Rutherglen is in South Lanarkshire, although it is could be in Glasgow given it has a Glasgow postcode. However, in 1996 it was designated South Lanarkshire and given a County Council of its own. In short: nobody knows what Rutherglen is anymore… not even the place itself. It might be a town, it might be a city and it might even be a county. Who knows? We Scots certainly don’t seem to…
Image: Pontus Edenberg/Shutterstock.com
So what about Rutherglen makes it so special? It’s pretty big. It’s been a Royal Burgh for 800 years, got its own coat of arms in 1889 and it covers so many different areas in the northern tip of South Lanarkshire that it really should own that city status. We’re not entirely sure about its history either. It may be descended from a Welsh-speaking Kingdom that resided here before either the Gaelic or the English speakers did… It may be a Gaelic town taking its name from ‘the Red Valley’. They mined Chromium here. Chromium is silver… go figure.
Rutherglen Has Its Own Coat Of Arms
Rutherglen Coat of Arms depicted on a Ja-Ja series postcard from around 1905 copyright unknown
What else to tell you about Rutherglen? The attractions? With it being such a big place there are more than a few stops you should see if you are in the area. Let’s look at some of those attractions and make your next trip easier.
Things to See and Do in Rutherglen
So if you were spending a week or two in the Glasgow/South Lanarkshire/Rutherglen area, what are some of the sights you should see? Follow our recommendations for the most interesting trip possible.
1 –The Cuningar Loop
This is one of those places that you drive past forty times before you realise it is something. When you go past it looks like a forest with a car park. Behind the car park is a woodland area complete with bouldering and climbing walls. They aren’t very high because we don’t want anyone to get hurt – but it is a great way to go climbing for free, without fear of death… Especially if you have kids.
Besides the bouldering, there are numerous walks around the area that will put you back in touch with nature. Take a picnic and have a free day out doing all the fun things.
2 – Visit the Cathkin Braes
Image: Buttons and Fluff/Shutterstock.com
The Cathkin Braes Country Park is around 500 acres big and lies south-east of Rutherglen. It is pretty high up so gives some awesome city views. On a clear day, legend has it that you can see all the way to the Campsies. There is lots of woodlands, some scrub, some meadow – take a picnic. The best thing to do here though is to bring your bike. It is a popular area for cyclists and dog walkers… but take your scarf.
You get a wonderful view of Glasgow and the surrounding hills from here – especially at dusk. Image: Dale Kelly/Shutterstock.com
3 – Rutherglen Exchange
If you are in Rutherglen and want to go shopping this is where you do it. They are only three miles south of Glasgow City Centre so don’t expect the same choice as you get in Buchanan Galleries. That being said, it is only three miles from Glasgow City Centre so they at least have a clothes shop and less than 8 bookies.
As with most shopping centres in Scotland, if you want to get your serious shop on then avoid a Saturday afternoon. It isn’t worth the calamity and chaos.
4 – Farme Castle
This old ruined building used to be a much-contested site that has a lot of history attached to it. Farme was once besieged by Robert the Bruce, it contains writings (on the stone) that allude to clan Stewart, and it has also belonged to Clan Douglas at some points. If ever a castle was constantly changing hands it was Farme. Understandably there is little left of it, having been finally declared unsafe and demolished in the 1960’s.
You can still visit the spot where this proud tower once stood, and read the memorial to it. It is an oddly serene place. The area is surrounded by housing and the general day-to-day life of locals. However, there is a strange sense of stillness in the area. Visit and see for yourself.
5 – Rouken Glen Park
Rouken Glen is a little different to the Braes because you wouldn’t want to bike around the loch in the middle of it, just in case. It doesn’t have the same wooded, lost feel that the Cuningar Loop does – and nor does it have the bouldering opportunities. It does have that cute pond and lots of opportunities to feed the ducks, though! It bills itself as a family-friendly green space and it truly is.
The park dates back to around 1530 and was once voted to be the best park in the UK… no joke. It is walled in so it really is a nice safe place to let the little ones wander. You need to watch them at the water’s edge but other than that they can be free to run loose. Rouken Park is protected as a geological area of Special Scientific Interest (an SSSI) because of the variety of rocks found there.
If you happen to be an amateur geologist then visit Rutherglen… just don’t take your hammer. Attacking bedrock in an SSSI area can get you arrested in Scotland. It is much more likely that nobody will even notice but why take the chance?
Other Notable Rutherglen Sights
There are too many things to fit into one article – but we do our very best! Here are some of our other top tips for having fun in Rutherglen:
- Go to Flip Out – this is one of those reasonable new trampoline parks where the kids love to bounce around all day. Definitely visit for good times.
- The People’s Palace is technically a Rutherglen postcode. Visit if you want to learn all about Scottish people.
- Rutherglen Town Hall has some lovely architecture. The bridge across the Clyde here is also notable and was built by James Watt, inventor of the steam engine.
Got Some Spare Time?
If you are still looking for something to do then head on over to our entertainment section and take a quiz. You are never short of things to do when you have five minutes spare on your side!
