Strathclyde Country Park

Strathclyde Loch, looking north

Strathclyde Country Park is a country park located in Lanarkshire, Scotland.

The park covers some 4 km² (1.5 sq mi), centred on the artificial Strathclyde Loch. It is located next to the River Clyde between Hamilton and Motherwell. Strathclyde Park forms what used to be known as the Low parks of the now demolished Hamilton Palace and still includes buildings associated with the palace. When the loch was created in the early 1970s it involved the flooding of the old mining village of Bothwellhaugh.^[1] The park offers many amenities and attractions such as coarse angling, woodland walks, watersports, and a camping and caravanning site. One of Scotland's theme parks, M&D's, is located in the park. Until 1996, the music festival T in the Park was held here.

The west side of the park is bounded by the River Clyde, which was diverted when the loch was built in 1975. The original course can be seen between the east loch shore and the island. Across the Clyde is the M74 motorway, which creates a significant level of noise. The east side of the park is quieter, with woodland and paths leading up the slopes to Motherwell.

The remains of Bothwellhaugh Roman Fort and a Roman bath house can be seen in the park, where the South Calder Water flows into the loch. There is an arched Roman bridge across the South Calder nearby. The site of the Battle of Bothwell Bridge (1679) is to the north west of the park.

Although the focus of the park is on recreation, a variety of habitats are present, including wetlands and native woodland.

The Greenlink Cycle Path start-off point is located in the park and travels to Motherwell Town Centre. Also, a section of the Clyde walkway, from Glasgow to New Lanark, runs through the park.

Rowing

Major events held at the loch include the rowing events for the 1986 Commonwealth Games, the 1996 Junior World Rowing Championships (and the World Rowing Championships for non-Olympic events), the 2005 World Rowing Masters Regatta, the 2007 World Rowing U23 Championships and the 2006 and 2014 Commonwealth Rowing Championships.^[2]

The loch also hosts the British Rowing Championships^[3] once every four years, which are normally held in Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham, and also every four years hosts the Home International Regatta.

The park is home to Strathclyde Park Rowing Club,^[4] Edinburgh University Boat Club,^[5] Heriot-Watt University Boat Club^[6] and to the Scottish Rowing Centre whose Boathouse Gym is open to the public.

Major events

The watersports events of the 2005 Glasgow Special Olympics and the 2006 Scottish Triathlon Championships were staged at the park.

The park is an official venue for the 2011 International Children's Games,^[7]

In 2009 the park was used to host the first ever Great Scottish Swim, a mass participation open water swim event. The event was due to be held there again in 2010 but was cancelled due to poisonous blue-green algae in the loch.

The park hosts a Parkrun event at 09:30 every Saturday morning^[8]

In 2014, Strathclyde Park hosted the triathlon event of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.^[9]

A gloomy day at Strathclyde Park

In the News

On the 23/06/12 Strathclyde Country Park was host to the Western District Open Water Swimming Championship that attracted up to 70 competitors.

Following the race 57 people were discovered to be suffering from stomach cramps, sickness and diarrhoea 5 of the 57 tested positive for norovirus also known as the winter vomiting bug. Symptoms started the following day and a spokesman for North Lanarkshire Council confirmed that within 24–36 hours they should be feeling better.

When experts were consulted they have attributed this to heavy rainfall prior to the event, this has led to the suspension of all water sports and boating. Council officials have confirmed the water was tested prior to the event on the 11/06/12 and the 21/06/12. The tests concluded that the water was within the accepted open water guidelines.^[10]

The park has had a previous issue with open water events blue and green algae growth brought the cancellation of the Great Scottish Swim in August 2010.^[11] In summer 2011 algae growth also put a stop to water sports just two months before the start of the International Children's Games.^[12]

Strathclyde Park was to hold two big events and these are the Great Scottish Swim on 25/08/12 ^[13] and during the 2014 Commonwealth Games it is to stage the triathlon.

The Great Scottish Swim has, however, been cancelled yet again due to blue green algae ^[14]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Strathclyde Country Park.

• Information from North Lanarkshire Council
• Information from Visit Lanarkshire
• Bothwellhaugh, the former mining village now largely submerged under Strathclyde Loch

Coordinates: 55°47′51″N 4°01′23″W / 55.79750°N 4.02306°W / 55.79750; -4.02306