Until about 1950, the territory of Fernhill was open fields to the south of Rutherglen outwith the boundaries of the town, overlooked by a large mansion, Fernhill House, constructed around 1870. In order to alleviate overcrowding and housing shortages in central Rutherglen, the town council identified and purchased the territory for a housing scheme. Construction took place over the late 1950s and 1960s. The neighbourhood consists of terraced and semi-detached houses as well as apartments and maisonettes in traditional tenement style buildings and standalone flat-roofed blocks. A few years later, the construction of a Dual carriagewaybypass road through central Rutherglen caused further housing issues there; road access to Fernhill to reach the new housing became easier, but the fact that the bypass intended to connect to the A749 dual carriageway to East Kilbride was not completed led to the traffic having to use minor roads in the south of the town, including Fernhill Road. The edge-of-town development has some similarities with the much larger Castlemilk housing estate in Glasgow which borders Fernhill immediately to the west and was built around the same time for similar reasons. Residents of Fernhill and Castlemilk have suffered as a result of antisocial behaviour and territorial violence between rival youth gangs, although in recent years this has been tackled and the situation appears to be improving. The boundary between the two areas, which also separates the Glasgow and South Lanarkshire local authority zones, is known as the 'Hole in the wall', a historic term referring to an opening between fields on a drover's route across the undeveloped countryside. Today this is the site of the area’s main landmark, a whitewashed statue by Kenny Hunterof a boy with binoculars and cape looking downhill towards Glasgow. A motto below the statue reads "Somewhere in the distance... Is My Future". In common with many urban neighbourhoods in the UK, the area suffered over decades from a lack of employment opportunities and underinvestment, leading to social problems and deterioration in some of its housing stock and amenities. Improvements to Fernhill in the 21st century as part of a regeneration masterplan included the opening of a new Community and Sports Centre in 2011, energy efficiency improvements, murals to brighten public areas and the rebuilding of local shops on the main road in 2014. In summer 2017, plans were outlined for the creation of an urban park on the lands of Blairbeth Golf Club, in addition to areas of new housing. Named Fernbrae Meadows after a local consultation, the park was formally opened in June 2019.
Cathkin Relief Road
In 2014, the local council released plans to complete the Rutherglen bypass road along the north side of Fernhill to better link Glasgow to East Kilbride and alleviate pressure on traffic along other routes including Fernhill Road. However the 'Cathkin Relief Road' project faced considerable local opposition as the undeveloped land earmarked for the road had been used as an informal park by locals for many years, and it was also felt this new road could isolate Fernhill from the other nearby communities. Ultimately these concerns were disregarded and the project was approved in late 2015; work began on the site in 2016 and was completed in 2017, however the company responsible for its maintenance collapsed soon afterwards. Two years later, a legal action for compensation was submitted by nearby residents due to noise and air pollution. The bypass, including the new section which was named Willow Boulevard, was subsequently re-designated as part of the A730 trunk route between the southern end of the Rutherglen dual carriageway at Spittal and the East Kilbride Expressway roundabout at Cathkin, in place of the residential Blairbeth Road.
Facilities
There are two places of worship at either end of the main road through the district: St. Marks RC Church at the west side and Fernhill & Cathkin Church at the east side. There is a regular public bus service running along Fernhill Road, linking the community to Rutherglen, central Glasgow and East Kilbride. The nearest train station is Burnside which is a distance of approximately away via a steep hill. There are no local authority schools in Fernhill itself - the closest primary schools are in Cathkin and Blairbeth and affiliated to Cathkin High School and Trinity High School respectively; however it is the location of one of the more prestigious fee-paying educational institutions in Scotland, Fernhill School who have their premises at the highest point of the incline at the southern edge of the district – the main building is the historic Fernhill House which is Category C listed and the oldest surviving structure in the area.
