Strathclyde Country Park facts for kids
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Strathclyde Country Park is a large park located near Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It's a popular spot for outdoor activities and learning about history.
The park covers about 4 square kilometers (1.5 square miles). It is built around a man-made lake called Strathclyde Loch. The park sits next to the River Clyde, between the towns of Hamilton and Motherwell.
Strathclyde Park was once part of the lands of the old Hamilton Palace, which is no longer there. Some buildings connected to the palace can still be found in the park. When Strathclyde Loch was created in the early 1970s, it covered the old mining village of Bothwellhaugh.
Today, the park offers many fun things to do. You can go fishing, enjoy walks through woodlands, or try watersports on the loch. There's also a place for camping and caravanning. One of Scotland's theme parks, M&D's, is also located inside Strathclyde Park. For a few years, the music festival T in the Park was held here.
The west side of the park is next to the River Clyde. The river was moved a bit when the loch was built in 1975. You can still see where the river used to flow between the loch and an island. Across the Clyde, the M74 motorway runs by, which can be a bit noisy. The east side of the park is much quieter. It has woodlands and paths that lead up the hills towards Motherwell.
You can also find old historical sites in the park. There are the remains of Bothwellhaugh Roman Fort and a Roman bathhouse. These are located where the South Calder Water river flows into the loch. A Roman bridge with an arch is also nearby. The area where the Battle of Bothwell Bridge took place in 1679 is just north-west of the park.
Even though the park is mostly for fun, it's also home to different natural areas. These include wetlands and native woodlands, which are important for local wildlife.
Two walking and cycling paths pass through the park. The Greenlink Cycle Path starts here and goes to Motherwell Town Centre. A part of the Clyde Walkway, which stretches from Glasgow to New Lanark, also runs through the park.
Watersports and Rowing Events
Strathclyde Loch is a very important place for watersports, especially rowing. Many big events have been held here over the years.
For example, the rowing competitions for the 1986 Commonwealth Games took place at the loch. It also hosted the World Rowing Junior Championships in 1996 and the World Rowing U23 Championships in 2007. Other major rowing events include the World Rowing Masters Regatta in 2005 and the 2018 European Rowing Championships.
The loch is also sometimes the home for the British Rowing Championships. This event usually happens in Nottingham, but every four years, it comes to Strathclyde Park. The Home International Regatta also takes place here every four years.
Several rowing clubs use the park as their base. These include Strathclyde Park Rowing Club, Edinburgh University Boat Club, and Heriot-Watt University Boat Club. The Scottish Rowing Centre] is also located here.
Other Major Events
Besides rowing, Strathclyde Park has hosted many other exciting events.
The watersports events for the 2005 Glasgow Special Olympics were held at the park. The 2006 Scottish Triathlon Championships also took place here.
Since 2005, the park has been the location for the yearly Stereofunk music festival. The park was also the home of the T in the Park festival from 1994 to 1996.
In 2009, the park hosted the first ever Great Scottish Swim. This is a large open water swimming event for many people. The event was planned for 2010 but had to be cancelled because of a type of blue-green algae in the loch.
Strathclyde Park was an official venue for the 2011 International Children's Games.
In 2014, the park hosted the triathlon event for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The 2018 European Triathlon Championships were also held here as part of the bigger 2018 European Championships.
Every Saturday morning, the park hosts a Parkrun event at 9:30 AM. It has also had an 'Inflatable 5k' event, which is popular with families and people raising money for charity.
Water Quality and Safety
In June 2012, Strathclyde Country Park hosted the Western District Open Water Swimming Championship. About 70 people took part in this swimming race.
After the event, some swimmers reported feeling unwell with stomach issues. Experts looked into it and believed heavy rainfall before the event might have affected the water. Park officials confirmed that water quality tests done before the race met safety guidelines for open water swimming. As a precaution, all water-based activities were temporarily stopped.
The loch has had issues with water quality before. In August 2010, the Great Scottish Swim was cancelled due to blue-green algae growth. In summer 2011, algae growth also stopped watersports just two months before the International Children's Games. The Great Scottish Swim was cancelled again in 2012 due to similar concerns. Park management works to monitor and manage the water quality to ensure safety for visitors.
