Clydesdale (district) facts for kids

Clydesdale (pronounced KLAYDZ-dayl) was a special area in Scotland. It was a local government district from 1975 to 1996. This means it was a part of Scotland that had its own local council.

The district was first called Lanark when it was created in 1975. But in 1980, its name changed to Clydesdale. The name Clydesdale is very old. It comes from the historic area of Lanarkshire. Both "Clydesdale" and "Strathclyde" (the region it was part of) refer to the River Clyde. The word "dale" means a valley. So, Clydesdale means the valley of the Clyde.

A Look Back at Clydesdale

How Clydesdale Was Created

The Clydesdale district was formed in 1975. This happened because of a new law in Scotland. This law created a two-level system for local government. There were larger "regions" and smaller "districts" within them.

Clydesdale was one of 19 districts in the Strathclyde region. It took over the areas of five older local districts from Lanarkshire. These included the towns of Biggar and Lanark. It also included three other areas called "District" areas.

The district was first named "Lanark" after its main town. But the council decided to change the name. In 1980, it officially became "Clydesdale".

Where Was Clydesdale?

The Clydesdale district was in the southern part of Lanarkshire. This area was mostly rural. It had farms and countryside. The northern parts of Lanarkshire were more industrial. They had many towns and were closer to Glasgow.

The End of the District

The Clydesdale district stopped existing in 1996. This was because of another new law. This law changed how local government worked again. The regions and districts were replaced. New, larger areas called "unitary council areas" were created.

The area of Clydesdale became part of the new South Lanarkshire council area. This new area also included other former districts. These were East Kilbride and Hamilton. Parts of the City of Glasgow district were also added.

Clydesdale Today

Even though the district is gone, the name Clydesdale is still used. People use it to talk about the southern, rural part of South Lanarkshire. It helps compare it to the more urban areas.

Some local groups and organizations use the name Clydesdale. Also, the local council uses the name for some of its areas. Since 2007, four local areas are called:

• Clydesdale East
• Clydesdale North
• Clydesdale South
• Clydesdale West

These areas had a total population of 61,613 people in 2019. They are similar to the Clydesdale constituency. This is an area that elects a representative to the Scottish Parliament.

How the Council Was Run

The first election for the Clydesdale district council was in 1974. The council officially started its work on May 16, 1975. For many years, no single political group was fully in charge. This is called "No overall control."

From 1988 to 1992, the Scottish Labour party was in charge. After that, it went back to "No overall control" until 1996.

Where the Council Met

When the council first started, it used different offices. These offices had belonged to the older districts. By 1978, the council moved into a main building. This building was the old St Mary's Hospital in Lanark. It was built in the 1860s.

After the Clydesdale council was abolished, the building was still used. Today, it serves as a local office for the South Lanarkshire Council.

Images for kids

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  This map shows where the Clydesdale district was in Scotland.

• 

  An 1868 map of Lanarkshire. You can see the "Upper Ward," which was similar to the later Clydesdale area.

See also

• Subdivisions of Scotland
• Clydesdale horse
• Clydesdale Bank