 Hamilton Mausoleum |
South Lanarkshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas into which Scotland has been divided since 1996. It extends from the edge of the Glasgow conurbation in the north to the remote uplands of the Lowther Hills in the south. It is the 11th largest council area in terms of physical size, and the 5th largest in population, reflecting the urban nature of much of the north of the area. For accommodation in South Lanarkshire and a full list of features, see our Glasgow & Clyde Valley area pages.
 South Lanarkshire Since 1996 Note About Image Copyright |
Important settlements in the north of South Lanarkshire include Hamilton and East Kilbride. The more rural heart of South Lanarkshire is home to settlements such as Lanark, Biggar and Strathaven. And in the upland south of the area you find Abington and Leadhills. You also find the M74 motorway, which runs the length of South Lanarkshire.
South Lanarkshire is bordered to its north by East Renfrewshire, City of Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, and West Lothian; to its east by Scottish Borders; to its south by Dumfries & Galloway; and to its west by East Ayrshire.
From the point of view of local authority coverage, the 1996 reorganisation that discarded Scotland's 12 regions in favour of 32 unitary council areas saw South Lanarkshire formed by merging the Clydesdale, Hamilton and East Kilbride districts of Strathclyde Region. If you take a longer view and compare South Lanarkshire to the traditional counties of Scotland before they were replaced by regions in 1975, it occupies what was a large part of the traditional county of Lanarkshire.
