Lanark ( ; ; ) is a town in

South Lanarkshire South Lanarkshire (; ) is one of 32 unitary authorities of Scotland. It borders the south-east of the Glasgow City council area and contains some of Greater Glasgow's suburban towns, as well as many rural towns and villages. It also shares bor ...

, Scotland, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

. The town lies on the

River Clyde The River Clyde (, ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde, in the west of Scotland. It is the eighth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the second longest in Scotland after the River Tay. It runs through the city of Glasgow. Th ...

, at its confluence with Mouse Water. In 2016, the town had a population of 9,050. Lanark was a

royal burgh A royal burgh ( ) was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished by law in 1975, the term is still used by many former royal burghs. Most royal burghs were either created by ...

from 1140 to 1975, and was historically the

county town In Great Britain and Ireland, a county town is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county, and the place where public representatives are elected to parliament. Following the establishment of county councils in ...

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark (; ), is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and registration county in the Central Lowlands and Southern Uplands of Scotland. The county is no l ...

, though in modern times this title belongs to Hamilton. Notable landmarks nearby include

New Lanark New Lanark is a village on the River Clyde, approximately from Lanark, in Lanarkshire, and some southeast of Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in 1785 and opened in 1786 by David Dale, who built cotton mills and housing for the mill workers. D ...

, the Corra Linn and the site of Lanark Castle. Lanark railway station and bus interchange have frequent services to

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

. There is little industry in Lanark and some residents commute to work in Glasgow and

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

. Its shops serve the local agricultural community and surrounding villages. There is a large modern livestock auction market on the outskirts of the town.

History

Medieval period

The town's name is believed to come from the Brythonic ' meaning "clear space, glade". In May 1297, the action at Lanark is said to have seen William Wallace, later a prominent figure in the

First War of Scottish Independence The First War of Scottish Independence was the first of a series of wars between Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland. It lasted from the English invasion of Scotland (1296), English invasion of Scotland in 1296 until ...

, joining the uprisings taking place across Scotland with an attack on the English Sheriff of Lanark, William de Heselrig, killing the sheriff and many of his men.

16th–19th centuries

Lanark originally had four town gates, West Port, East Port, Wellgate and Castlegate. West Port gate was demolished in the 1770s. Later toll gates were constructed at Cartland Bridge and Lanark Racecourse around 1820. These were relocated to the former site of Lanark Auction Market following the abolition of tolls in 1883, with the Cartland Bridge toll gates still present and protected as a listed building.

Early 20th century

The first aviation meeting to be held in Scotland was held at Lanark Racecourse between 6 and 13 August 1910. This location was chosen because the land was relatively flat, the racecourse already had facilities for a paying public, there were stables to act as hangars for the aeroplanes and the racecourse was accessible by both road and by rail, especially as The Caledonian Railway Company were prepared to construct a new station near the main entrance. The aeroplanes were transported to the meeting by rail, as aviation technology at the time was not advanced enough to safely fly there. The Lanark meeting took place shortly after a similar event in

Bournemouth Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...

at which

Charles Rolls Charles Stewart Rolls (27 August 1877 – 12 July 1910) was a British motoring and aviation pioneer. With Henry Royce, he co-founded the Rolls-Royce Limited, Rolls-Royce car manufacturing firm. He was the first Briton to be killed in an aeron ...

died. Influenced by this, it was decided that no aircraft would fly closer than away from the spectators. For the first time, aeroplanes were accurately timed over a straight measured distance, allowing the first world records to be set, covering flights over . The meeting was described by ''The Aero'' magazine as 'the most successful yet held in Britain'. A permanent military presence was established in the town with the completion of Winston Barracks in the 1930s.

Modern period

On 29 June 1953, Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

visited Lanark to mark her coronation.

Governance

Local government

Lanark is within the

unitary authority area. In local elections, they are part of the Clydesdale North ward which elects three councillors. Following the 2022 election, Clydesdale North is represented by Richard Eliott-Lockhart of the

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party (), known as Scottish Tories, is part of the UK Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party active in Scotland. It currently holds 5 of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons of the United Ki ...

, Julia Marrs of the

Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic party. The party holds 61 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, and holds 9 out of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, ...

, and Catherine McClymont of

Scottish Labour Scottish Labour (), is the part of the UK Labour Party (UK), Labour Party active in Scotland. Ideologically social democratic and Unionism in the United Kingdom, unionist, it holds 23 of 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament and 37 of 57 Sco ...

Scottish Parliament

In elections to the

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...

, Lanark elects its representatives as part of the Clydesdale constituency, and also contributes to the election of seven additional list members as part of the South of Scotland region. The current Clydesdale MSP is Aileen Campbell of the SNP, who defeated the Labour incumbent Karen Gillon in the 2011 election after Gillon had held the seat since 1999.

Parliament of the United Kingdom

In Westminster elections, Lanark is part of the Lanark and Hamilton East constituency. Labour's Jimmy Hood represented the area in Parliament from 1987 until 2015; since then the MP has been Angela Crawley.

Landmarks

There are 14 historical closes or vennels in the town - alleyways allowing access to the High street. Some are named after an original shop owner, one is named Wallace close as it depicts key moments of William Wallace's life in Lanark Visitors to the town can visit the nearby

World Heritage World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

Site of

, close to the Falls of Clyde, the Corehouse estate and the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Corehouse Nature Reserve. The Lanark Museum is located in West Port, inside the YMCA building. A large boating lake, Lanark Loch, adjoins Lanark Golf Club which has a lovely and historic 18 hole course for more experienced golf players and a 9-hole golf course. The former racecourse now offers pony-trekking activities. The town's Castlebank Park lies near the former site of Lanark Castle, and allows access to the

and the Clyde Walkway. An ornate gas lamp, known as the provost's lamp stands at the bottom of the High Street. After the burgh council was abolished in 1975, the provost's lamp, which had historically been placed outside the house of the provost as one of their marks of office, was relocated to the pavement just to the east of Lanark Tolbooth on a permanent basis. One of the churches in the town bears the name of The Old Church of St Kentigern (perhaps better known as St Mungo), who set up many medieval churches in the

Scottish Lowlands The Lowlands ( or , ; , ) is a cultural and historical region of Scotland. The region is characterised by its relatively flat or gently rolling terrain as opposed to the mountainous landscapes of the Scottish Highlands. This area includes ci ...

, including

, and died c.612 AD. The town's cemetery stands on the site of The Old Church of St Kentigern, and includes many

Covenanter Covenanters were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. It originated in disputes with James VI and his son C ...

graves. St. Nicholas Parish Church stands at the bottom of the high street. The church bell is believed to date from 1110, and may be one of the oldest church bells in the world. It was moved from The Old Church of St Kentigern when St. Nicholas Church was built in 1774. It has been recast four times, including 1659 and 1983. There is an 8-foot (2.45 m) statue of William Wallace in the steeple. This was sculpted by Robert Forrest, from an ancient drawing in the possession of the Society of Antiquaries.

Lanimers

This historic background forms the basis for the Lanark Lanimers, which take place each year for one week in June. Local primary schoolchildren elect a Lanimers queen and court; and a Lord Cornet is chosen from local businessmen. On the Monday night the Perambulation of the Marches takes place, when townspeople turn out to walk around half the town boundary, following the Lord Cornets past and present as they inspect the border-stones. Traditionally, the townspeople carry "birks" (Scots for "sticks of birch"), which are small branches of birch trees cut from the woods at the Glenburnie estate. This tradition was started in 1948 by Joseph Doolan, whose family owned the land. The other half of the boundary is inspected on the Wednesday night, again led by the Lord Cornet accompanied by many local riders who participate in the Riding of the Marches, locally referred to as the Rideout. On the Thursday morning, schools and other organisations parade before the Lanimer Queen in themed dress, accompanied by pipe bands. The best Lanimer Lorries win prizes, and after the parade the crowning of the Queen takes place on a temporary stand erected in front of St Nicholas' Church, under the statue of William Wallace. The Queen holds a reception party in the town's Memorial Hall on the Friday night, where children perform songs and dances.

Notable people

William Wallace is one of the most notable people in Lanark's history. A key leader in the Scottish Wars of Independence, he is known to have first "drawn his sword to free his native land" at Lanark in 1297, killing the English sheriff Haselrig. An 8-foot statue of Wallace sits on St Nicholas Church at the town cross dating back to 1817 which was sculpted by Carluke-born Robert Forrest. Colin Mcrae crop

Other notable figures from Lanark include: * William Smellie (1697–1763), obstetrician * Robert McQueen, Lord Braxfield (1722–1799), senior Scottish judge known as the "hanging judge" * Margaret Agnes Bunn (1799–1883), actress * William Budge (1828–1919), prominent member of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

* Walter Elliot (1888–1958), Scottish Unionist party politician who served in various cabinet roles *

Judith Hart Constance Mary Hart, Baroness Hart of South Lanark, (née Ridehalgh; 18 September 19247 December 1991), also known as Dame Judith Hart, was a British Labour Party politician. She served as a Member of Parliament for 28 years, from 1959 to 19 ...

(1924–1991), Labour party politician who was the Minister for Overseas Development and later elevated to the House of Lords * Colin Cameron ( 1933), lawyer and Malawian politician * Jimmy McRae ( 1943), five time British Rally Champion in 1981, 1982, 1984, 1987 and 1988, father of Colin and Alister McRae * Colin McRae (1968–2007), rally driver who was the British Rally Champion in 1991 and 1992 and World Rally Champion in 1995, son of Jimmy McRae and brother of Alister McRae * Alister McRae ( 1970), British Rally Champion in 1995, son of Jimmy McRae and brother of Colin McRae

Gallery

Image:lanark00.jpg, Town centre Image:High Street, Lanark (2006).jpg, High Street Image:lanark06.jpg, Wellgate Image:The Girnin Dug, Lanark.jpg, The "Girnin Dug" statue of a dog erected as a reproach to a neighbour suspected of poisoning the pet

References

* ''Historical Tours in the Clyde Valley''. Published by the Clyde Valley Tourist Association and the Lanark & District Archaeological Association. Printed by Robert MacLehose and Company Limited, Renfrew, Scotland. 1982. * ''Building the Royal Burghs'' by John Barrett and David Iredale. Published in The Scots Magazine. Volume 142, Number 1. January 1995. pp. 10–22. * ''Upper Clydesdale: A History and Guide'' by Daniel Martin. Published by the Tuckwell Press, Phantassie, East Linton. 1999. * ''Clydesdale District Guide''. Published by Clydesdale District Guide. 1995. * ''Lanark Heritage Trail''. Published by South Lanarkshire Council. 2001.

External links

* {{Authority control Towns in South Lanarkshire Parishes in Lanarkshire County towns in Scotland Royal burghs