Strathaven Park has won the prestigious award from Keep Scotland Beautiful for the 11th year in a row, while Cambuslang Park and Castlebank Park have won for ten and eight consecutive years respectively.

Recognising the very best of our country’s outdoor areas, the International Green Flag Award acts as a benchmark for clean, safe and well-maintained parks and green spaces.

Administered in Scotland by Keep Scotland Beautiful, the Green Flag Award supports the opportunities that our green spaces provide to enable exercise, improve mental wellbeing and provide safe spaces for play.

Councillor Robert Brown, the Chair of Community and Enterprise Resources at South Lanarkshire Council, said: “I am delighted that these parks in our area have been rewarded in this way.

“South Lanarkshire has a range of great parks, ranging from our green flag award parks to smaller local ones. They give huge enjoyment to people, local residents and visitors alike.

“I am so pleased that all the effort put in constantly by the staff from the council and South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture is being recognised again this year. All of their hard work is really appreciated by the whole community who take advantage of the park for a whole range of activities as well as just coming along to relax and enjoy these wonderful surroundings.”

Winners of the 2023 awards include parks managed by local authorities, community groups, universities and other organisations.

In addition to the three parks in South Lanarkshire, a Green Flag was also awarded – for the third consecutive year – to Whitelee Windfarm, based in East Renfrewshire but with turbines in South Lanarkshire and managed by Scottish Power Renewables.

Jamie Ormiston, Senior Awards Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Congratulations to all our winners in South Lanarkshire. Every park has a wide range of people visiting them and their requirements can vary. What is essential is that they are well maintained and provide a place for people to relax and have fun.

“Our award-winning parks have demonstrated they are worthy winners, meeting the criteria of the coveted international award. Receiving this prestigious benchmark recognises all the hard work that has gone into maintaining and managing these precious green open spaces.

“It is imperative that Scotland reconnects with the natural world if we are to fix the biodiversity crisis and these green spaces will provide a space for people of all ages to do that.

“Green spaces are so important for our physical and mental wellbeing and it’s fantastic to see such a wide range of parks and green spaces across the entire length of the country. I encourage everyone to make the most of them this summer.”

A total of 87 green spaces in Scotland have won a Green Flag Award for 2023. Across the UK there were 2216 winners, a record number and up eight from 2022’s total.

A full list of winners can be found on the Keep Scotland Beautiful website.