Motherwell Strathclyde Park previously hosted the major Scottish music festival, T in the Park, until 1996, when it was moved to a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire. It has also hosted other music festivals such as Retrofest. Modern authors Des McAnulty and Mark Wilson have written novels of critical acclaim which are based in the town (LIFE IS LOCAL, McAnulty) and neighbouring town Bellshill (BOBBY'S BOY, Wilson). Motherwell is the headquarters for both North Lanarkshire Council, which is one of Scotland's most populous local authority areas, and of Police Scotland "Q" division. These organisations cover an overall population of 327,000 people
Darvel Music Festival Darvel Music Festival Darvel Music Festival is a music festival that has been held in the town of Darvel, East Ayrshire, Ayrshire, Scotland, since 2002. The Darvel Music Festival is a community-led initiative, managed and supported by the Darvel Music Company. It features ten days of music with seven concerts and twenty five international and national performers at Darvel Town Hall. The festival, which occurs during the month of May, began to run bi-annually in 2009. People from not only the Irvine Valley near Darvel, Scotland, but elsewhere in the United Kingdom and the world attend the festival—increasing tourism and