Rutherglen Town Hall 2016-02-28 view from west

Rutherglen, #1 on this list · Photo: BrainiacBlink · CC BY-SA 4.0

South Lanarkshire rankings · Walkability

Most walkable towns in South Lanarkshire

Rutherglen ranks first on walkability among South Lanarkshire’s 16 towns of 2,500+; 5 of the 16 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). The rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland sits beside each letter. How grades work

Rutherglen

31,185 people

Better than 95% of UK towns·#155 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Biggar

2,751 people

Better than 87% of UK towns·#429 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Lanark

8,937 people

A⁻

Better than 82% of UK towns·#601 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

All 16 towns, ranked

Walkability grade, best first; ranks are the county ranks on each town’s page (T = tied). Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland links to the national list.

Every town in South Lanarkshire →

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16 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns

1Rutherglen31,185 peopleA#155 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 95% of UK towns

2Biggar2,751 peopleA#429 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 87% of UK towns

3Lanark8,937 peopleA⁻#601 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 82% of UK towns

4Uddingston6,181 peopleA⁻#671 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 80% of UK towns

5Blantyre16,534 peopleA⁻#786 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 77% of UK towns

6Cambuslang33,250 peopleB⁺#900 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 73% of UK towns

7East Kilbride76,626 peopleB⁺#970 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 71% of UK towns

8Larkhall15,319 peopleB⁺#998 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 70% of UK towns

9Hamilton55,171 peopleB#1,180 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 65% of UK towns

10Carluke14,120 peopleB⁻#1,542 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 52% of UK towns

11Bothwell7,002 peopleB⁻#1,586 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 51% of UK towns

12Strathaven8,341 peopleB⁻#1,649 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 49% of UK towns

13Lesmahagow4,259 peopleC⁺#1,805 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 43% of UK towns

14Stonehouse5,591 peopleC#2,073 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 32% of UK towns

15Law3,293 peopleC⁻#2,230 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 23% of UK towns

16Kirkmuirhill and Blackwood4,351 peopleD#2,432 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 10% of UK towns

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the most walkable town in South Lanarkshire?

Rutherglen ranks first on walkability among 16 towns, with an A: better than 95% of UK towns. Biggar and Lanark follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). The letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

Garrison towns and university campuses aren’t ranked, and towns without the figures this grade needs are counted above. The list covers South Lanarkshire’s towns of 2,500+ with the figure. Smaller places show it on their own pages; every town in South Lanarkshire is on the county page.

Go deeper

More South Lanarkshire lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All South Lanarkshire rankings →

Most affordable towns16 towns · #1 Blantyre Towns with the best schools16 towns · #1 Strathaven Healthiest towns16 towns · #1 Biggar Towns with the lowest flood risk16 towns · #1 Kirkmuirhill and Blackwood and 2 more Towns with the lowest council tax16 towns · #1 Biggar and 15 moreDescribed, no letters Towns with the mildest winters16 towns · #1 RutherglenDescribed, no letters Towns with the warmest summers16 towns · #1 UddingstonDescribed, no letters Towns with the coolest summers16 towns · #1 LesmahagowDescribed, no letters Towns with the fewest frosts16 towns · #1 RutherglenDescribed, no letters Driest towns16 towns · #1 LanarkDescribed, no letters Wettest towns16 towns · #1 East KilbrideDescribed, no letters

Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.