Tradespeople in South Lanarkshire

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South Lanarkshire is a large and varied council area stretching from the southern suburbs of Glasgow through the Clyde Valley to the hills of the Southern Uplands on the border with Dumfries and Galloway.

The north of the area is densely populated, taking in East Kilbride - Scotland's first and largest new town - along with Hamilton, the administrative centre and the communities of Rutherglen, Cambuslang, Blantyre and Bothwell clustered along the River Clyde.

The Clyde Valley running south from Hamilton through Lanark is one of Scotland's most beautiful river landscapes, famous for its orchards, gorge woodlands and the Falls of Clyde. New Lanark, the UNESCO World Heritage Site founded as a model industrial community in the 18th century, is one of Scotland's most important visitor attractions.

The upper reaches of the council area are rural and sparsely populated, with the market towns of Biggar and Lanark serving the surrounding farming communities. The landscape rises to open moorland and the northern fringes of the Southern Uplands, with Tinto Hill a prominent landmark visible from across the central belt.

Transport links are strong in the northern part of the area, with the M74, M77 and several railway lines connecting to Glasgow, while the upper valley relies on the A73, A72 and A70 trunk roads.