The Murray, East Kilbride

The Murray is a residential neighbourhood in the new town of East Kilbride, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland; it lies immediately to the south of the town centre (access for pedestrians is mainly via underpasses beneath the A726 Queensway), and adjacent to the Westwood, Greenhills and Whitehills neighbourhoods to the west, south-west and south-east respectively.

The Murray was the first new town neighbourhood development in the area and as such contains some of the oldest state-built housing in the town. However, much of this has since underwent renovation to improve its condition. Much of the original housing was relied upon by Rolls-Royce, as it was essential accommodation for attracting the workers needed to serve in the firm's factory. Among the first generation of children to live there was the actor John Hannah.^[1] Like the other original neighbourhoods in East Kilbride new town, it contains a mix of Modernist groupings of geometrical flats as well as more traditional tenemental blocks, and individual houses in terraces and semi-detached pairs. Two tower blocks stand on the northern periphery close to the town centre called Dunlop Tower and Lister Tower. The Murray Recreation Area and Headhouse Greenway park, and a neighbourhood 'square' of local shops and facilities, provides the essential cohort of community offerings.^[2]

Most of the streets in the area are named for prominent Scots, such as: - Livingstone Drive (David Livingstone, Christian medical missionary 1813–1873) - Owen Avenue (Robert Dale Owen, Scottish-born U.S. social reformer and anti-slavery campaigner 1801–1877) - Bell Green (Alexander Graham Bell, 1847–1922) - Telford Road (Thomas Telford, engineer and noted bridge builder 1757–1834) - Liddell Grove (Eric Henry Liddell, record-breaking athlete who won Gold and bronze medals in the 1924 Paris Olympic Games 1902–1945) - Dale Avenue (David Dale, Businessman and Merchant famous for establishing the New Lanark Mills 1739–1806) - Slessor Drive (Mary Slessor, Missionary and advocate of woman's rights 1848 1915) - Simpson Drive (James Young Simpson, doctor and important figure in early anesthesia 1811–1870)

A common untutored dispute exists whether to use the definite article in the name; however, such usage is well attested. 'The Murray' appears on most maps, development records, street signs, and historical literature. This seems to have originated from the need to distinguish Murray farm (High Murray) from other Murray steadings in the area, but it was also common for most farms in the area long ago to make use of the definite article as part of the normal vernacular style. This usage was retained in the neighbourhood name.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ East Kilbride at 75: John Hannah reflects fondly on childhood playing 'conkers and crossy' on council estate, Daily Record, 10 May 2022
^ East Kilbride's Murray Square becoming "no go zone", Daily Record, 4 July 2019