Demolition day for Glencairn Tower in Motherwell

A well-known Lanarkshire landmark is due to disappear from the skyline later. A controlled explosion will be used in the "blow-down" of the 17-storey Glencairn Tower block in Motherwell. It was built in the 1960s and is being removed to make way for new low-rise affordable housing. As part of an art project organised by a local minister, the tower had various images celebrating its history projected onto it ahead of demolition. Former Glencairn resident Jack Daly, who moved in when he was six years old, told BBC Scotland that when the tower was completed in 1964 it was seen as a modern and exciting place to live. "Getting a house within Glencairn was a real prize," he said. "It was a world away from everything we had been brought up in. "When we walked in everything was brand new - a fresh coat of paint, there were tiles on the floor, new bathrooms and kitchens and under-floor heating. "All of that was nothing like where we had come from." An exclusion zone will be set up around the tower on Sunday with residents asked to leave their homes and businesses while the explosion is carried out. Road closures will also be in place. A spokesman for North Lanarkshire Council said: "Due to security arrangements we can't release the exact time of the blow-down. "A number of checks have to take place once residents and businesses have vacated all buildings within the exclusion zone. "The blow-down will take place once these are complete."