in South Lanarkshire, each represented on the council by 3 or 4 elected councillors using Single Transferable Vote. South Lanarkshire operates a cabinet style system, with key decisions being taken by the Executive Committee, under the leadership of the Council Leader, and approved by the council, led by the Provost.

South Lanarkshire shares borders with the unitary authorities of Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, City of Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, West Lothian and Scottish Borders.

The area was formed in 1996, from the areas of Clydesdale, Hamilton and East Kilbride districts, and some outer areas of Glasgow District (Rutherglen/Fernhill, Cambuslang/Halfway and part of King's Park/Toryglen).

Political composition
Since the elections, there has been one by-election and the current political composition is 3 Independent, 8 Conservative, 31 Labour, 2 Liberal Democrats and 23 SNP.

Council Headquarters


The Council Headquarters building, on Almada Street, Hamilton, was built as the Lanark County Buildings in 1963, and designed by Lanark council architect D G Bannerman. The 16 storey, 165 foot tower is the largest in Hamilton, and is a highly visible landmark across this part of the Clyde Valley. The modernist design was influenced by the United Nations building in New York. Glass curtain walls cover the north and south facades, with the narrow east and west sides being blank white walls. At the front of the building is the circular council chamber, and a plaza with water features. It is known by locals as the "County Buildings"

Principal settlements

 * Blantyre
 * Cambuslang
 * Carluke
 * East Kilbride
 * Hamilton
 * Lanark
 * Larkhall
 * Rutherglen
 * Strathaven

Other settlements

 * Abington
 * Ashgill
 * Auchengray
 * Auchenheath
 * Biggar
 * Blackwood
 * Bothwell
 * Braehead
 * Braidwood
 * Burnside
 * Carmichael
 * Carnwath
 * Carstairs
 * Chapelton
 * Coalburn
 * Cobbinshaw
 * Coulter
 * Crawford
 * Crawfordjohn
 * Crossford
 * Dalserf
 * Dolphinton
 * Douglas
 * Douglas Water
 * Elsrickle
 * Forth
 * Glassford
 * Kilncadzow
 * Kirkfieldbank
 * Kirkmuirhill
 * Law Village
 * Leadhills
 * Lesmahagow
 * Newbigging
 * Nerston
 * Pettinain
 * Quarter
 * Quothquan
 * Rigside
 * Sandford
 * Stonehouse
 * Symington
 * Tarbrax
 * Thankerton
 * Thorntonhall
 * Uddingston
 * Waterfoot (Part Of)
 * Wiston
 * Woolfords

Places of interest

 * Hamilton Mausoleum
 * Bothwell Castle
 * Strathaven Castle
 * John Hastie Museum, Strathaven
 * Low Parks Museum, Hamilton
 * Chatelherault Country Park, near Hamilton, including Cadzow Castle
 * Craignethan Castle
 * David Livingstone Centre, in Blantyre
 * Dollan Baths, East Kilbride
 * Falls of Clyde
 * Little Sparta, near Dunsyre near Lanark
 * New Lanark, a World Heritage Site
 * Clyde Valley
 * Sites of the Battle of Drumclog and the Battle of Bothwell Bridge

Tertiary Education

 * South Lanarkshire College
 * University of the West of Scotland (formally Bell College, University Of Paisley)