The people of the Mining Village of Bothwellhaugh known locally as "The Pailis" and consisting of some 450 Houses, 2 Schools, 2 Churches, and even a Co-op were evacuated to various parts of Hamilton in the early 1960s after their Colliery closed down in 1959.  In its peak the colliery employed over 1400 workers and produced 2000 tonnes of coal a day . The area of Bothwellhaugh Village quickly declined then, with many of the houses lying empty and derelict.  The village was eventually demolished completely in 1966 and was flooded in the early 1970s when Strathclyde Loch was created within the Strathclyde Country Park.  The only traces of the Village today are a Memorial cairn, and some Memorabilia displayed at the Ranger Service Visitor Centre in the Country Park.

Walking round the perimeter of the International water-sports centre, Strathclyde Loch, was the venue today for the Bosco Wanderers along with a few welcome visitors from the Traynor Clan. The weather once again today was in our favour as we left the fairground behind us and headed out to join the many Joggers, Cyclists, and fellow walkers along the busy footpath on the Loch edge.  A short step from the start of our walk took us passed the excavated remains of what were the ancient Roman Baths and Fort and onto our halfway point at the Visitor Centre where we took a short break to watch the launching of some rather large rowing boats about to be propelled down the length of the loch by the muscle power of their healthy looking occupants.

Next on our walk was a visit to the (120 feet) high Hamilton Mausoleum close to the site of the former Hamilton Palace (once described as the Grandest seat in Scotland).  The Mausoleum, one of the largest in the world was constructed between 1842 and 1858 at the immense cost of £130,000 as a Family Chapel and Tomb. The 10th Duke of Hamilton was entombed here along with 16 members of his family from the nearby Collegiate Church, though they were later transferred to a nearby cemetery in Hamilton called "The Bent" (where my own Grandparents are buried), in 1921 after the Mausoleum sank by almost 18 feet due to underground subsidence caused by local coal mining.  A few of the walkers thought they felt a slight "EARTH TREMOR" as we were having a quick cup of tea at the Mausoleum so we thought it best to make a hurried exit back onto the loch side path and complete our 1st, and probably not our last, enjoyable visit to the Strathclyde Country Park.

Joe Roche.