Castlebank flies the green flag

The accolade acknowledges quality green open spaces across the country that help to boost our nation's health and well-being.

In 2015/16 Lanark Community Development Trust and South Lanarkshire Council collaborated in working towards Green Flag Status for Castlebank.

Sylvia Russell, chairwoman of Lanark Community Development Trust, said: “Volunteers did a huge amount of work, assisted by the council’s land services and community payback teams.

“We were presented with our first Green Flag in the summer of 2016 and the council erected a flagpole and landscaped the area with rocks donated by Cloburn Quarry.

“Green Flag judges from Keep Scotland Beautiful visit every two years to check that standards are being maintained.

“We’re delighted to receive word that we have been successful again in achieving our Green Flag.

“We have yet to receive the actual flag but when we do we’ll replace the old flag on the flagpole.”

The international Green Flag Award is administered by Keep Scotland Beautiful and acts as a benchmark for recreational outdoor space.

It celebrates well maintained parks and green spaces and supports the opportunities they provide to enable exercise, improve mental well-being and provide safe areas for play – something that has been particularly important to everyone over the last couple of years.

Some 2208 parks across the UK have achieved the award this year – with a growing number of them in Scotland.

Strathaven Park and Cambuslang Park joined Castlebank in receiving green flags this year.

Jamie Ormiston, Keep Scotland Beautiful parks officer, said: “I’d like to congratulate all of Scotland’s award-winning parks.

“Receiving this prestigious international benchmark recognises all the hard work that has gone into maintaining and managing these precious green open spaces.”

A detailed map of Scotland’s Green Flag sites can be found at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/parks.