40–44 Main Street, Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, G73 2HY
Rutherglen was created a royal burgh by King David I in 1126, one of the oldest in Scotland – and once had one of the mightiest fortresses in the country. According to tradition, Rutherglen was named after King Reuther, reputedly King of the Scots during 213–187BC, who gave his name to ‘a fertile glen for farming’. A less romantic explanation is that ‘Rutherglen’ derives from the Gaelic An Ruadh-Ghleann, meaning red (or reddish) glen.
Text about An Ruadh-Ghleann.
The text reads: The name of this establishment has been taken from the Scottish Gaelic An Ruadh-Ghleann meaning ‘the red valley’.
An Ruadh-Ghleann is also believed to be the source of the name Rutherglen. However, another theory is that the area was once a settlement of Reuther, an ancient King of Scotland, who ruled between 213 and 187 BC.
Rutherglen was the first town in Scotland to be given the status of a Royal Burgh. The Charter was granted by King David I during the early years of his reign in 1126.
A plaque documenting the history of An Ruadh-Ghleann.
The plaque reads: The Wetherspoon freehouse is situated at the corner of Main Street, once the venue for castle markets and horse fairs, and Mill Street, which led to the town mill. The name Rutherglen is from the Scottish Gaelic, An Ruadh-Ghleann, meaning ‘The Red Glen’. Until the early 1980s, this four-story building was the long standing central premises of the Rutherglen Co-operative Society, which was founded in 1876.
These premises were refurbished by J D Wetherspoon in December 2012.
External photograph of the building – main entrance.
If you have information on the history of this pub, then we’d like you to share it with us. Please e-mail all information to: pubhistories@jdwetherspoon.co.uk