Home Report Uddingston

Uddingston, South Lanarkshire, is a small town of about 6,400 residents about seven miles south-east of Glasgow city centre. It is to the north of the River Clyde separating Uddingston from neighbouring towns of Blantyre to the south and Cambuslang to the west. It has a contiguous border with the affluent town of Bothwell and their respective main streets are just a couple of miles apart, well within walking distance of one another.

Somewhat confusing is the nearby North Lanarkshire settlements of Tannochside, Calderbraes, Fallside, Viewpark, Birkenshaw and Spindlehowe – although separated by the M74 motorway – are often considered districts of Uddingston due to its greater historic significance. The population of this larger conurbation is approximately 23,000 residents but could not be considered part of Uddingston proper.

Today, Uddingston serves as a popular residential commuter suburb of Glasgow. With above-average property prices, though not as high as nearby Bothwell’s, it has earned its reputation as a prosperous and popular satellite of Glasgow.

Uddingston today is perhaps most well-known as the home of the beloved Tunnock’s Confectionary brand and factory, which also operates a small tea-room on the main street. This contributes much to the town’s local economy. As does the nearby industrial estate and retail park located on Bellshill Road. This is confusingly named Bothwell Park but is located within Uddingston. In previous times coal mining was a major industry in the area before it began to decline, thereby putting Uddingston on the path to become primarily the commuter suburb for Glasgow we know it as today.

The town was also once home to Glasgow’s Zoo, when it opened in 1947 until its eventual difficulties and closure in 2003. The site now contains several private housing developments, effectively creating a new suburb known as Broomhouse which, despite sharing Uddingston’s G71 postcode, lies within the boundaries of neighbouring Glasgow City Council and is geographically closer to the east end suburb of Baillieston than Uddingston proper.

In terms of amenities today, Uddingston has a fair amount going on for a small town. This is more than likely because of its unique local economic circumstances, proximity to nearby towns, Glasgow, transport links, and desirable housing stock. On its main street, it has a nice variety of independent cafes, restaurants, newsagents, pubs, takeaways, and other local businesses. There are several sports clubs in the town including two gyms, a multi-sports club, a bowling and tennis club, plus Calderbraes Golf Club nearby. Bothwell Castle Golf Club is also practically on Uddingston’s doorstep in the grounds of the ruined 13th century Bothwell Castle, now a visitor attraction. The castle has a rich history featuring significantly in Scotland’s wars of independence.

Being a commuter town, transport links are well established. Trains run regularly to Glasgow Central from Uddingston train station while regular bus services connect the town to Glasgow and the wider South Lanarkshire area. The M74 motorway runs directly to the north and east of Uddingston, with junctions situated at either end of the town and easy connections on to the M8 too for ease of travel into Glasgow or on to Edinburgh.

As for local schooling, there are two local primary schools, the Roman Catholic St John the Baptist Primary School and the non-denominational Muiredge Primary School. Uddingston Grammar School is the non-denominational secondary school. Uddingston Grammar’s catchment extends over both the motorway and the river, encompassing primary schools in Bothwell, Birkenshaw, Tannochside and Newton (Cambuslang). The closest Roman Catholic secondary schools are Holy Cross High School, Hamilton and Cardinal Newman High School, Bellshill.