The current estimated population is 8,000. The town was granted a royal charter in 1450, making it a burgh of barony. The A71, which connects Edinburgh and Irvine, passes through the town.
History
The Town Mill and Miller's houseStrathaven Public HallDetail of the advertisement on the town mill
The settlement within the lands of Strathaven became a burgh of barony in 1450.[4] The centre of the town is occupied by the market square, formerly a grassed common, and still known as Common Green, or just 'The Green'. Linking the town and the castle is the old 'Boo Backit Brig' ('bow-backed bridge'), a small arched bridge.[5]
The Old Parish Church, with its landmark spire, was built in 1772, and was the place of worship of the Dukes of Hamilton, who had a section of the church reserved for them.[6]
The town played a significant part in the Radical War of 1820, when James Wilson led a band of radicals on a march to Glasgow, to join a rumoured general uprising, which never actually happened. Wilson was hanged for treason.[7]
Its most famous 'modern' resident was the singer, Sir Harry Lauder (1870–1950) whose mansion, Lauder Ha', or Hall, remains in the town's Lethame neighbourhood, the estate's entrance leading from the road to Kilmarnock. Sir Harry spent the Second World War years there, and died in February 1950.[8]
Dungavel House on the outskirts of Strathaven was the place where German Deputy Führer, Rudolf Hess, originally intended to land on the evening of 10 May 1941 in a misguided attempt to seek peace talks with the Duke of Hamilton. However bad weather and poor navigation resulted in Hess having to land at Floors Farm in Eaglesham.[9]
In 2002, Strathaven was granted the title of Scotland's First Fairtrade Town[10] (jointly with Aberfeldy) under the leadership of Paulo Quadros, chair of the first Fairtrade group in Scotland.[10]
The town's longest established business is Gebbie & Wilson, Solicitors in the Common Green, which was founded by William Gebbie in 1816.[13] Local bakery Alexander Taylor is the longest-established bakery in Scotland. Opened in 1820, the business is operated by the sixth generation of the Taylor family.[14]
Landmarks
The sole remaining tower of Strathaven Castle
The major landmark in the town is Strathaven Castle.[15] Beside the castle lies the Town Mill. Built in 1650 at the behest of William, the 2nd Duke of Hamilton, the mill remained in operation until production ceased in 1966. The building, after having undergone repairs and refurbishment since its time in use as a mill, now operates as an Arts and Heritage centre.[16]Strathaven Public Hall was designed by Alexander Cullen and completed in 1896.[17]
The Spectacle E'e falls on the Kype Water
Between the town and nearby village Sandford lie the Spectacle E'e (Lallans word for 'eye') falls. The falls are named so for a local tale of a tryst between a young man and the miller's daughter. The miller disapproved of the young man, finding him unworthy of his daughter's company, and decidedly put an end to the affair. In retaliation, the young man is said to have placed an eye glass in the thatched roof of the mill, thus, through the refracted sunlight, the mill was set ablaze. Ruins of the mill exist today around the waterfall. The falls are accessible by a trail leading from Lesmahagow Road.[18]
Strathaven has two public parks which are adjoined by a bridge over the Powmillon Burn. The lower of the two is the John Hastie Park, named for a local businessman who left a sum in his will to the town for the provision of funds for the park and the former museum which are named in his honour. The higher of the two is the George Allan Park which features a boating pond, an ornate cast-iron bandstand installed in 1902 and a miniature railway. Dating back to 1949, the railway is the oldest of its kind in Scotland. The park is named for the son of local Reverend James Allan whose son, George, was involved in a fatal sporting accident aged only 13. The Reverend Allan donated the funds necessary for the park's foundation which was then named in his son's honour.[19]
Transport
The A71, which connects Edinburgh and Irvine passes through the town. The A723 links Strathaven to Hamilton and the A726 links it to East Kilbride, and further onto Glasgow. As part of South Lanarkshire, the town is in the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport area.[20]
Former railway stations
Strathaven North station in 1906
Strathaven had, at various times, three railway stations.
Strathaven North, a terminal station on the Hamilton and Strathaven Branch of the Caledonian Railway, opened in October 1904, closed temporarily during World War I; and closed completely in 1953.[22]
Strathaven Airfield is home to a microlight flying school, which operates both the traditional-style weightshift microlights and the light aircraft-style ones, and the new airfield manager's house was featured on Channel 4's Grand Designs in October 2013.[24] There are approximately 35 aircraft – both light aircraft and microlights – hangared at Strathaven in two modern purpose-built hangars. The airfield is also home to an annual local music festival, HangarFest. The airfield was set up on the old Couplaw Farm, which The Scottish Flying Club Ltd bought in May 1964. The club had begun flying in 1927 at the old Renfrew Airport[25] but was left homeless after Renfrew was nationalised in 1946. Strathaven Airfield was given to the RAF Benevolent Fund in 1974 and then sold privately in 2005. It has three grass runways, the main runway is oriented 09/27 (east-west) and is 530 m long (with a 100 m starter extension on 27 available on request). The airfield co-ordinates in the UK Air Pilot ENR 5.5-17 are: 554049N 0040654W.[26]
Education
There are 7 primary schools in and around Strathaven, Chapelton Primary School, Gilmourton Primary School, Kirklandpark Primary School, Sandford Primary School, St Patrick's Primary School and Wester Overton Primary School
Strathaven contains six churches[27] including three Church of Scotland parishes: Avendale Old (built in 1772) linked with Drumclog Parish Church,[28] Strathaven Rankin linked with Chapelton Parish Church,[29] and East Parish Church (built in 1777) linked with Glassford Parish Church.[30]
The former East Parish Church
The town's only Roman Catholic church is St Patrick's Catholic Church. The Parish was founded in 1859 to serve the growing Catholic population of Avondale following migration from Highland and Irish communities following the Clearances and the Great Famine. The current church building was constructed in 1901, paid for by then Archbishop Charles Eyre. The older, original church building now serves as the parish hall.[31]
The ecumenical body "Hope Strathaven" consists of six churches in the area, which work together bringing a mix of community projects.[32]
The town is host to Scotland's only hot air balloon festival. Held each August since 1999, the event attracts pilots and enthusiasts from across Europe.[34]
In the Third Statistical Account of Scotland, County of Lanark, the Reverend C. Arthur Robertson, writing in 1953, quotes from the diary of a John McGowan, a native Strathavonian himself writing in Minnesota, U.S.A. c.1810 wherein is described some of Strathaven's folkloric history, "A small natural rock situated about a mile south of the town of Strathaven on the north bank of the River Avon in the parish of Avondale. Its curious form and romantic situation - with surrounding rocks rising abruptly and forming an amphitheatre about forty yards distant from it - give it the air of something grand and majestic. This little hill is covered with a slight coat of earth and planted with a few scotch firs, and the surrounding rocks are also covered with trees, forming a square on the north-east side of the Dabbie Dancie.
The hill itself is about 40 ft. high and 40 yds. long, is it oval form, within 30 yds. of the bed of the Avon, and was supposed to be the haunt of a water kelpy in the dark ages of romance, superstition and ignorance. The appearance of this beautiful little mount would give a stranger such ideas. This suggests to my mind the story which I heard in early life.
'On a stormy afternoon, as a cow-herd was gathering his cattle for home, he heard a voice more than human, just at the site of this old mount (the waters of the Avon were rising rapidly), call out, 'Carry me from Dabbie Dancie into Winkins Waas'. Which Winkin Waas is a rock placed on the other side of the Avon. This mount too, it is said, has the honour of Scots laws and ancient rites and superstitions delivered here by chiefs, and so public justice executed.'"[35]
David Fernández, Spanish footballer who spent most of his career in Scotland playing for clubs including Celtic and Kilmarnock, lived in Strathaven[41]
James Mackinnon Fowler, Australian politician and founding member of the Victorian Socialist League, born in Strathaven[42]
