Motherwell factfile

How to get to Motherwell
Motherwell is in the county of North Lanarkshire, 15 miles south-east of Glasgow, and can be reached on the M8, M73 and M74. It is 15 miles north-east of East Kilbride.

How Motherwell got its name
The name "Motherwell" did not appear until the 18th century. It's thought Motherwell may derive from a Gaelic phrase meaning "the level place above water".

Motherwell's claim to fame
When Motherwell became the centre of Scotland's steel production in the 19th century, the town became known as "Steelopolis". Motherwell's Dalzell steel factory was the precursor of the Ravenscraig steelworks, which opened in 1954 at a cost of £20 million.

At the peak of production, Ravenscraig employed 6,000–8,000 people. But in 1992, then Prime Minister John Major announced the closure of the plant, marking the end of large-scale steel-making in Scotland.

Motherwell through the ages
Although best known for its heavy industry, Motherwell's roots are in agriculture. When the first statistical account of Motherwell was produced, in 1792, the town was home to just 23 farmers and 42 weavers.

When the railway came to Motherwell in the mid 1800s, the population started to increase. In 1841, the town's population was 1,726 but by 1881 it had reached 13,853.

In the 19th and 20th century, Motherwell's main industry was steel production. Since the closure of Ravenscraig, the area has seen an influx of call centres and business parks, providing some economic regeneration to the town.

Things to see and do around Motherwell
Motherwell Heritage Centre is located on the High Road. Its main feature is the Technopolis, a multi-media display covering the history of the area from Roman times to modern day.

The 15th-century Dalzell House is situated in a park to the south of Motherwell. The park around the house is open to the public, and provides the setting for a famous tree called the Covenanter's Oak, thought to be 800 years old. Other interesting features include the remains of St Patrick's Church, and the Well of St Patrick.

Sports and leisure in Motherwell
Motherwell is home to the largest fun park in Scotland. M&D's Family Theme Park is set within Strathclyde Country Park. It has over 40 rides and attractions and Scotland's only indoor tropical rainforest, Amazonia.

Strathclyde Country Park is set in 20 acres of open parkland, mature woodland and wetlands in the valley of the River Clyde. The park offers a range of activities including sites for bird watchers and anglers.

Many events and activities take place around Strathclyde Loch. The park appears to have been a Roman site; archaeological digs have uncovered a Roman mosaic, bath house and bridge.