For more than 800 years, Rutherglen was a hamlet in its own right in Lanarkshire. But in 1975, it lost its local council and became part of the Glasgow city district within the Strathclyde region, together with neighboring Cambuslang. The author Gary Brown, a native of Rutherglen, argued that the city would benefit from being part of Glasgow through tourism. Rutherglen is situated on the River Clyde, with a five-arched stone bridge connecting it to the suburbs of Glasgow on the opposite bank.
The current church, built in 1794, is in good condition and can accommodate 800 people. There is also a chapel with 800 seats, to which until recently an ecclesiastical district called West Church was annexed. In addition, there is a Free Church and a Relief Church. The city of Glasgow and all surrounding municipalities were drawn up at that time, and South Lanarkshire, with a large area but low population, received Rutherglen and Cambuslang to better balance the population and scale of the newly formed municipal areas.
This was done in alignment with a local, multi-party effort so that Rutherglen was not part of Glasgow. Folk singer Matt McGinn was born in Calton but lived in Rutherglen for many years and wrote songs that mention Rutherglen, such as Ru'glen Jean and Rosy Anna. Scottish rugby internationals Duncan Weir and British and Irish lion Richie Gray were also born in Rutherglen and attended school there, as did Richie's brother and Glasgow warrior Jonny Gray. Rutherglen Castle was located in what is now the heart of Rutherglen, where Castle Street meets King Street and near the most recent City Hall.
This prevented masted ships from navigating further upstream, and the result was that Glasgow increasingly replaced Rutherglen as a focal point for the surrounding area and especially as a port. The Cuningar Circuit is an area south of the River Clyde, near the Farme Cross region of the Royal Burg of Rutherglen. In the old system of local government, Rutherglen used to be a borough in the county of Lanarkshire. While the city center is pleasantly close by for those looking for bright lights at night, there are a number of more localized temptations to enjoy in Rutherglen.
The headquarters include not only Rutherglen herself but also the city of Cambuslang, Burnside and the Fernhill housing plan, as well as Blantyre, all of which are under the control of the South Lanarkshire local government. The question has come up several times since Rutherglen and Cambuslang were expelled from Glasgow in 1996 and became part of South Lanarkshire Council: Does Rutherglen belong to Glasgow? The answer is both yes and no. While it is true that it is no longer part of Glasgow's administrative district, it can still be considered a suburb of the city for practical reasons.
