Hamilton factfile

How to get to Hamilton
You can get to Hamilton easily via the M74 from Glasgow, and it's within easy reach of the M8 to Edinburgh. There are also direct A-road links to Strathaven, Lanark and East Kilbride, plus half-hourly trains to and from Glasgow and Motherwell.

How Hamilton got its name
Land around the royal barony of Cadzow (as Hamilton was previously known) was granted to Walter Fitzgilbert, whose family took on the name of Hameldone (or Homildon), their home in Northumberland. When the Lord James Hamilton obtained a burgh charter in 1455, he renamed the town Hamilton.

Hamilton through the ages
In 568 AD, St Mungo, the patron saint of Glasgow, converted the king of the Britons and his queen to Christianity in Cadzow.

In the 17th century, Hamilton was the main stopping place for the Scotland to England stagecoach. The coal and cotton industries had boosted Hamilton's population to over 35,000 by 1891, but by 1931 the place was declared a distressed area. Today, light industry and service industries are the main employers, along with South Lanarkshire Council.

Shopping in Hamilton
The main shopping areas in Hamilton are The Regent Shopping Centre and Quarry Street in the town centre, the Town Square development, plus Douglas Park.

Eating and drinking in Hamilton
There's a good selection of restaurants in Hamilton, including Italian, Chinese, Indian, Mexican and Greek. There's a healthy mix of bars and pubs, as well as a large nightclub complex.

Famous people from Hamilton
William Cullen, one of the leading physicians and chemists of the 18th century, was born in Hamilton in 1710. Barry Ferguson, the Rangers and Scotland captain, was born in Hamilton 268 years later.

Things to see and do around Hamilton
Chatelherault Country Park contains both the remains of Cadzow Castle, dating from the 12th century (the castle was blown up by supporters of James VI in 1579), and Chatelherault House, a hunting lodge built in 1732.

The park offers 6 km (10 mi) of walks along the River Avon and through ancient woodland.

The 32-acre James Hamilton Heritage Park incorporates a 16-acre loch and water sports centre.

Famous landmarks in Hamilton
The Hamilton Mausoleum, built in the 1850s for the 10th Duke of Hamilton as a chapel and tomb, can be seen for miles around.

Sports and leisure in Hamilton
In and around Hamilton there are nearly two dozen parks and outdoor recreation facilities, not to mention golf courses, skate parks, curling rink, equestrian clubs and horse racing.

Arts and culture in Hamilton
The Low Parks museum, which covers the local history of Hamilton, is the oldest surviving building in the town. The newly re-opened Town House in Cadzow Street is a theatre, arts centre, library and registration office, all in one.

Entertainment in Hamilton
Hamilton has, among other venues, a bingo hall, multiplex cinema and a 500-seat theatre. The local football side, Hamilton Academicals, gets its name from the Hamilton Academy, whose rector James Blacklock founded the club in 1874.