Today marks exactly 50 years since the start of the construction of Strathclyde Park.
The construction challenge worth an incredible £7m at the time was one of the largest projects of its time in Scotland and it all happened fairly quickly. By 1975, just two years later, the first drips of what would be 400 million gallons of water were diverted from Clyde tributary South Calder Water into the park to start filling the existing loch.
However, a price was to be paid in terms of places and people’s homes.
The former villagers of Bothwellhaugh were uprooted from their family homes so the village, its two schools, shops, churches, well-tended gardens and dozens of houses could be demolished.
There’s nothing of the village left, it’s a myth that it’s underneath the water, it’s completely away, with only a memorial where one of the streets (pictured) once stood opposite what is now M&Ds Theme Park.
