Bellshill lies somewhere between Motherwell and Rutherglen in North Lanarkshire. It is one of those places that was originally a group of different villages that eventually merged. We have a fair few of those in Scotland. For example; the village of Orbiston is an important part of Bellshill…
The name is pronounced exactly as you think it is. It literally means what it says, too. Bell’s Hill was where Mr Bell had his row of worker’s cottages. He owned a nearby quarry. It is reckoned the town came about some time in the 16th century.
Bellshill is in the Motherwell area, putting the local clans as the Douglases, the Hamilton’s, the Stewarts and probably a few others. It wasn’t a known area of clan activity though… you won’t find any ancient battle sights nearby because this land is too low down to have been of any interest to the highlanders. You might find a Wallace or two around though, even to this day.
Bellshill has a bit of a history in the music business. A string of pop bands from the area over the years has led it to be a bit of a hot spot for indie music. They have churned out a few famous acts over the years. It’s like the Scottish Bermuda triangle but for music.
Anyway, asides from music, a history of quarrying and being too lowland for the clans to care about: what can you get up to in Bellshill? Let’s find out!
Bellshill At A Glance
So what to get up to, if you are spending a few days in Bellshill? If you are passing more than an afternoon there then it is a good thing you found our five minute guide! You wouldn’t want to miss out on the Bellshill best bits, would you?
M & D’s Theme Park / Strathclyde Country Park / Amazonia
These three attractions are technically in Motherwell but are a hop, skip, and jump by bus. If you are in Bellshill for longer than a day you need to go there and check it out. We have covered both the country park and the theme park in our Motherwell Guide – but we haven’t covered Amazonia yet.
Amazonia is contained in the same park area and is a mini-zoo. It lets your little ones pet all sorts of tiny creatures in a fun, educational, and entirely controlled, way. It’s actually an indoor recreation of a tropical rainforest, filled with all the animals you would expect. The kids adore this place.
Sir Matt Busby’s Sports Complex
If you want to go swimming, take part in local charity football matches, or go to the gym, then the Matt Busby Sports Complex is where you do it. Matt Busby was a famous sportsman who captained the Manchester United football team back in the seventies. Why he has a leisure centre in Bellshill we aren’t really sure. It just might be that someone at North Lanarkshire County Council really, really liked Man U[i].
Bellshill Golf Course
A Scottish town of moderate size, you say? Don’t have a church yet? No worries. Pop a golf course on the end of it and start moving people in!
We imagine that’s how the conversation went.
They have a Golf Now approval rating higher than 90% if that means anything to anyone.
The Hilton Spa
So it turns out there is a Hilton hotel in Bellshill. This restaurant has a restaurant/bar and a spa that offers various treatments. Had we known about this before this afternoon that spa would already have been checked out. As it is; we are off to do some research. We will report back in the morning…
At the end of all of that, if you are still lacking in things to do, you are only a fifteen-minute train trip into Glasgow City Centre. In less time you could be in Hamilton to take advantage of the retail park, cinema, or other hundred or so things there are to do there. Don’t worry; we covered them in another guide already. You can read about Hamilton on Five Minutes Spare, here.
Where to Eat, Drink, and Party in Bellshill?
They say that Burns Bar is the best place to have a drink in Bellshill. We’re not so sure about that simply because it is ‘cash only’ and – in this economy? If they don’t change to fit in with the rest of the plastic world they probably won’t be open by the time you get there. So we decided to recommend Franklyn’s Bar instead. They do boast a decent cocktail.
The Belmill Hotel is where you go to wine and dine clients or anyone else you want to make an impression on. You can get a similar experience at the Omorphia Taverna. Spice of Kashmir is the Indian food of choice.
Other Notable (Nearby) Attractions
There are a few other things you can do within a stone’s throw of Bellshill, that aren’t necessarily inside the town itself. Just about every town within a ten-mile radius has its own golf club, for example. Here are a few others outside of Bellshill treats:
- The Hamilton Mausoleum – where the dead ancestors of the Hamilton’s are/were buried.
- The Motherwell Civic Centre – where you can usually catch a show, especially in panto season.
- Visit the Cameronians Scottish Rifles Museum in Hamilton and learn about how many times they saved everyone’s butts during all the wars. They actually took the decision to disband back in the sixties, rather than amalgamate with another regiment when the forces were trimmed down. You would be very surprised to learn how many streets are named after them.
So even if you are only passing through, there is always something to be doing in Bellshill.
Still have Time?
If you still have some spare time left and you fancy another giggle or two, head on over to Five Minutes Spare and browse some of our other sections. We have everything you could think of to cheer you up on a rainy day. Come and have a look.
[i] Matt Busby was born in Bellshill but we had to ask around. Who says writers don’t research anymore?
