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'South Lanarkshire' (''Siorrachd Lannraig a Deas'' in Gaelic)m is one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, covering the southern part of the traditional 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.

Contents

South Lanarkshire Council

Political composition

Council Headquarters

Towns and villages

Principal towns (population over 10,000)

Small towns and villages

Places of interest

Tertiary Education

External links

South Lanarkshire Council

South Lanarkshire Council is headquartered in Hamilton, has 15,000 employees, and an annual budget of £538 million. The council publishes a regular four-year plan, FourCast. The large and varied council area takes in rural and upland areas, market towns such as Lanark and Carluke, the urban burghs of Rutherglen and Cambuslang, and East Kilbride which was Scotland's first new town.
There are 20 council wards (from May 2007) in South Lanarkshire, each represented on the council by an 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, North 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

★ Labour - 30

★ Scottish National Party - 24

★ Conservative - 8

★ Independent - 3

★ Liberal Democrat - 2

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.

Towns and villages

Principal towns (population over 10,000)

★ Blantyre

★ Cambuslang

★ Carluke

★ East Kilbride

★ Hamilton

★ Larkhall

★ Rutherglen

Small towns and villages

★ Abington

★ Ashgill

★ Auchengray

★ Auchenheath

★ Biggar

★ Blackwood

★ Bothwell

★ Braehead

★ Braidwood

★ Carnwath

★ Carstairs

★ Coalburn

★ Cobbinshaw

★ Coulter

★ Crawford

★ Crawfordjohn

★ Crossford

★ Dalserf

★ Dolphinton

★ Douglas

★ Douglas Water

★ Elsrickle

★ Forth

★ Glassford

★ Kirkfieldbank

★ Kirkmuirhill

★ Lanark

★ Law Village

★ Leadhills

★ Lesmahagow

★ Newbigging

★ Nerston

★ Pettinain

★ Quarter

★ Rigside

★ Stonehouse

★ Strathaven

★ Symington

★ Tarbrax

★ Thankerton

★ Uddingston

★ Woolfords

Places of interest

★ Bothwell Castle

★ 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

★ Bell College

★ South Lanarkshire College

External links

★ South Lanarkshire Council homepage