Strathaven

Strathaven (; ; from  , meaning: valley of the Avon) is a small town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The town has was granted a Royal Charter in 1450, making the Town of Strathaven a Burgh of Barony. The current estimated population is 7,500.

Location
The town is located on the edge of the strath of the Avon Water, around  from Hamilton and  from Glasgow. The A71, which connects Edinburgh and Kilmarnock passes through the town. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 7,700. Strathaven has one secondary school and three primary schools - Kirklandpark Primary, Wester Overton Primary, and St Patrick's Primary. It also has a grass airfield about  to the north west on Lethame Road.

Strathaven railway stations 
Strathaven had, at various times, three railway stations.
 Strathaven station, the first station, was the terminus of the Hamilton and Strathaven Railway. The railway was taken over by the Caledonian Railway; and the station was replaced by Strathaven North railway station.
 Strathaven North railway station, 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 on 30 September 1945.
 Strathaven Central railway station, on the line from Stonehouse to Drumclog, closed in June 1964.

Sport
Strathaven is home to several sports clubs, which include:

 Strathaven Dynamo AFC
 Strathaven Rugby Club
 Strathaven Golf Club
 Strathaven Bowling Club
 Avondale Bowling Club
 Strathaven Tennis Club
 Strathaven Badminton Club (Currently Meets in Larkhall due to the rebuilding of the sports centre).

Famous Residents (Past and Present)

Bertie Auld Footballer and one of the Lisbon Lions who played with Celtic
Stuart Braithwaite Singer and musician with the band Mogwai
William Craig Brownlee Clergyman, author and Professor of Languages at Rutgers University
Eric Caldow Scottish international footballer who played with Rangers
William Craig Surgeon and botanist, President of the Edinburgh Botanical Society and Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
David Fernández Spanish footballer who spent most of his career in Scotland playing at clubs including Celtic and Kilmarnock
James Mackinnon Fowler Australian politician and founding member of the Victorian Socialist League
Gordon Gibb Businessman, CEO of Flamingo Land Ltd and former chairman of Bradford City Football Club.
Sir Robert Giffen Financial editor of The Times newspaper and President of the Royal Statistical Society
Andy Kerr Labour Politician and former Scottish Executive Health Minister
Sir Harry Lauder Singer, comedian and music hall entertainer
Thomas Leiper Tobacco merchant 
Barry Leitch Composer
Stuart McCall Scottish international footballer who played for Rangers, Everton and Bradford City
Una McLean Actress and comedian
Aileen Neilson Paralympian
Linda Fabiani (Scottish politician) SNP politician and former Scottish Executive Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture
Linda Ormiston Opera singer and actress
Corrie Scott Swimmer and bronze medalist at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
Stevie Starr Performance artist and contestant on Britain's Got Talent and America's Got Talent
 Andy Stewart, Conservative MP from 1983-92 for Sherwood, and Chairman from 1992-8 of the Agricultural Training Board
Ricky Warwick Singer and guitarist with rock bands The Almighty and Circus Diablo currently new vocalist with Thin Lizzy
James Wilson Revolutionary leader who participated in the Scottish Insurrection of 1820

References

Other websites
Strathaven castle Website 
Town of Strathaven
Strathaven in Old Postcards
Scottish Gazetteer : Strathaven

Towns in South Lanarkshire