Hamilton, the modern administrative capital of the South Lanarkshire council, is a town bathed in history and cultural importance. Formerly known as 'Cadzow', it was renamed in 1455 after its most important family, lead by James Hamilton, 1st Lord of Hamilton.

Hamilton has been constantly developing as a town since the mid-1400s. This has seen it rise from the small hunting lodge of Cadzow Castle to an important part in the running of modern Scotland's fifth largest council seat. Historically, the prestige of Hamilton was reliant on the power of its founding family. Each Lord of Hamilton had the charge of being successful, on a national scale, in order to maintain the growth of their settlement. This power took a massive leap in the late 1400s when the 1st Lord of Hamilton married into the royalty of the Stewart family. As the family grew more successful and famous, so did Hamilton boasting its own college in 1451, a parish school in 1570 and the frequently remodelled Hamilton Palace, which was first erected in 1695.

When mentioning Hamilton Palace, the architectural importance of this town has to be commended. In the 18th century, not only was the palace was the largest non-royal palace in the western world, it was also standing in the French themed Chatelherault Park, and housed artwork by Rubens and Van Dyck. Although it was finally dismantled in the 1920s due to subsiding foundations, it is not the only striking building that stands in this South Lanarkshire town; Chatelherault House  is a magnificent summer retreat, previously used by Scottish Lords. Another notable piece of architecture in Hamilton is its eponymous Mausoleum. Started in 1842 and completed in 1858, this epic shrine to the 10th Duke of Hamilton stands as tall as Nelsons Column in London and is reportedly said to produce the longest lasting echo of any man made structure in the world.

As with many other towns in Scotland's central belt, throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Hamilton was successful with, and reliant on, the coal-mining trade. Even after this sector has all but disappeared from the Scottish countryside, Hamilton has adapted to the economic changes. As previously mentioned, it is the administrative headquarters for the South Lanarkshire council and also the Scottish home to multi-national conglomerates such as HSBC bank and Philips electronics. Additionally, with the merging of its own Bell College with the University of Paisley, Hamilton is now contains a campus belonging to the new University of the West of Scotland. All of these factors show that Hamilton is not only at the forefront of Scotland's global links, but also its further education.

© Ciaran Mackie 2009