Is Rutherglen a Good Place to Live?

The national newspaper recently named Rutherglen one of the 25 major UK suburbs for first-time homebuyers. This is no surprise, as Rutherglen offers a great combination of quiet neighborhoods and easy access to the city center. It's a great place for both longtime residents and newcomers alike, as the properties represent excellent value for money in an increasingly popular metropolis. Plus, Rutherglen is conveniently located near Scotland's motorway network and has its own train station on Victoria Street with regular direct trains to Glasgow Central.

Rutherglen has a long history, having been granted its statute in 1126, just two years after David I ascended the throne of Scotland. It was once a popular place to buy and sell draft horses, and fairs were held twelve times a year. Nowadays, it's known as the hometown of celebrities such as Supertramp bassist Dougie Thomson and Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid in the Harry Potter film series. Sports lovers living in Croftfoot, Rutherglen and the surrounding areas are spoilt for choice.

The town is located about three miles south-east of Glasgow city center and can be considered a suburb of the city. There are plenty of apartments for rent in Rutherglen that attract people from all walks of life. Rutherglen gained rail connections with Glasgow and Motherwell in 1849 and later became part of Glasgow's streetcar network. 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 highway, largely built on supports, now crosses the landscape a little north of downtown Rutherglen and, in doing so, passes over part of Rutherglen railway station. For this reason, like any other, Rutherglen is compared to almost any other neighborhood in and around Scotland's most populous city. We offer all the advice and guidance you could need about everyday life in Rutherglen and the various amenities it offers.

Malcolm Grant
Malcolm Grant

Malcolm Grant is a Scottish civic historian and former community heritage officer with over twenty-five years of experience researching the social, political, and geographical development of towns across the West of Scotland. Raised in the Glasgow–Lanarkshire corridor, he developed a specialisation in the evolution of historic burghs, municipal boundaries, and local identities, with Rutherglen—one of Scotland’s oldest royal burghs—becoming the central focus of his archival work. His research spans Rutherglen’s centuries-long relationship with Glasgow, its administrative transitions into South Lanarkshire, the legacy of its educational institutions such as Rutherglen Academy, and the shifting cultural and demographic patterns that shape perceptions of safety, prosperity, and community life today. Known for blending rigorous historical scholarship with clear, accessible explanation, Malcolm helps readers understand not only the chronological history of Rutherglen but the lived experiences and civic narratives that continue to shape the town’s modern identity.

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