is in Scotland. It has a population of around 314,000 and covers approximately 177,000 hectares. Here is a list of nearby or neighbouring counties: Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, North Lanarkshire, Scottish Borders, West Lothian
South Lanarkshire (called Siorrachd Lannraig a Deas in Scottish Gaelic) borders Glasgow and many of the residents of its towns and villages commute into the city to work. The areas history of conflict during previous centuries is reflected in the ruins of castles such as Bothwell, Strathaven and Craignethan. Popular features of the local landscape include the Falls of Clyde waterfalls which attracted writers such as Coleridge, Sir Walter Scott and William Wordsworth, as well as artists including JMW Turner. The flow of water is sometimes reduced due to hydro-electric power stations built during the 20th century which generate power from the waterfalls. Considered by many Scottish artists to be the most important work of art in Scotland, Little Sparta is a garden which was begun in the 1960s by husband and wife Ian and Sue Finlay. The gardens were designed to be a work of poetry and art and with the help of many crafts people, more than 200 pieces of art were created. Little Sparta uses sculptures and garden features such as trees, flowers, paths and water.
New Lanark was a cotton mill village built in the 18th century and in 2001 became one of only five places in Scotland to be granted the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today hundreds of thousands of people visit the village each year to see the historic buildings in which people lived and worked. Venues within the village also host social and cultural events, relating to local history or arts and crafts, such as courses and exhibitions. Opened in the 1980s, Moat Park Heritage Centre is designed to bring local history to life, with models of the buildings in which people used to live as well as archaeological exhibits. Chatelherault Country Park was the location of Hamilton Palace until it was demolished in the 1920s and it is now a popular destination for people enjoying a day out. Built in the palace grounds, Hamilton Mausoleum is a domed structure and inside the building sounds are said to have a longer lasting echo than in any other building in the world. The acoustic qualities of the interior enable people inside to hear each others whispers when they are on opposite sides of the curved walls. Set on a hilltop providing panoramic views of the park and its surroundings, the renovated former hunting lodge was designed by William Adam, father of the architect, furniture designer and interior designer Robert Adam.